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South Africa once again supported the Mirror Class World Championships in full force. Organising a team to an event like this is a huge challenge and one operates under pressure from months before the event until after the return home. Ensuring the selection process runs smoothly, shipping of boats, finding accommodation, booking flights, Visas, entries on time, uniforms and insurance, among other things have to be dealt with. Eight boats left Port Elizabeth on 9 November and arrived in Hobart at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania on 30 December. The team left on 1 January 2003 and arrived in Melbourne late on 2nd January where we stayed in a Formula 1 hotel. We left early the next morning and arrived in Hobart on 3 January where we unpacked and took our boats through scrutiny. Some Aussie rules applied that we were not aware of and a bit of work had to be done on most of our boats to get them registered for the event. We had a ninth entry from Kevin Shallcross from Cape Town who sailed with Samantha Brown in a Mirror based in Hobart. We stayed at a private school where they looked after us very well. The deputy headmaster and the matron of the hostel are both ex-South Africans, which might have helped. The chef, Tim, ensured that all had enough to eat. He provided breakfast every morning and dinner on the days that we did not have a sponsored meal at the yacht club. We were never able to finish all the food provided except for the ice cream the first night. Their games room with table soccer, full size snooker table, table tennis and cable TV was used to its full potential whenever there was a spare moment at the hostel. The team have set their own rules and curfew was silence by 22:00 and lights out by 23:00. This was very difficult for all to adhere to at all times but towards the end of the event all realised the value of that. Some of the youngsters went to bed much earlier than required. The sailing conditions were excellent. In the mornings there was a light northerly breeze that swung around to south by 13:00 to pick up to 10+ knots. All races for the worlds started after 13:00. The pre-worlds championship, consisting of 4 races, was sailed on 7 & 8 January. This was a good tester for the team to get used to the conditions and on these 2 days they had all conditions, from light to strong winds. Waldo and Ashton performed very well in this event. One thing I made very clear after the pre-worlds was that these results were not by any means a representation of what to expect in the worlds. Sailing in the pre-worlds is an opportunity to set-up the boats in racing conditions in the sailing conditions. Between the pre-worlds and the worlds we had 2 lay days. The first day we hired a bus and took a trip down to Port Arthur (the penal centre that made Tasmania famous in the early days) and stopped at various places to experience the hospitality and the beauty of the island. The highlight of the trip was the visit to the Tasmanian Devil Park where we not only saw the Tasmanian Devils, but also had the opportunity to feed the Kangaroos and Wallabies by hand. Most of the team said that that was the highlight of the visit to Tasmania. On the second lay day we took it easy by doing some shopping in town and having a rest before the opening ceremony that evening. We had a march, speeches by various people and a meal to die for. The governor of Tasmania's speech was the best. What struck me most was when he spoke about the Mirror and the fact that it is their best training boat as it gives the youngsters the best background in sailing skill and technique. Most of the Australian top sailors came through the Mirror ranks. It not only give the full sailing experience wiyh main sail, jib and spinnaker handling, but also the skill to sail as a team with someone else and that in a boat that is very safe and stable under all conditions. So sad that we have not yet realised this in our country where we can build Mirror at a fraction of the cost of any other sailing dinghy and get the benefits. On Saturday 11 January the first race of the worlds was sailed. Those of you who were watching the ODI cricket match between England and Australia would have seen the Mirrors on the water as they have shown quite a bit on TV during dull periods in the game. The sailor's adrenalin and stress levels were high as they all came with a mission, to do well. But, it was a world championship and every one came with the same mission and the competition was very tough. Notwithstanding that, the team performed very well. Expectations, as became evident from the messages received from home, has put some of the guys under added pressure to perform better and that might have added to less than expected performance of some members. No one wanted to disappoint the supporters and sponsors at home. More details of each day's racing are covered by the daily skippers reports below. On Monday 13 January the International Mirror class General meeting as held and Kuba and myself attended. The South African Mirror Class must have created a fantastic impression with the rest of the world as not only was I nominated and elected president of the International Mirror Class, but we also walked away with the Mirror Worlds for 2007 in South Africa. Negotiations are currently underway for the venue which will most probably be Theewaters Sports Club. A fantastic coup for South African Sailing. The one race I would like to talk about is race 7, a race that very few competitors will ever forget. The race started in about 8 knots on wind from the south. The water was flat at the time and the conditions very hot. I was on my rubber duck with 2 Aussie coaches. As the fleet completed the first triangle, we noticed a change in cloud and weather patterns from the south. We grabbed our weather jackets as we realised it was going to blow and the duck is very wet in the chop. By now the fleet had rounded the top mark for the second time and were on the run to the bottom mark. The wind was at 12 knots. As they rounded the bottom mark, the squall hit us at about 32 knots, gusting 37 with a switch to SSE. The boats were now on a reach to the finish mark as the bridge shortened course at the top mark. Sailors who were still under spinnaker was flattened, those who tried to sail with their mains under power, were over powered. Most dumped their mains and sailed under jib only; plaining at such a speed that we saw them jumping waves. What was absolutely remarkable was that 78 of the 92 boats still finished the race with a result notwithstanding the conditions. Only a few boats had to be towed to shore with breakages. Sailors were send ashore for an hour and a half for the wind to settle. Each sailor had something to say about that race in his reports below. Every Sailor in our team was proud to be South African. They represented our country with great distinction and their behaviour was always of the highest quality. Many of the organisers and other countries complemented us on that. It was absolutely fantastic to see how the wore their South African uniform and carried the flag with pride. So sad that we are still battling to get an answer to our request for SA colours based on the rules currently in place instead of answers based on the personal opinions of some individuals. A great thank you to all who send us their best wishes, it was always fantastic to see how every one assembled at our notice board to read. Now, for preparation for the Mirror Worlds in Swede on 2005, and in South Africa in 2007, we need to do some major development and training of our youngsters as the Mirror Worlds is dominated by the young people of the countries that take part. There were many fathers and mothers sailing with their children which was fantastic to see. Many of them came in the top 10 results. Just imagine sailing with your son/daughter in a world championship!!! As a country we need to invest in coaches that knows how to coach sailors during major events. I saw the value of that when I had the Aussie coaches with me for 2 days. Their ability to analyse the weather patterns and water conditions and giving that feedback to their sailors before races is invaluable. It is one thing to teach someone to sail, but a total different thing providing sailors with expertise at the championship to assist them to win races. That is a huge void in our country, please help us find and train these coaches, not only for the Mirror Class but for all sailors who want to excel.
The Final Results for South Africa was:
Our individuals were
WILLIE ZEVENSTER
DAY 1 ( Races 1 & 2) The first race started in about 10 knots of wind. The start line was pretty square and in a big fleet like this clear air is very important. We tried to start in the first row but as luck would have it we unfortunately started in the second row. With bad air and chop we quickly search for better conditions. We spent the whole race catching up and I recon we still did very well. We ended up 23rd just stealing it from an Irish boat at the line. We were geared up as we knew we were fast upwind as well as down wind. The second race the result speaks for itself. With a 13th you can never complain. We started in the first row this time and stuck to the left side of the beat, as it seems there was more pressure on this side. I must say we were a bit lucky at the weather mark lay line as someone reserved a spot for us. I will not try to round the buoy this late again! We were about 15th and caught up the rest of the places mainly on the beats. It was very close racing and I enjoyed it so much. Thanks again for everyone's support. Will report again shortly with more news!!
Brennan & Ricky - African Express We were going very well and approached the weather mark on starboard amongst a row of boats that was four boats wide. Then the whole fleet got pushed way below the mark and this meant trouble for the previously non-over standing boats. We had to tack about four times but I don't think we lost more than 10 places. We caught up a lot and finished in the 40's In the second race we sailed very flat and went very fast and pointed very well. Along with a good start we managed to get quite a good position. We went all the way t the left on the last beat with two Aussie boats and it seamed the current was helping us a little. It was a great days sailing with lots of entertainment at the end of the days sailing.
Ashton & Nicolas - Alfu
Thomas & Chris - Greyhound
Kuba & Taariq - CTRL-ALT-DEL
Gareth & Saskia - Wild Thing We had a fantastic start to the first race and, combined with a bit of luck we were in the top 20 around the first mark. Just after hoisting the spinnaker, the kicker snapped, so we lost on or two places repairing it. After a couple of wrong decisions, we ended up 47th, which I am satisfied about due to the high level of competition. The next race went better, for most of it. We had another flying start and were again in the top 20 around the first mark. Things were going well until the end of the race when a wrong decision regarding course selection caused us an accident. We had just settled down after a tack onto port when we collided with another boat. We did our 720 turns and proceeded to finish the race. Upon reaching shore, we discovered we had received a rather large crack to the side o our boat just above the buoyancy tank. The involved boat owner said to us they would not protest but would only look for redress. But at the jury meeting the jury disqualified us for not retiring due to the damage we had caused. With one average race and one disqualification we will have to sail with all we got tomorrow.
Diether & Andrew - The Matrix
Trevor & Megan - Magic Race 2: Start at committee boat. Tack onto port. Stayed in the middle of course. In about front 3rd of the fleet. Sailed middle of course. Seemed to pay off. Ended up 52.
Day 2 (Race 3 & 4) Race 3 had its ups and downs. More downs than ups actually. Our start was horrible, starting in the second row with nowhere to get clear air as we started in the middle of the line. The first beat was horrible except for the fact that the wind swung in our favour and the left side paid. It didn't seem as if we had the speed downwind that we had yesterday. At the first bottom mark we had a huge tussle with a lot of boats jamming. There was some shouting going on and we lost a lot of places. We battled the whole race and I decided to go far right as I was bargaining that the sea breeze would kick in. We got lucky and caught up a lot, getting a 29. Race 4 we were out for revenge and we had a front row start 2/3 from the committee boat. We went left as the wind shifted back. We had a good beat and rounded 19th at the top mark. Downwind we held our position. Keeping left on the beats really paid off and we caught one or two places. On the last reach the wind started to swing right and I saw the sea breeze (a haze) threatening on the horizon. We went right taking the header first. When we tacked we could almost lay the finish. Being the boat furthest to the right we benefited the most and overtook 3 to 4 boats coming 13th in the end. We are currently laying 15th overall and I am very very pleased with our performance. However I am afraid the discard is going to have a negative affect on our position as most of the guys got an OCS. We will still give it our best!!!
Brennan & Ricky - African Express We also had a great second race in which we finished around 25th. So far in the regatta we've only had to do one 360 and that was in the race we finished 16th. We hope we have a few more days like today.
Ashton & Nicolas - Alfu The next race we managed quite a disappointing start and ended up quite far back in the fleet as we rounded that top mark. We sailed very passively the whole race (Ashton hardly saying a word) and managed to climb back up to 38at the end of that race. Quite a disappointing day in terms of result, but we are putting that aside and focusing the next race.
Thomas & Chris - Greyhound
Kuba & Taariq - CTRL-ALT-DEL Race 4 - Good start. Bigger switches. Again went for pressure. Ended up in 40's. What a joy to sail in such a big fleet. Good regatta management with only two races a day, allows a relaxed morning, and you know you only have to sail two races when you go out. We could learn from this. What a shame it is to see the other countries as official entries representing their countries. We are an official entry, but have no recognition from official body (SAS) nor from the country! Willie is doing a great job as manager and coach, but we do need a trained sailing coach, come on SAS!
Gareth & Saskia - Wild Thing
1) The damage to the involved boat was NOT SEVERE ENOUGH to warrant redress. As for the sailing, we had two great starts, particularly in the second race. The conditions were extremely difficult and worsened as the day progressed. The wind was an average 10-12 knots for most of the time, but as the wind dropped it took a lot of skill just to get the boat to move forward. The chop was huge with dying wind and current in the opposite direction. Switches played a huge role in the race as wind shifts were varying as much as 20 deg. Keeping wind in the sails were imperative. The wind would blow in from one area, die and blow in another area. Our racing did not go as well as our starts. In both races, we just dropped back further and further. We got somewhere in the 50's for both. But, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully we will have some more wind. We know we can do better, and we will!
Trevor & Megan - Magic
Race 4 - 68th
Day 3 (race 5 & 6) From a sailing point of view it was brilliant! Upwind it was a bit of an schlep but downwind the boats just sprang to life! It's been a long time since I went this fast on a Mirror and my Laser sailing experience really helped today. This morning there was a bit of a debate if we are going to sail or not. I would have preferred an off day just to gain some energy but the race officer made his decision and of we went. The racing side of it all wasn't that bad but it wasn't what we wanted. With a very bad start in the first race we managed to get a 29th. In the last beat we overtook a lot of boats being on the right side of the course just as a huge shift kicked in. In the second race we had a better start but still not quite at the front row. We were however at the favoured end of the line (committee boat) which helped us a bit. The rest of the race was just survival, rounding in the late 30's early 40's at the top. At the first gibe mark we took down our spinnaker as I saw a lot of boats getting overpowered on the tight reach. The wind was now at it strongest and on the run we occasionally jumped waves! At the bottom mark we came across a poor crew who fell out the boat and held onto the mark in order not to get hit by all the boats. This crew slipped of the mark just before our rounding and if I didn't see his hands in the air I would've gone straight over him. His frightened face was quite a sight to see though. On the last reaching leg our rudder popped up a few centimetres and I only realised it on the last beat. With lots of weather helm our hiking skills were really tested. We lost a couple of places and came 25th. Our overall performance today was below our expectation but we came of very lightly. Tomorrow we'll have our ducks in a row!
Brennan & Ricky - African Express
Ashton & Nic - Alfu I personally feel we could do stacks better, but we did enjoy the racing. The wind was fairly strong, so others thought, but luckily we did some heavy weather training at home. So it was quite a breeze for Nic and myself. We managed to score a 27 in the first race if the day and also did a 360 at the bottom mark. We stealthily recovered from our penalty especially since there were many boats amongst us. The next race we had a fairly decent start at the committee boat in clear air and managed to pretty much hold a 22 position right to the end, give or take a few boats. What we learnt on the day was to concentrate, work super hard on the first leg and once again, work on a good start. The whole RSA fleet also seems to be going much better. We look forward to the last few races to come.
Thomas & Chris - Greyhound
Race 6:
Kuba & Taariq - CTRL-ALT-DEL Race 6 - Now gusting 25-28, we decided to sail conservative. Good start at pin end, slow around the course to finish 44th.
Gareth & Saskia - Wild Thing We had another average first start and a pretty average race. The conditions were again quite difficult as the gusts were long and very strong. There was a massive lift on the starboard side of the top mark, but it was not low enough to allow us to tack earlier to lay the mark. Once on the actual lay-line, you find yourself being lifted higher and higher until you are reaching to the mark. Downwind, a spinnaker was imperative in order to keep up. With average size waves and a decent wind, the downwind legs were very fun. We finished that race 49th due to some incorrect decisions as to which side of the course to sail. Our second start was the worst so far. We were last over the line at about 30 seconds after the gun. We had tacked before the start to return to the line and a strong gust, coupled with a huge wave, put us into irons. After crossing the line, another competitor sailed into us on port. We did all we could to avoid, but still collided. We attained a hole, another one, on the starboard side, just below the tank line. By now the wind was up and everyone was battling just to keep the boats upright. We worked as hard as we could, not letting the main go, but rather hiking the boat, and working our way up the fleet. The downwind legs were the fastest I have ever done. We managed to ignore the acing muscles and foul taste of salt and finished 41st. Hopefully we can keep this up and get a top 50% finish.
Trevor & Megan - Magic
Race 6 - wind 28- 30 knots
Day 4 (Races 7 & 8) Race 7 started off in light to medium winds. The start line was pin end bias but I went for clean air and started at the committee boat end. Just after the start I saw all the boats tacking on port and realised that the wind shifted even more, giving the pin end boats more of an advantage. I tacked onto the lift, still in clear air but it was to late, the damage was done. We rounded the top mark in the late 50's or so I was told. The reaches we held our position. The mark was moved for the second beat and I played the left side of the course as the wind was persistently shifting left. Making up lots of ground we rounded in the 30's at the top. The run was interesting as the wind disappeared. I knew something fishy was going on and saw lots of cloud cover to the south (right of beat) of the course. I only thought that the wind would suddenly switch that way but what happened next was unbelievable. As we rounded the bottom mark we got headed, as was expected, but then this 40-knot wind came rumbling through our course. We tacked and the beat turned into a reach. The wind was so powerful that we were plaining with the main flapping and only the jib doing all the work. The boats still on the run leg got whipped out with spinnakers popping and gaffs and booms snapping! Luckily the course was shortened and the finish was just up ahead. All we wanted to do was keep the boat upright and get there. Once over the finish line a wave hit the front-weather side of the boat and knocked us over. The way we battled to get it up is an even longer story. Racing was postponed till later and we went ashore. We finished 31st. After waiting for the wind to die down we could finally go out again. Race 8 wasn't that eventful but it was difficult to keep up with the leaders after a brilliant start. The chop was now bigger than ever because of the squall and the wind was light again. In the end we got the hang of it. The chop was at a funny angle as well. On port tack the chop came straight from the front, slamming into the bow and on starboard at right angels with the boat pushing you sideways. In the end we finished 25th.
Brennan & Ricky - African Express
Ashton & Nic - Alfu The 2nd race was postponed with further notification ashore. When we did eventually go out for races the wind did calm down a bit for some good racing. We had an okay start but I suppose my spirits were a bit dampened at that stage and my concentration levels were low. The evening was great though as it was our international evening. The SA Team really put on a great performance. Nic is really popular with the ladies and he is having a fab time. Generally I'm a little disappointed… okay a lot disappointed with our racing!! But so many has been learnt and I look forward to some serious sailing when I get back home.
Thomas & Chris - Greyhound
Race 8:
Kuba & Taariq - CTRL-ALT-DEL Race 8 - The wind settled and at 15:15 we launched again. The sky was clearing, the breeze was steady, and race 8 started. We sailed well finishing 49th. The fleet is very tight between 1-40 and maybe 5 minutes after 1.5-hour race!
Gareth & Saskia - Wild Thing The wind dropped considerably and we found it difficult to get the boat moving well. We had a huge header while trying to lay the top mark, forcing us to tack into another boats water. After rounding the mark we did our 720 turns and lost out a few places. Overall we had a bad race with a pretty shocking finish. Luckily we have a wonderful thing called discards, which saves us a bit. Hopefully the last day of racing will be more successful.
Diether & Andrew - The Matrix With 2 races to go we hope to have at least one good race and one even better one.
Trevor & Megan - Magic
Day 5 (Races 9 & 10) There was a very light south-easterly puffing and there was a very big outgoing current that would normally not have an effect but in these conditions it did. Before the race I saw in the distance the southerly sea breeze making its appearance with a haze on the horizon, making the starboard side of the course the favoured side if it would come through. The committee boat side of the line was also favoured. With the current going with us on the beat, the whole fleet got pushed over the start line all the time. We had a couple of generals and then the I-flag came up. I knew that this was my chance. Nobody really attacked this time and I started right at the committee boat, on the line, a dream start! We tacked onto port and watched the fleet going the wrong side of the course. The sea breeze kicked in and we tacked onto the lifted starboard tack. We crossed the whole fleet accept for one boat. We rounded the top mark 2nd, about 2 meters behind the leading boat (who in fact was OCS, meaning we were leading the race). What a great feeling. At this level one mistake will cost you. I think we were a bit overwhelmed and we made a couple of mistakes, as the breeze got stronger. The only gear failure we had in the whole regatta also happened in this race with the outhaul slipping as we tacked, overpowering us and filling us with water. We finished 12th in the end but I could've kicked myself. A single digit on the scorecard was very welcome at this stage. Race 10 was a very bad race. We had a bad start, went the wrong way on the beat as it was very shifty, had a starboard-port incident with us being on port and we never recovered. This race ended up as our worst race of the regatta. We finished 33rd in the end. With our best and worst all in one day we could only reflect and learn from this experience. Next time we'll get those single digits.
Brennan & Ricky - African Express After a great pin end start in race 9, we were fighting to hold on to our well earned position. After a great leeward mark rounding and good speed the wind suddenly picked up to around 18 knots. It was quite difficult adapting to the steep chop that came with the wind. We did well to more or less hold on to our position to the end with our final position being a 29th.
Race 10 It was a very positive way to finish off a great regatta.
Ashton & Nic - Alfu Our strategy was to start at the pin end of the line and then tack onto starboard to clear boats. Unfortunately we misjudged a starboard boat approaching us and crash tacked into there water… After doing our 720 penalty we ended up being stone last off the line and 4th last at the top mark. The wind eventually picked up considerably during that race and we managed to work our way through about 30 boats in the end of that one. We blew any chance of improving our position in the regatta. The last race I decided to just sail and have fun. We still tried to concentrate though and finished okay in the end having a nice dual in the end with some good boats.
Thomas & Chris - Greyhound In race 9 we had an awesome start and it looked like we where in about the top 15, but as the wind shifted back we where caught out on the right hand side almost having to sail backwards to reach the mark, eventually finishing 53rd. Almost exactly the same happened in the 10th race but we went to the left this time and got stuck again, leaving us with about at the most 15 boats behind us. A disgusting result of 60th (2nd discard). Well it's all over and it seemed to go to fast. I've really had a good time.
Kuba & Taariq - CTRL-ALT-DEL Race 10 was nearly drama for us, we ended up too far from the line. Many boats were far away, so luckily for us the PRO abandond the start till all were ready. Again we had a great start, were in first 20 at the weather mark, lost a few places before next beat where we lost heavily, we tacked to the middle too soon. We made up on the last down wind legs, and made up on the last beat to finish 36. The Worlds were over, we were 51, not a bad result for first Worlds, but at least we know we can do better, we need a bit more speed, some on water advice and training, and we can have a World Champion! Kuba
Gareth & Saskia - Wild Thing Our starts were fairly good. We were always on the line with speed when the gun went. But after that it was difficult to keep up. One or two problems with the spinnaker cost us a few boat lengths each time and some incorrect decisions saw our position slipping each beat. The last two races were our major downfall in the regatta. Two 60+ positions don't help. For a personal over-view of the regatta, I am very disappointed. I expected to do better than I did. I have been trying to remind myself that I did the best I could all the time, but I can't help but feel that I under-performed. Apart from sailing though, the experience will never be forgotten. Our group has grown close together and I think we have all made new friends. If anything, I have learnt a lot, particularly on the water, and hope to do better at future regattas. And a final note to say thank you to all the people who have made this trip possible. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to go to the next worlds.
Diether & Andrew - The Matrix When we got back to the hostel after packing away boats. Mike Robinson phoned to hear how his sons did in the days racing. They were still down at the club so we had a little chat and he actually told me exactly what I thought was wrong. He said, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to hard. So I came to the conclusion: with a bit more preparation and a little less effort the regatta could've been an even greater success. Thanks to the Aussies who in the end helped so much. I would also like to thank all the sponsors and contributors to our team Down Under. But especially my Mom and Dad for all their hard work, effort and support.
Trevor & Megan - Magic
Race 10
SUMMARIES For me it was the best World Championship ever and I think it was the combination of all the team mates staying together as a group, with great team spirit, and the level of competition on the water. We had lots of fun and experiencing so much as a group made us all closer together. Highlights of the trip for me was our tour across Tasmania where we saw the Tasmanian Devils, feeding Kangaroos and enjoying all the chirps and jokes along the way. The food was excellent as we had a professional chef cooking for us. I picked up 5Kgs!! The international evening was great and just the planning alone was worth it. We could be our usual South African selves. The racing was brilliant and I am very pleased with our result. We were very consistent and performed well. We learnt so much… All and all the trip not only made me a better sailor but also a better person. Thanks guys! It was blerrie lekka to trek with you klomp oaks. It was an experience and a half!!
Ashton - Alfu We need to pay more attention to big fleet starts and strategy though. The regatta as a whole was a very well organised and enjoyable one with very tight competition. Thanks to our sponsors, Tuffy and Stopak we were able to represent our country and gain experience for the future. It's back to the drawing board for now and we look forward to the future… Ashton
Nicolas - Alfu I became friends with Brennan and together we were an unstoppable slaying team! On the sailing side of things, it was quite cool, but a lot of frustration lay deep down in both Ash and I! But we managed to control most of it (most). The hospitality has been great and the hostel was amazing! Anyway, I've got to go now! Nic
Thomas - Greyhound
Taariq - CTRL-ALT-DEL In the Pre-worlds the wind was blowing about 30 knots, almost a blowout but we handled it all right. I don't know exactly where we came but I think round about top 50 - 60. Everyone thought the wind was going to blow for the world champs, but they where wrong, through the whole regatta it was about 10-17 knots accept the one day when everyone was cruising for the top mark in about 12 knots, then suddenly a huge 40 knot breeze came through. Tons of boats capsized at the bottom mark and we survived. We finally ended up 51st but at the end of the day we had fun!!!
Gareth - Wild Thing Apart from sailing though, the experience will never be forgotten. Our group has grown close together and I think we have all made new friends. If anything, I have learnt a lot, particularly on the water, and hope to do better at future regattas. And a final note to say thank you to all the people who have made this trip possible. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to go to the next worlds.
Saskia - Wild Thing Overall this trip was amazing due to the people we travelled with and the sailing opportunities. A big thanks to Willie and Dina for looking after us so well.
Trevor & Megan - Magic The accommodation was very good with every body together. The day trip was also very good and interesting. Thank you Willie and Dina for all the organising and preparation for this trip. It was worth all the effort.
Brennan - African Express A number of aspects including excellent organising and planning led to a remarkable event. A very special thank you to everyone who made all this possible. Brennan
Ricky - African Express Our team would have been able to do even better with a few minor things that might be considered in future. It is said that world champs are won even before the racing begins so maybe that is the reason why the South Africans aren't winning the regatta's. We need to prepare ourselves properly in future. We need to train together in competitive groups of at least ten boats, we are willing to train for long, hard ours just as long as there is a point to all of our efforts. The South African Mirror team needs some good coaches. At least one in each of the main provinces; that is Gauteng, Natal and WC. If we work hard enough towards the SA worlds in '07, we can actually dominate! Ricky
Kuba - CTRL-ALT-DEL First impressions are that the Mirror is a docile little boat for old fogies to sail in; what a shock, it is under powered, but what a challenge to get it to perform, and what tough competition on the water. After a shot at qualifying for the Irish Worlds, I eventually qualified for the Tasmanian Worlds, four years later, many regattas, new friends and lots of miles travelled around the country. I was sad to lose Kevin MacIntosh as crew, he grew too much in four years, but was lucky to get Taariq Jacobs as crew. We did not have much time for practising, as the boats were shipped in early November; we were now committed to going. We flew out of Cape Town on 1 January 2003, to meet up with the rest of the team in Johannesburg. TSC had two boats in the team of nine, Gareth Cairncross and Saskia Kemp were sailing in Gareth's Mirror. You cannot imagine the excitement of finally arriving in Hobart, after 26 hours travelling. We stayed in a boarding school, which was very fancy, where we had breakfast everyday, and on most days dinner. We were relieved to see that our boats had arrived safely, and that our container had been unpacked for us. Measurement of boats followed; we all got through without too much trouble. We spent two days training, one afternoon with the Irish Team, who are very good and fast. The Australian Nationals were already on. We started off by sailing in the Pre Worlds Regatta, where people who have not qualified can still try and get a slot in the Worlds, which has a fleet of 100 boats. We used this as a testing time, to feel the local conditions. We were sailing on the river Derwent; it's a great venue, with not too much current, but a fair chop, which required a lot of "Winkling" to keep the boats moving. On the 10 January the Worlds started, with a very moving opening ceremony, and a fantastic spread of sea foods, that even a bunch of yachties could not flatten. The next day racing started for real. It was very well planned, only two races a day, starting at 13h00. Each race took about 1,5 hours to sail. You cannot imagine what's it like to start a Worlds, with 100 boats, in 25 knots of breeze; its brutal, terrifying and huge fun. The line was 250 meters long, with a boat at each end. The plan after the start was always clean air, flat water, and hike, hike and hike some more. Problem was that the whole fleet had the same plan. The top mark was not as bad as I thought, we always managed to squeeze in somehow, but the wing mark and bottom mark were quite something to behold, if you did not get on the inside, you could lose twenty places. Race seven had the wind increasing from 12 to 30+ Knots when the bulk of the fleet were on the run, it was mayhem on the bottom mark. The competition on the water is very tough, no quarter is given, but it was all very civil. Off the water there was a boat parking for all the boats, grouped by countries. There was a great spirit before launching and after racing, where many tales were swapped, how one could have done better had it not been for so and so….. The racing was tight, between place ten to fifty was seldom more than a minute, about 50 metres in distance. We had a total of ten races, the I flag was only used once, and the black flag only in the Pre Worlds, but that was another PRO ( Principle Race Officer). They had an on water jury to police rule 42 ( Pumping and Ouching). The Irish won, our top boat was Waldo Zevenster at 24, we cracked a 51 and Gareth a 60. We did ok as a team, but we do need coaching, and a coach on the water if we want to win. The one evening the Australians put on an Aussie evening for all the competitors, sort of a version of "Boere Sports" There was also a Countries evening, where each country put on some sort of entertainment, Saskia was great, she organised our team. The final prize giving was the normal affair of thank you's, lots of prizes, and a Mirror tradition of an acceptance speech by the winner, Chris Clayton of Ireland. We had one lay day between Pre Worlds and Worlds, where we toured a part of Tasmania, it has some amazing animals, such as Tasmanian Devils, Wombats, Possums etc. The climate is a lot cooler than Cape Town, and a lot more changeable, one minute its nice and warm, then the sea breeze kicks in and it's freezing. We had a fantastic team, staying all together helped to form the team, Dina Zevenster, Willie's wife did an amazing job feeding us for lunch, feeding us after sailing, and drying our clothes every night. The next World's are in Sweden in 2005, followed by South Africa in 2007. My advice is; get a Mirror and start training now, there are very few World Championships we have locally where you can sail against a fantastic fleet of 100 boats, there were crews of teenagers, of mothers and daughter, fathers and sons, sisters and brothers, even grand parents, big and small, heavy and light. The ideal weight is between 105 to 120 Kg, so start mixing and matching! Kuba
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© 2002 :::
design >>> mike hatcher :::
content >>> andrew heathcote |
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