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News By A Sailor For Sailors!
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Sailing wise it’s all a
bit quiet at the moment, probably a good time to be doing some work before the
next round of regattas and races in July. Actually it’s the work thing that’s
getting to me as I find myself with less and less time to get Smooth Sailing
out.
Compounding the problem
is that I am not doing very much sailing myself at the moment, largely because
there isn’t any sailing to be done here, it’s the off-season, for the next five
months! After that length of layoff I shudder to think how difficult it’s going
to be for the local sailing committee to get everyone back on the water.
That, as well as a few
e-mails that I have seen floating around regarding the proposed calendar in
Durban for the coming season got me thinking about just how much is too much
and how much is too little. It’s a fine line between too much and too little.
An off season that lasts five months is definitely too long but then again
having racing of one form or another almost year round, as is the case in
Durban, is, I think, too much. Somewhere in the middle we need to be able to
find a middle ground that is attractive to the sailors, doesn’t overburden the
volunteers that make it happen, and is rewarding for all who take part. It’s a
difficult middle ground to find and ultimately one will never make everyone
happy. However a well balanced calendar with events that are well attended can
only have a knock on effect, getting more and more boats on the water for each
successive event and that really what its all about, growing our sport.
How much growth is going
to take place in a 5-month layoff though, well, none, and that cant be good for
anyone!
As always mail your
comments to andrew@smoothsailing.co.za.
South Atlantic
Race & Rally 2006 (Formerly Cape to Rio Race)
Charl De Villiers The Silent Voyager
Occasional
Smooth Sailing correspondent and well known Gauteng based radio broadcaster and
yachtsman Steve Kirker recently had the opportunity to interview one of, if
not, South Africa’s best known international yachtsmen, Marco Constant. Amongst his
impressive list of achievements Constant has won the Whitbread Round the World
Race, on board EF Language, and the America’s Cup on board Alinghi. A sail
maker by trade he has been intimately involved in the sail programs of these
and many other top international campaigns. Ultimately he gets to do a heap of
really cool sailing on some of the worlds most amazing yachts with the cream of
international rock star yachties. During the interview he comments on several
of the boats that he has sailed on and sailors he has sailed with not to
mention giving an interesting insight as to how he got to where he is today.
Its well worth reading but way too long to publish in the newsletter so we have
had to stick to it being on the web site. To read the interview in full click HERE.
The cut off date for entries for the 2004 Vasco Da
Gama Ocean Race is now only a week away, on midday Friday. While those who
want to can enter after Friday they are going to be subject to a 50% surcharge
and that’s got to be worth avoiding. There are at least 12 quality entries in
already and with more expected this week its shaping up to be another tough
race. Most of the top boats and sailors from last years race are back for
another attempt. This race offers the opportunity for some exciting and very
close racing on one of the most beautiful stretches of the KZN coast. If the
weather is good it can be extremely pleasant sailing but if its bad it’s going
to be extremely tough. Conditions at this time of year are generally light but
I hope that by sailing that I haven’t put a jinx on them. Since its move back
to the Maputo to Durban course in 2001 the race has grown in stature and
popularity to regain its place as the premier coastal race in South Africa. Its
definitely one worth winning and by the look of the entries that are in already
there are several top sailors who agree with me.
Recently I received the NOR for the South Atlantic Race and Rally 2006 and, not really knowing what it was,
pretty much ignored it. Trawling through my mailbox a few days later I took the
time to look it over and discovered that it was in fact the Cape To Rio Race,
just that it’s not going to Rio. An interesting move I thought, and possibly a
very brave one. As the Cape to Rio race the event is well known throughout the
world and although it didn’t attract a particularly good entry last time round,
it is still a famous race. One wonders whether the slightly innocuous sounding
South Atlantic Race and Rally will have the same pulling power of the Cape To
Rio Race, especially amongst the international community. Hasso Plattner, the
sponsor of the previous race, is the owner of a Maxz 86, Morning Glory. While
the Rio Race may have been a race worth doing for the owners of these mighty
yachts, one wonders whether the South Atlantic Race and Rally will have quite
the same appeal. When I questioned the reason behind the change the reasons for
it were fairly easy to go along with. First was the lack of wind at Cabo Frio,
close to the finish in Rio. The race is often won and lost in this area,
sometimes in a manner that might be deemed unfair. The "experts" seem, to think that there is more of steady wind
near the finish in Salvador. Second was the feeling that the Rio Yacht Club has
in the past accepted rather than openly welcomed the sailors. In fact tolerated
was the word used. If this is true then
its got to be the biggest reason for getting the race out of there. An event
like this has to be a bit of a cash cow for the host clubs at both ends not to
mention that there is some prestige attached. Salvador are, I am told, bending
over backwards to accommodate the race. That’s something that one can’t ignore.
The logistics of organizing an event on opposite sides of the Atlantic are
pretty massive making a willing and energetic partner on the other side a
necessity. The cost of staging the finish and prize giving in Rio was cited as
being a problem and it sounds like the Brazilian stat of Bahia, of which
Salvador is the capital, will be funding a good part, if not all of the costs
involved. The fourth, and potentially biggest reason that I was given for the
change was that the Rio Yacht Club wont allow any form of commercialization.
That’s got to be extremely limiting for sponsors and I wonder how any club can
afford to get by in this day an age with a policy like that. Finally it was
suggested that with no turning marks on the course (Isle De Trinidade was a
mark of the course on the Rio race) the race might be more interesting. That I
don’t buy into but for the rest it seems like a pretty good decision. I think
that the organisers have a tough job on their hands to restore this event to
its former glory. They are going to have to try hard to attract high profile
international entries, the likes of Mr Plattner and his fellow Maxz 86 owners.
They are also going to have to work hard to get the buy in and support of the
local yachting community. The 1993 race attracted 83 boats, the 2000 race 80.
If memory serves me correctly the 2003 race saw well fewer than 50 boats on the
start line, in fact the turnout was downright disappointing. This is something
that the race organisers will have to work hard to change. Regardless of the
destination there is widespread appeal in this race. It is without doubt South
Africa’s showpiece yachting event and for the most part its and easy sail being
downwind all the way. There is however going to be competition for entries from
the Mauritius to Durban race, which takes place only a few months prior in
2005. Both have the potential to be good events. More details on the South
Atlantic Race and Rally 2006 can be found on the event web site at www.southatlanticrace.co.za.
The Sailing KZN
Annual General Meeting
took place in Durban last Friday with the following committees being elected:
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
|
Chairman |
Dave Claxton |
|
Treasurer |
Jimmy Melville |
|
Members |
Kieron Moore |
|
|
Dave Rushton (Racing) |
|
|
Sheldon Dickerson |
|
|
Hemraj Gokal |
|
|
Rob Barker |
OFFSHORE COMMITTEE
|
Dave Claxton |
|
Chris Frost |
|
Don Voysey |
|
Phil Downing |
|
John Lupton-Smith |
|
Kieron Moore |
Outgoing Chairman, Kieron Moore, delivered
his annual report at the meeting. For those who weren’t there the full contents
of his report have been posted on the Sailing KZN web site. In addition a
message to the sailors of KZN from incoming Chairman, Dave Claxton, has been
posted on the site. For all sailors in the region, but mostly for those who
often spend their time bleating about what it is and isn’t that SAS and Sailing
KZN do for them, this is a message that is worth reading. This message details
some changes to Sailing KZN’s operating structure and in particular office
hours and services as well as a detailed outline of what the future holds for
the organisation. Sailing KZN represents every sailor in the KZN region and
contrary to popular belief is a necessary organisation that carries out a lot
of valuable work that both directly and indirectly benefits you, the sailor. I
trust that all sailors in KZN, the doubters, the barstool politicians and the
sailors will take the time to read what the chairman has to say and get an
understanding of what’s going on. You will find everything you need to know at www.sailingkzn.co.za.
The South African Sailing AGM takes place next Saturday, the 19th of June, at
the Pretoria Sailing Club. While understandably not an immediately appealing
event to attend for all sailors I think it’s vitally important that more SA
sailors get in touch with what’s going on in our administration. So, if you are
in the area next week, get down to PSC and get in touch with what’s happening
in your National body. The meeting is set to start at 14:30.
Charl de Villiers is an ex-pat South African living in Texas in the United States.
There he started a local rugby team, the Kwaggas, made up largely of ex-pat
South Africans living in Houston. He is also at present sailing around the
world single-handed. Charl is however deaf and by completing his
circumnavigation hopes to become the first deaf person to sail around the
world. He started from the small town of Palacios on the south Texas coast, and
sailed directly to Panama. From there he left the Americas behind and is
sailing his Tartan 37, Island Time, across the Pacific Ocean, following the
trade wind route to American Samoa. From there he will head west through the
Torres Straits and across the top of Australia. Then is will be on to South
Africa with a stop planned for Cape Town before he heads across the Atlantic to
the Caribbean and then back to Palacios. Throughout his voyage Charl is keeping
a very good web site up to date with almost daily log entries. This makes for
some interesting reading. Technology has made the day-to-day action on board
racing yachts readily available to all of us. Almost every major race around
the world employs technology that allows us to be almost on board with the
sailors however it is very seldom that we get a look in at what life is like on
board for a cruising yachtie. For those of you who are interested visit www.silentvoyager.com.
Our Notices of Race page on the Smooth Sailing has all the NOR’s available to us. If you
have a regatta coming up and would like to make the NOR available online then
e-mail it to hethcot@iafrica.com and it will be posted and
listed in this newsletter. To get your copy simply click on the name of the
regatta you are interested in below:
|
Regatta |
Venue |
Dates |
|
Point, Royal Natal & Zululand
Yacht Clubs and Club Naval, Maputo |
December 2003 to July 2004 |
|
|
Pretoria Sailing Club |
19 June |
|
|
Island Sailing Club |
19 & 20 June |
|
|
Point Yacht Club |
3 to 9 July |
|
|
Lake Malawi |
7 to 15 July |
|
|
Maputo to Durban |
15 July |
|
|
Zululand Yacht Club |
23 to 25 July |
|
|
University of Cape Town Yacht
Club |
31 July & 1 August |
|
|
Newcastle Aquatic Sports Club |
7 to 9 August |
|
|
V & A Waterfront, Table Bay |
20 to 27 August |
|
|
Hermanus Yacht Club |
11 to 18 December |
|
|
Royal Cape Yacht Club |
4 January 2006 |
The Smooth Sailing Classifieds are a free service for private advertisers only. This service is not available to any commercial enterprise or service provider. To place an ad, e-mail the details to andrew@smoothsailing.co.za.
For further details contact Chris Frost
Extensively
equipped for cruising.
Good
condition
Walk-on
mooring in Durban available with yacht,
Contact: Don
Sellars
Cell: 072 354
9724
E-Mail: donsellars@absamail.co.za
Posted: 25/05/04
WANTED
Marine Diesel
Engine
30 - 50 Hp
range
Contact:
Steve Button
Cell:
082-851-8172
Email: sbutton@csir.co.za
Placed:
07/06/04
Contact: Ron Pet
Cell: 073 232 4105
E-Mail: pet@glenwoodhighschool.co.za
Placed: 07/06/04
Prepared to
pay up to R8 000-00
Contact
Gerard
Cell: 083 653
5178
Placed: 19/05/04
Andrew Heathcote
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 783 8805
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contained in this newsletter are those of the authors concerned and in no way
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