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The 2004 KZN L26 Champs took place offshore Durban over the long weekend of 20 – 22 March, hosted by the Point Yacht Club. Sailed in conjunction with the Hobie 16 and Flying Fifteen Provincials, the bay was full of activity. Two Gauteng crews made the trip to the coast for the regatta. It sure was worth it for them as the weather conditions were near perfect. Rote Hexe, helmed by Ewald Sternagel and sailed by very experienced crew, was sure to be a strong contender. Eight Durban teams took part, some of them still at it after years in the class, and others very new to the L26 scene. Race one got underway in a light to moderate South Westerly on Saturday. Zephyr, helmed by Alec Lanham-Love, and Rote Hexe mixed it up on the first upwind leg. But in attempting to take control of the race, each of them ran out of wind as they sailed out to sea downwind. Jerome McLoughlin’s Foreshore sailed a more direct course and got past them by the bottom mark. Rote Hexe got the better of Zephyr but couldn’t regain the lead from Foreshore, who went on to win. Rote Hexe sailed well from the start in race two, and kept ahead of Zephyr for the first lap. In seeking fortune by going left up the second beat, Zephyr once again opened the door to Foreshore, who nailed the right corner and came out ahead at the top mark. They were still behind Rote Hexe, who managed to stay in front for the rest of the race. The back-to-back flag signaled a third race for the day. Rote Hexe, clearly reveling in the conditions, held off Zephyr for another victory. Nigel Milln’s Dockleveller found some form to put pressure on Foreshore on the downwind legs. They claimed third spot at the end in one of the closest finishes of the day. A moderate North-Easter built up early on Sunday, which made for a substantial swell. Foreshore led early on in race four, and opened a gap by working the boat well downwind. But Rote Hexe found some speed later, managing to close the gap right down on the last run. A clean rounding put the Gautengers ahead and they hung on for the last hundred metres to clinch another first. Zephyr claimed third spot. The fifth race was closely fought between several boats that were more competitive in the lighter wind. SLFC Cheetah, skippered by Bobby Lanham-Love, led at the top mark for the first time. They were unable to hold off the fleet that sailed over them downwind. Foreshore’s crew found themselves leading after the leg, closely followed by Zephyr. The sea was becoming ever more sloppy as the wind dropped further. Zephyr had enough downwind speed to get in front and finished the shortened course in that position. Subsequent finishers were Dockleveller, Rote Hexe and Parental Guidance, skippered by Tom Thornton. Foreshore struggled, crossing the finish line down the fleet, only to discover that they were OCS at the start. With one day left in the regatta, Rote Hexe displayed a near perfect score sheet, clearly leading the regatta with just 5 points after a discard. It was inevitable that a titanic duel for second would follow, with the top two local boats tied on 9 points each. Dockleveller held fourth place, followed by Parental Guidance and Galactica, skippered by Deon Gove. Monday morning was unbearably humid without a breath of wind. But as the yachts left the harbour a Westerly breeze filled in, partially relieving us of the heat. By the time the course was set the wind had built up substantially, setting the scene for some exciting racing on a relatively flat sea. Rote Hexe kept Foreshore and Zephyr out of the front row at the start of race six. But Foreshore sailed efficiently, coming out in front at the top mark, and managed to keep just ahead of Rote Hexe for the entire race. Zephyr made big gains during the latter stages but ran out of time and finished third. Foreshore was now 2 points clear of Zephyr. Assuming that there was just one race remaining, Zephyr proceeded to hold Foreshore completely away from the start line in race seven. Then they did their best to keep Foreshore out of the picture while clawing their way through the fleet in the freshening breeze. The plan so nearly worked out, but Foreshore fought back to finish just one place behind Zephyr. Following very closely were Parental Guidance, Dockleveller and Galactica. Just when one thought it was all over, the class flag for race eight went up. It was only to be contested by five yachts, after Rote Hexe sailed home having won the regatta and a long drive awaiting them. Several others had struggled in the conditions and dropped out during the course of the day. Zephyr maintained their form, keeping Foreshore at bay and comfortably winning the race. Parental Guidance took third place. All of the local crews had been shuffled around since the last serious sailing in Durban. That was certainly a factor contributing to considerable clumsiness during some of the tighter maneuvers. Ewald and crew’s superior boat handling, combined with great starts and smart sailing, produced a winning formula. What was also good to see was two youth teams battling it out with the senior crews. Race Officer Dave Rushton was always prompt in getting things going each day, with the help of his assistants on various boats. He surprised many tired Durban sailors by running a third race on two days. While some of us may have been more eager to sit on a bar stool than the wet rail yet again, we were there to race and had a very willing bridge crew. Considering that there was wind, bright sunshine and boats on the water, there shouldn’t have been a thought of going home. The regatta was sailed in conjunction with the Hobie 16 KZN Champs and an Open Regatta for the Flying Fifteen class. The top three positions in each class were as follows:
L26
Hobie 16
Flying Fifteen
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