With Captain Morgan and his band of merry men in full attendance, the KZN Dart Catamaran Provincial Championships got off to a merry start at Albert Falls Dam on the 14/16 June 2003.

The first day turned out to be a no - blower, so the second favourite pursuit of sailors world-wide became the order of the day - Captain Morgan to the rescue again!!! - as well as tucking in to a "Wild German Boar" on the spit.

Day 2 turned out to be the type of day all sailors love - WIND. It started with a light breeze with a serious switch in mind. On a "windward-leeward" course, the Darts where "running" dead downwind to the windward mark!! The windspeed increased all day with a few hilarious capsizes - just so the crews could get wet, the skippers argued! There was fierce competition up to the front of the fleet with positional changes a commonplace. By the Third Race, with the wind in excess of fifteen knots, the true pedigree of the Dart Catamarans showed itself. These mean-machines powered through the water at speeds that fixed keeler sailors cannot even dream about! (Sorry chaps, but it is true!) With over twenty Darts sailing at flying hulls at full speed out on the wire, it is truly a sight to behold. The Committee boat, being a "Houseboat" capable of carrying over twenty people, hosted spectators who had never been close to the action before and only seen yachts races in the distance. Within a short while they where bellowing forth support for their favourite sailors/yachts like SA Rugby supporters did in the days when we had a rugby team many years ago! It was a total revelation to them. Maybe this is food for thought? Finding ways to bring the spectators closer to the action has to be good for the sport. The forth and last race of the day, well into sunset, sealed the victory for Ben Mienie of Stilbaai Yacht Club on his Dart Catamaran called "Likkevaan" - rather an original name I think! Marcus Funk crept into Second Place with Dave van Bloemestein Third, on "Windwalker". The Inter - Club Prize went to Stilbaai "A", comprising of B Meinie, G Eliot and H Koninghofer, and the Inter - Provincial prize to Gauteng "A" - the same bunch of hooligans. With darkness fast approaching, the warmth of the fireplace beckoned, as well as the thought of another festive evening - and nobody was let down! With the races having been taped on video, every sailor and/or his/her dog, refreshment in hand, yelled/booed/laughed at shots of themselves and other competitors. Even "Vomit Comet", having holed herself somehow, and having to retire in the one race, received a verbal pounding - as well as her Skipper and crew.

Later, around the bonfire that night, knowing that sailors can make up some of the most crazy excuses as to why they sailed badly in a race, revelled in creating one of those stories that the person next to you has to continue after you are stuck for ideas- or you are just plain mean! Much later, most of the sailors began to act closer to their true ages, and the cross - pollination of ideas and debates on how to rig and to sail carried on well into the early hours of the morning. One just wonders if the newer/younger sailors could remember it all- only time will tell!

Thanks to some sterling work by the Committee and others, all left with many fond memories and full tummies with the promise to return - even if it was just for the "spirit" of the Albert Falls Yacht Club - whomever they are referring to!

Mark de Wet
Commodore
AFYC