SAIL Magazine Vol 4

SAIL ROYAL CAPE YACHT CLUB CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

2012/13 Racing Season W W W. R C YC . C O. Z A

TURKEY . CROATIA . SPAIN . ITALY . GREECE . FRANCE . MALTA . CARIBBEAN . CAPE HORN . AUSTRALASIA .

PLANNING

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CONFIDENCE

We plan your entire trip together with you from start to finish advising on all the details.

Our management team collectively has years of experience to advise & assist you.

We will ensure that you are fully prepared & know what to expect to travel with confidence.

Our services are FREE of CHARGE to you!

We have a lot to offer so don’t cast off without us... www.yachtcharteroptions.co.za

Our new office is “NOW OPEN” pop in for a visit......

Cape Grace Marina, West Quay Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town (next to “David Abromowitz & Associates”) Call 021 418 3147 or 061 099 8001 to reach Tracy or email tracyw@yachtcharteroptions.co.za

SAIL WELCOME RCYC

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he 2012/13 season at Royal Cape Yacht Club has seen a huge increase in sailing. More boats – from the speed racers to the comfortable and reliable cruisers – have joined the RCYC sailing fraternity. New boats bring more crew and this grows our sport.

Most encouraging is that the Seniors’ Race drew the biggest fleet in a club event this past season, which just shows that there is the potential to have that many boats, with a full crew compliment, compete in all race. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could get that many boats on the starting lines of all our regattas? It’s not impossible.

The weather gods have played games with our sailors this season – either too little wind or way too much. But, the positive to this is that it prepares our sailors for any conditions. Visiting sailors from shores abroad are always amazed that we compete in the strong southeaster that we’re all so accustomed to. Just another day for us...

Our Royal Capers abroad have done us proud with remarkable achievements to note. Among them is the world-renowned Middle Sea Race. The fact that Eddie de Villiers’ predominantly SA team on his SA boat, Hi Fidelity, won the race is outstanding. James Blakemore and his team on Music had a successful campaign in the Carribean, and Mike Bartholomew and his team on Tokoloshe in the Solent have also done us proud. In addition, in developing young sailors at America’s Cup level , the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup was introduced. We are thrilled that our RCYC youngsters had an opportunity to compete in this inaugral event.

Sail magazine is now in its fourth edition and we’d like to thank our loyal advertisers and contributors for their continuous support. Many thanks also to commodore Dale Kushner, his general committee and all the staff at RCYC for their hard work and support.

To view the digital version, go to www.issuu.com/sailrcyc Ingrid Hale and the Sail team

Contents

3 Letter from the Commodore 4 Welcome to Cape Town 6 News and views All the Royal Cape Yacht Club’s news

13 Local and international sailing round-up

SAIL T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E

ROYAL CAPE YACHT CLUB

PUBLISHING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ingrid Hale MANAGING EDITOR Kim Richter ART DIRECTOR Piers Buckle (Fresh Identity) ADVERTISING SALES Shirley Roos CONTRIBUTORS Trevor Wilkins (cover photograph), Penny Alison, Iman Allie, Mark Arella, Kurt Arrigo, Jimmy Baigrie, Nic Baigrie, Louise Banks, Helen Bartholomew, Mike Bartholomew, Carlo Borlenghi, Jackie Brand, Harry Brehm, William Crockett, Nick Dana, Linsay Ferguson, Balazs Gardi, Thinus Groenewald, Hylton Hale, Gerry Hegie, Peter Holmberg, Dave Hudson, Philippa Hutton-Squire, Heidi Kavanagh, Michael Kavanagh, Dr Bernice Kushner, Dale Kushner, Stan Louw, Dave Macleod-Elliott, Toni Mainprize, Gilles Martin-Raget, Keith Mattison, Vitor Medina, Rob Meek, Rick Nankin, Pam Newby, Laeticia Riera, Phil Riley, Luke Scott, Gary Sindler, Tony Strutt, Kirsten Veenstra, Tobias Weitz, Tracy Whitehead

14 IRC racing 18 Club racing 22 Mykonos Offshore 24 Crocs Regatta 28 Lipton Cup 30 Puma Twilight Series 32 Lion of Africa Ladies’ Day Race 34 Midsummer Fling 36 Yachtport Overnight Race 39 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup 44 Rolex Maxi World Championships 48 Governor’s Cup

SPECIAL THANKS Riaan Bezuidenhout, Toni Mainprize, Ian Meggy, Marcus Reuter, Harriet Symons, all the marina, bar and catering staff, and Garmin for the use of their rubber duck (which is always available to the photographers during regattas).

50 Sail blazing

CONTACT RCYC Tel: +27 21 421 1354 | Fax: +27 21 421 6028 Email: info@rcyc.co.za | www.rcyc.co.za

52 Seen at sea

FOR LETTERS AND ENQUIRIES Big Blue Media – Ingrid Hale Tel: +27 83 309 3895 | Email: bigblu@iafrica.com BIG BLUE M E DIA CR EATE

CO L L A B O R ATE

Keep track of our Royal Capers abroad Royal Capers in action on and off the water

54 RCYC events calendar All the fixtures from July 2013 to June 2014

CO N N ECT

56 RCYC announcement PRINTING Paarl Media Paarl ©Royal Cape Yacht Club. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission from the publisher.

The Cape to Rio Race 2014 is here W W W. R C Y C . C O . Z A

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SAIL RCYC

Letter from the Commodore

PHOTOGRaPH trevor wilkins

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he Royal Cape Yacht Club never ceases to amaze.

In the yachting community we have built ourselves up to be a true “Tavern of the Seas”. Our club attracts yachtsmen from all over the world – whether it be by boat or while holidaying in the Cape. The Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) has approximately 1 000 guests and reciprocal members visiting every month.

Not only is this a credit to our club, but to the boating industry as a whole. There is seldom, if ever, a yacht purchaser who visits our country to place their order who does not visit RCYC. We play a crucial conductive role in the strengthening of the local industry.

While other sports and recreational clubs battle to sustain in a tough economic climate, RCYC is beginning to show signs of being able

to move against the trends and is showing growth, not only in membership but in actual boat usage too.

We have completed a highly successful sailing season (illustrated in this magazine), reflecting yachting activities at worldclass levels. Our members are featuring well in overseas events, most notably this past season is yacht Hi Fidelity’s winning the renowned Middle Sea Race.

RCYC has hosted the Cape to Rio Race since 1971, so the upcoming race, starting in January 2014, has real meaning to RCYC and its members. This year, a special effort is being made to reignite the Corinthian interest in this international event and to really grow the overall numbers again. RCYC has put together a dedicated Cape to Rio Race committee who have made great progress towards a successful 2014 event.

This past season, the club has reintroduced the RCYC Sailing Academy. Most of the students passing through the system come from less fortunate backgrounds. Next season, RCYC is planning to double the size of the academy to enable more learners the opportunity to get to grips with a

“We’ve completed a highly successful season, reflecting yachting activities at world-class levels” keelboat, gain valuable lifeskills and better understand the ocean. The academy is proving to be a sound source of crew for boat owners too. Some of these students have even chosen careers in the boating sector.

This is an important part of RCYC’s responsibility that we are proud to uphold.

RCYC not only provides a platform for sailing, it offers a seven-days-a-week bar and restaurant, a crane and hard service, and a fully maintained marina. In addition, we hold cultural activities with various speakers and fantastic entertainment, such as our popular Jazz on the Deck Sundays. The level of what we offer and the value we give our members is unmatched in South African yacht clubs.

A yacht club does not survive without volunteers, be it committee members or normal volunteers, and to them we are truly grateful.

They are supported by a team of professional staff who are extremely committed to RCYC. Kudos to all of you.

Sail, a product of RCYC, is now arguably the best yachting publication in South Africa. Well done to the team who put this publication together for upholding such a high standard.

To all members and friends of RCYC, I appeal to you to keep up your support for this great club of ours.

Yours in sailing,

Dale Kushner Commodore

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Welcome to Cape Town

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Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold Cape Town Tourism CEO

PHOTOGRaPH trevor wilkins,

he Cape’s 300-year nautical history and notoriety as a challenging ocean passage and choppy shoreline means that it is a prized scene for hosting adventurous maritime races today.

The Cape to Rio Yacht Race is known globally as a tough crossing and a thrilling race that defines the spirit of sailing, but there are calm waters, gentle cruises and endless sunsets to be enjoyed for sport and leisure too.

The ocean has been Cape Town’s gateway to trade for centuries and we are blessed to have active working harbours, a prestigious yachting marina at the V&A Waterfront and numerous yacht clubs. We regularly welcome berthing cruise liners and their visitors, and see to ships in need of servicing and repair, around which many jobs and skills have been created.

Without the international trade and cultural exchange the ocean has brought us, Cape Town would not be what it is today; something that visitors with an eye on the water will fully appreciate. Beyond the natural beauty that keeps drawing visitors back for more, there are abundant and affordable leisure activities, world-class shopping and spa experiences, and access to the raw and authentic soul of contemporary Africa though the culture of its music, fashion, art and people.

If you, like so many who have sailed before you, round the Cape of Good Hope and come into Table Bay only to be utterly bewitched – then we warmly welcome you to Cape Town.

SAIL RCYC

Mining & Aggregates

Patricia de Lille Executive Mayor of Cape Town

Industrial Minerals

Readymix

Concrete Products

Contracting International

Telephone: +27 21 917 8840 Facsimile: +27 21 914 1174

Collin Ramukhubathi

www.afrimat.co.za

Western Cape Aggregates Division

Area Quarry Manager

®

Growth from diversification Black empowered, JSE-listed Afrimat is one of the largest suppliers of a broad range of construction and industrial materials

Maxx Corporate Communications©

T

he City of Cape Town is proud to be the home of the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC). The amazing achievements of RCYC play a significant role in boosting the city’s value proposition to the world.

Its relationships with 22 South African and 52 international sail affiliations have been influential in attracting some of the top sailors from around the globe to participate in its races.

As a hub for international yacht races with massive followings, RCYC has aligned itself with the city’s broader plans to establish Cape Town as the events capital of the continent. One of these events, the always highly anticipated Cape to Rio Yacht Race, has now become a permanent feature on the city’s calendar of annual festivities.

The success of this race over the years has elevated it to the league of the world’s premier sailing events. However, all of the international races that are hosted by RCYC play a significant role in raising the public’s interest in sailing, as witnessed in the great fanfare around the departure and arrival of sailing teams in Cape Town.

In addition to this, something the city is incredibly proud of, the Royal Cape Yacht Club is making great strides to produce a diverse team of sailors through their RCYC Sailing Academy.

If you are visiting our shores through RCYC, I would like to encourage you to make some time during your stay to explore the natural beauty of Cape Town. It is one of my greatest hopes that one day you will return in future for a holiday, or to invest in the local economy.

NO PLACE LIKE IT!

When it comes to choosing a yacht club, Royal Cape has it all

Want to join?

It’s easy – you can apply online. Go to www.rcyc.co.za and complete the online membership form.

Come and be a part of royalty!

Established in 1905, Royal Cape Yacht Club is Cape Town’s oldest and most prestigious yacht club. Originally housed in a waterside boatshed at the bottom of Loop Street (an area that is now reclaimed land), the club moved to its current premises after the Second World War. The modest building offers the 2 500 RCYC members and visitors a la carte dining in its two inviting restaurants (open seven days a week), two memorabilia-packed bars, several function facilities of varying sizes, a library, weekly entertainment and monthly wine tasting.

RCYC’s small craft basin is situated at the south end of Duncan Dock, Cape Town’s premier harbour. At present there are 425 moorings separated into different classes for different size yachts, from eight to 16 metres – the majority of these are owned by members. All these moorings are serviced by fresh water and the normal 240-volt electricity, and are lit for safety at night.

The marina is of steel construction with wooden decking. Flotation is by large plastic floats, positioned and anchored with chains to large concrete bases on the seabed.

Our hard facilities comprise of an 18-ton crane. We operate this from the quayside, lifting yachts out of the water and on to cradles that are then moved into position on our hard. There is also a 40-ton slip where yachts motor onto the cradle and are hauled out of the water.

We are able to handle monohulls, catamarans and power pleasure vessels. The outside hard operates from 8am to 5pm, five days a week.

All our staff are conversant in the handling of yachts in and out of the water. We have a maintenance team who are continually maintaining the marina in top condition.

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As a result, RCYC is a hub for international events, including premier races such as the Volvo Race, Clipper Race, Vendée Globe, Arc Rally and our very own Cape To Rio. In the past we have accommodated the majority of yachts competing in the different round the world races and have all the facilities for yacht repair and maintenance on the premises or close by.

We are based in a prime position for boats and sailors needing respite from stormy weather, or after a long ocean crossing. In addition, we are promoting economic growth in our city and province through our support of the Cape-based boat-building industry – estimated to employ 3 500 people and valued at R1.2-billion.

Pioneering environmental support RCYC currently pursues best marina management principals and practices. Along with three other Cape clubs our objective is to achieve the first Blue Flag Marina status in South Africa. This includes running coastal and ocean environmental education programmes. We will continue to strive for this recognition, believing vehemently in the preservation of our natural environment.

PHOTOGRaPH trevor wilkins

hard factS

SAIL newS & VIewS RCYC

RCYC’s members came out shining at the Western Province Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport Awards. Roger Hudson and Asenathi Jim were awarded with the honour of WP Sports Team of the Year, and Phillippa Hutton-Squire was nominated for Sportswoman of the Year, receiving the Silver Award.

Sailor of the month For sailing excellence and dedication to the sport

Up to the minUte

The final results for the Club Championships Open to all RCYC members who have yachts that race in the RCYC club series, the Club Championships run from July to May. The races from which the points counted were: the Cutty Sark Winter Series; the Yachtport Overnight Race; Puma Twilight Series; Harken Round Robben Island; and the Summer Series. The winners will receive their club colours at the annual awards dinner. The next series starts on 27 July with the first race of the winter series.

DIVISION 1 Position Yacht Skipper 1st Vulcan Hylton Hale 2nd HReCruiting Alexandre Monat 3rd Majimoto II Paul Mare DIVISION 2 Position Yacht Skipper 1st YOLO Dale Kushner 2nd Nuthr Witch Dave Garrard 3rd Necessity David Booth DIVISION 3 Position Yacht Skipper 1st Hors d’Oeuvre Peter Bam 2nd Cabaray Ray Matthews 3rd Carousel Luke Scott

Once a month at RCYC a member is nominated as Sailor of the Month.

The criteria is laid out by Sailing Magazine in conjunction with MDM Marine Services, North Sails and Southern Spars. The monthly winners go into the nomination for “Sailor of the Year”, the winner receiving a substantial cash prize. Congratulations to these members who have been nominated over the last year: May ’12 Hein Schipper (Carousel) Still competing in races at the age of 100 Jun ’12 Asenathi Jim Achievements in reaching the Olympics to represent SA Jul ’12 Paul Wilcox Competing in the Volvo Ocean Race as a trimmer for Team Abu Dhabi aug ’12 Ron Keytel Contribution to sailing on his retirement Sept ’12 Joe van der Westhuizen (Silky) Motivating the redesign of two new Reichel Pughs Oct ’12 Gerry Hegie (Music) For his part in the campaign in the Mediterranean, competing in the Swan Cup and coming second in Voiles de St Tropez Nov ’12 No nominations Dec ’12 No nominations Jan ’13 Thinus Groenewald (Reaction) Winning Governor’s Cup 2013 Feb ’13 Hylton Hale (Vulcan) Winning Mykonos Offshore 2013 and for contribution to sailing Mar ’13 James Blakemore (Music) Winning the St Maarten Heineken Regatta and his campaign in the Caribbean apr ’13 Tracy Whitehead Motivating the America’s Cup Youth Campaign for South Africa

Upliftment of oUr commUnity

RCYC directly employs 61 full-time staff. We are aware of our corporate responsibilities and have aligned ourselves as valued BBBEE contributors. We have structured our business in order to achieve our Level 4 Status. We are also particularly proud of our involvement with youth development sailing (see page 10 for more on this). In addition, 950 students per year pass through the sailing schools that RCYC hosts on its premises. We believe we are contributing to poverty alleviation through formal and informal job creation, skills development and employment opportunities.

RCYC is pleased to partner with various maritime organisations and training institutions that regularly make use of the club’s conference facilities. Recently RCYC played host to a South African Sailing and Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports initiative held over two days and aimed at introducing government officials to an overview of the sport of sailing.

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come and liSten

For fascinating talks from people who have something interesting to say The Club offers members scheduled talks by experts. Top international sailor Peter Holmberg recently addressed a packed clubhouse. Here’s a brief summary of his riveting talk “The State of Our Sport”. For details on upcoming talks, please keep your eye on the noticeboard:

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at the helm

RCYC would like to sincerely thank the 2012/13 general committee for their dedication to the club.

Here are their sailing moments of the season: Dale Kushner, Commodore Two almighty Chinese gybes in 30-plus knots, and one spinnaker shredding broach in 35 knots. It happens.

Ray Matthews, Vice Commodore Sitting in the sunshine on the grassy banks of Weymouth, watching the Olympic Men’s and Women’s Gold Medal 470 dingy race.

Polla Wasserfall, Inside House Inside House winning the Flag Officer’s Race.

Derek Shuttleworth, Outside House The social side of Wednesday night racing!

Hylton Hale, Sailing Winning the Mykonos Offshore – we’ve been working on this for a few years and it was extra special to dice the Ker 46.

Matthys Lourens, Honorary Treasurer On one particular single-handed sail, the sea was very smooth with a two-metre swell and a perfect westerly complimenting my boat Mafuta’s speed. As I was thinking life couldn’t get any better, a massive school of dolphins appeared from the depths. I sailed with them for a few minutes with the remote controlled autopilot at work while sitting with my feet over the bow. They then vanished quicker than they appeared. I am so blessed to have enjoyed this incredible moment.

Harry Brehm, General Committee Seeing the happy faces of the crew after a well executed race.

Luke Scott, General Committee Taking my daughter on her first sunset cruise in her third day of life.

Gary Sindler, General Committee Winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race overall.

Trevor Spilhaus, General Committee When we found out we’d won the Rolex Middle Sea Race. We couldn’t hang around after the race as we had to catch a plane. We thought we might have won it but it was only when we went online after landing in Dubai that it was confirmed. We were ecstatic. anthony Strutt, General Committee Three blown spinnakers in one regatta – Midsummer Fling.

Robert van Rooyen, General Committee Winning the Mykonos Offshore bay race overall, with my crew.

OBITUARY At the time of going to press, we received the sad news of Brian Gardener’s untimely passing. Brian served for many years on the Safety at Sea Committee and on Gencom. He was well-respected and well-liked. He loved being at the club and he enjoyed sailing with his very loyal crew on his Farr 40, Rockstar.

PHOTOGRaPHS pam newby, trevor wilkins, ingrid hale

I now sense the greatest disconnect I have ever seen between the sailors and our sport’s two biggest events – the Olympics and the America’s Cup. The key Olympic issues are class choices and race format. The International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the world governing body for the sport of sailing, appoints a body to review and recommend classes, and then the general body votes completely differently. Why appoint specialists to research and recommend if you ignore their expertise and instead have national bodies voting for their individual perceived personal advantages? Classes are selected for the Games, and then voted to be replaced before they are even trialled (for example women’s match racing, which happens to be the most successful of all classes at the Games). Our ISAF then votes for kiteboarding to replace windsurfing, and then, after outrage from the sailors, votes to reverse itself. These actions are inexcusable, and a black eye to our sport.

The second component of the Olympics that they need to review and change is the racing format, which they are constantly changing in some desperate attempt to attract television. They are turning the highest pinnacle of our sport into a lottery show with the short races and medal race concept. We are losing the true test of sailing skills in the Olympics, replacing said skills with stadium sailing. Save stadium sailing for a separate venture. With small cameras, good editing and smart people in charge, they can create TV packages to satisfy the Olympic needs. We will never be high-drama downhill skiing, so we need to stop trying to achieve that, losing our soul in the process. The head of the International Olympic Committee is a sailor, so if ever there was a friend there to help our cause it is now.

ISAF, our governing body, needs to change its DNA. We need a new composition and operating system in place at ISAF, where the individual national biases are eliminated. In addition, we need to find a way to place sailors, and not politicians, on our governing body.

As for the America’s Cup, I fear once again that in searching for the silver bullet to make our sport attractive to the general public, they have thrown away all that we have developed over so many years. I sense that we have lost on all fronts – keen sailors have lost interest, semi-keen sailors have completely lost interest, and non-sailors have hardly come running to join our sport.

Is wildcat sailing fun and exciting? Yes. But did we need to throw away monohull match racing to have it? No. Have a big multihull world circuit and attract a new audience, but not at the cost of our beloved match racing between nations. New, modern, fast monohulls would have kept the believers, and attracted new audiences.

SAIL newS & VIewS RCYC

taking the plUnge

Thank you to the volunteers who gave so willingly of their time and expertise

gracioUS affair

The annual Commodore’s Wife’s Tea was a sold out event, raising R17 500 for Reach For a Dream

By Dr Bernice Kushner Every year, the RCYC’s commodore’s wife has the honour of organising a ladies event for members and members’ partners, which benefits a charity. This year, we held the tea at the immaculate Cape Grace and the beneficiary was Reach For A Dream.

For 24 years, The Reach For A Dream Foundation has brought hope, joy and healing to South African children who are battling life-threatening illnesses including cancer, leukaemia, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, kidney failure and HIV infections. Reach For A Dream enriches children’s lives by making dreams come true and distracting them from the needles, medication and hospital environment. The foundation offers these children a magical chance to regain the childhood that they are losing to an illness.

On the day of our tea, each RCYC attendee arrived with a toy (and in many cases more than one) to donate, and during the afternoon we raised approximately R17 500 for Reach For A Dream. This was made up from the spectacular raffles and cash collected at the tables.

I would like to extend a wonderful thank you to everyone who supported this year’s function and contributed to making a child’s dream come true – it was an incredibly rewarding day. My immense thanks also to our sponsors: The Waterfront Boat Company, MSD (Pty) Ltd, Traders Warehouse, African Wholesales, Mullers opticians, Addis, Sh’zen, Cape Rainbow Tours, London Shoes and Making Faces Beautician. A special thank you must go to Brigette Walker from RCYC and the Cape Grace Hotel.

A letter of thanks received from Reach for a Dream:

“Your beautiful gifts have been so special to our dreamers – you certainly have helped to make our task an easier one. They have also made a difference in the sibling gifts as they are often ‘forgotten’ in the family who is fighting the illness. It brings so much comfort and delight for the sibling to know that someone has taken time to think about them for a change. So not only do we hopefully bring back hope to our dreamers, but to the rest of the family as well.”

Regatta race chairmen Rob Meek, Harry Brehm, Rick Nankin, Hylton Hale, Luke Scott, Vitor Medina, Ray Matthews Regatta help Dave Abromovitz, Henk Jones, Charles Volkwyn, Hylton Hale, Ian & Elske Henderson, Tracy Whitehead, Trevor Wilkins, Shereen Smith, Jacqui Brand, Barbara Vollmer, Steven Bentley, Kate Bosman, Robbie van Rooyen Bridge volunteers Viqui Stevenson, Veronica Miller, Andre Fredricks, Diane Brown, Liz Matthews, John Connor Sponsors Mark Jennings, Gordon Kling, John Gentz & Manelle, Brian Blackbeard, Ankie Roux, Brett Billinger, Adele Joubert, Tim Starke, Irvine Laidlaw, Arnold Shapiro, Adrian van Lieshout, Werner Lotter, Liesl Nel, Robynne Mann/Marius Pansegrouw, Hayley Ceruti, Dave van Niekerk, Mike Daly RCYC II/RIB drivers Toni de Villiers, Ian Kennedy, Dave Blewett NSRI David Rae, Ryan Pentholfe

yachtmaSterS

One of the most popular days on RCYC’s calendar is the Seniors’ Race The Seniors’ pursuit race was revived in 1996 by Charles Paice and Jack Clark. To boost entries they made sure that each skipper taking part in the race would receive a prize – easy since they only had eight entries!

This year we had 54 entries and each participating skipper still wins a prize. Each category winner also receives a cup. It’s always a fantastic day out where all the club’s seniors get together and catch up.

The results for this year’s event were: Winner for line honours Geoff Meek on Vulcan Winner over 60: Geoff Meek on Vulcan Winner over 70: Phil Gutsche on Windpower Winner over 80: June Hyman on Touch & Go No entry for over 90 Winner over 100: Hein Schipper on Carousel (Hein will be 102 in July 2013)

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focused diversity Royal Cape works with several local sailing initiatives to introduce youngsters to keelboats and the open sea

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RCYC Sailing Academy by Tony Strutt

RaceAhead by Dave Hudson

At the beginning of the season after the election of the new committee, the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) committed itself to taking sailing to underprivileged communities. To fast track the programme, commodore Dale Kushner approached the successful Zeekoevlei Sailing Centre’s (ZVSC) David Rae, to find out if they would be interested in a partnership, supplying RCYC’s Sailing Academy with students who had already undergone basic training. And so the RCYC Sailing Academy was born, aiming to introduce underprivileged youth from the City of Cape Town and its environs to the wonders of ocean sailing.

The Jewish Maritime League made an L26 available to the yacht club. Together with another L26 purchased by the club, these were restored to full racing condition.

Our programme kicked off on the same Saturday as the club’s Opening Cruise, and it was great to see the two L26 yachts out on the water participating. Training continued every Saturday and, due to the excellent feedback from the coaches, it was decided to enter a team in December’s Crocs Regatta. With the help of an extremely generous sponsorship from Crocs, our team came second in Class 2.

We then entered both yachts in the Midsummer Fling Regatta.

Unfortunately this was a high speed, high wind regatta, causing extensive damage to the boats, in part due to the budget constraints not allowing the purchase of new equipment and sails. Our immense thanks go to Lord Irvine Laidlaw, who kindly sponsored our students with the entrance fees, as well as food and accommodation.

Among the successes of the season, six of our graduates were invited to sail faster, better boats, sailing in the Mykonos Offshore.

Hopefully this will open gates for them and show our club skippers that these students are capable on the water and can be looked to as efficient crew.

We have recently received word of possible funding from the National Lottery. With this money we would be able to buy two new boats for the programme, effectively allowing us to double our output of students and making a huge difference in the youth keelboat sailing of the Western Cape. Once again, great thanks go out to everyone who has helped, be it with sponsorship, working on the boats, or coaching.

E www.rcyc.co.za

During its first five years, RaceAhead has created opportunities for some 70 young sailors, primarily but not exclusively from underprivileged backgrounds, to train properly and compete successfully with and against experienced local and international yachtsmen. The emphasis has been on development and mentorship rather than traditional coaching.

Over the past year a major focus has been building skills and understanding in the highly technical 470 dinghy. Our trailblazing team of Asenathi Jim and Roger Hudson (in his role as player/coach) met one of their early goals when they qualified for the London 2012 Olympics under the RCYC burgee. Since then they’ve continued their charge up the Olympic Class rankings – from 213th in June 2011 to 47th before the Games, 27th by the end of 2012, and ninth in April 2013, just one year and 10 months after their first 470 regatta. According to ISAF records, the last time a team reached a single-digit 470 ranking in under three years was 15 years ago.

Since returning from the Games, Roger and Asenathi have been hard at work helping SAS build an Olympic squad capable of a top 10 at Rio 2016 and with real medal potential by 2020. A key task is to develop young partners for Asenathi beyond 2016. Watch this space!

Our thanks to Southern Charter Wealth Management, Synergy Income Fund, Open Box Software and SAS for their invaluable support of our 2016 campaign.

E www.raceahead.co.za

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In a new 2012 initiative led by Dale Kushner and David Rae, RCYC has added keelboat winter sail training to the summer programmes offered by the Zeekoevlei Sailing Centre (ZVSC).

Established as an NGO in April 2008 on ZVYC property with primary funding from Old Mutual Foundation, the centre teaches sailing and related lifeskills to youth from schools in the surrounding Cape Flats. With no sports facilities and drug gangs everywhere, from day one the schools and youth have kept the centre fully operational, with 80 to 100 learners each week from September through to April.

For winter 2012, RCYC arranged an L26 keelboat sailing programme over weekends from May through to the Lipton Cup in August.

PHOTOGRaPHs trevor wilkins

Zeekoevlei Sailing Centre by Jimmy Baigrie

SaIL deveLopment SaILIng rcyc

Enthusiastically taken up by ZVSC youth, the initiative led to half a dozen new Cape Flats faces crewing on L26s in the 2012 Lipton Cup. Rated a great success by all involved, it is hoped that the L26 programme and Lipton participation can be repeated in 2013. Anyone wanting to find out more, please contact David Rae or Jimmy Baigrie through the RCYC office.

E zeekoevleisailingcentre.wordpress.com

SailPro by Penny Alison & Nic Baigrie What an exciting year for school-level sailing in South Africa. Following the success of the 2011/12 season (culminating in Westerford whitewashing Bishops in the High Schools Championships), SailPro has launched their Junior School Sailing Program, which is off to a cracking start, running parallel to the immensely successful High School Program.

SailPro continues to enroll over 100 students each term, a fifth of whom are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. These children benefit hugely from RCYC’s ongoing support of development sailing at school level.

SailPro continues to run sailing for the 125 Grade 10s on the Bishops “Epic”, as well as the 125 sailors of all ages who participate in the annual Zimbabwean Sailing School at Jacana Yacht Club. The SailPro International Laser Clinic went brilliantly in January, and Swiss Laser prodigy Cyrill Knecht will be back in November and January for more training.

The 2013 winter season will see SailPro running their programme from Milnerton Aquatic Club, offering sailing as a sport to the local schools – an exciting prospect for RCYC as many of SailPro’s past members have already progressed onto the local keelboat racing circuit.

E www.sailpro.org.za

Izivunguvungu by Linsay Ferguson Izivunguvungu MSC Foundation for youth is a non-profit organisation affiliated to and supported by the South African Navy and funded by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The development programme was the training background for some of the younger recruits on Team Shosholoza, the 2007 South African America’s Cup Challenge. Students, aged between 11 and 18 years old, come from areas across the South Peninsula, including Red Hill, Ocean View, Masiphumelele and Simon’s Town. Children sail every day of the week, with the school providing transport to the Simon’s Town dockyard as well as a meal to the students after sailing.

This season, we participated in the Lion of Africa Ladies Day Race where the team came fifth in the non-spinnaker division with Daphne Jacobs as skipper. We sent an enthusiastic team to sail at the Youth Nationals held at Swartvlei, Pine Lake Marina, with great results for our teams all round. We have also just completed the fourth Southern Charter Grand Slam Series where we had boats competing in the Mirror, Oppie and 420 fleets.

Well-known Izivunguvungu graduate Wadi Xayimpi was invited to sail on the tall ship Lord Nelson from Durban to Kochi, India. We are looking forward to his return when he’ll share his experiences with our students.

Currently, we’re gearing up and preparing our L26 teams for the MSC and Lipton regattas in Durban during the upcoming June/July holidays.

Our sailing programme is growing as we involve two local schools, Lawhill Maritime School (Simon’s Town) and Laerskool Paul Greyling (Fish Hoek), to include sailing as a recognised extra curriculum. All in all, a very busy sailing season for Izivungu.

Thank you to the Royal Cape Yacht Club for assisting us by involving our sailors in your regattas, every bit helps us to train our sailors with lifeskills for their future.

E www.izivungu.co.za w w w. r c y c . c o . z a

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SAIL L O C A L & I N T E R N AT I O N A L R C YC

WE’RE HOOKED There’s nothing like the exhilaration of being out on the water, whether it’s the buzz of high-speed racing or a once in a lifetime adventure. Get out there and make the most of it!

PHOTOGRAPH CARLO BORLENGHI

Local 14 18 22 24 28 30 32 34 36

IRC racing Club racing Mykonos Offshore Crocs Regatta Lipton Cup Twilight Series Lion of Africa Ladies Day Midsummer Fling Yachtport Overnight Race

International 39

44 48 50 56

Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Rolex Maxi World Championships Governor’s Cup Royal Capers abroad Cape to Rio Race

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IRC racing at RCYC

Hylton Hale, Chairman – IRC South Africa Never have we seen such a glut of new boat launches at Royal Cape Yacht Club as we have during 2012/13 – especially in the IRC fleet.

However, on the same token we also experienced an exodus of the traditionally loyal IRC supporters. The interesting thing is that RCYC’s revamped IRC fleet has jumped generations and is now comparable to the fleets in the UK, especially in the sub-40 to plus-40 foot range. In light of this newfound competitiveness, numbers have dwindled slightly.

Smaller boats have found the IRC rule too harsh for their class of light sports boats. Other boats that have fallen out of the fleet have either been sold or the owners have found that the time and expense associated with successful IRC racing is too much of a commitment.

We tend to forget that competitive yacht racing is a sport and deserves being treated as such. Nowhere in any sporting circles can someone compete and hope to be successful without practice, preparation and continuous analysis for improvement.

Importantly, I have always believed that if we do not have well disciplined, grand prix-type yacht racing in South Africa, keelboat racing will fade into insignificance.

There have been many rumours about the possible merger of IRC with ORC (Offshore Racing Congress) and ultimately using the current IRC rule as a performance rule and then incorporating the ORC system 14

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into club ratings. My opinion is that this is a fantastic idea and will take the “golf handicap” ratings out of some of the club sailing. The interesting point is that if all yacht owners or yacht clubs embrace this idea, then the club racer can also sail for his or her SAS colours; ORC is another official ISAF accepted ratings authority.

I am a fan of IRC and I truly believe that it is the fairest ratings system that the world sailing community has at the moment. I have often heard of skippers or crew complain about the rating of their respective boats; so, as a point of departure before you cry foul, have you ticked the following boxes, because the technical guys at RORC have assumed the following: • The bottom of your boat is faired and clean.

• The crew kit bags and heavy unnecessary tool boxes and equipment are on the quayside.

• Your mast is in column and the Ds and Vs are equalised and tuned.

• You don’t have too much forestay sag.

• The engine of your boat, your mainsail, is in shape.

• The draft of your headsails are in the correct place.

• Your crew hike properly.

• Your crew weight is shifted to the right places, so that you are not bow down or stern down.

So on that final note, let’s go sailing and keep it fair and clean.

PHOTOGRaPHS trevor wilkins

Key players in the IRC arena comment on the pros and cons of IRC racing – including a few pointers to better your rating

SAIL LoCAL RCYC

Harry Brehm, official IRC boat measurer Racing under IRC is as competitive as it can get. So why are the numbers of IRC renewals dwindling or staying level at best? The IRC rating system is the only rating system we have in South Africa that is purely measurement based. And this might be something that attracts the best sailors in our country – seasoned sailors only want to be penalised by their boat’s measurements, not by the crew’s performance.

Some boat owners have customised their boats to suit IRC, manned their boats with competent crew and have found the winning formula. Other boat owners have struggled and then started to blame the IRC rating for their misfortune on the racecourse.

At least IRC is a rating system that can cater for most boats in our local racing scene, except the more extreme designs like sports boats and really underpowered or overweight cruising yachts. But to be fair, any other rating system will also battle with these extreme designs.

Let’s face it, it’s not the rating system that should be blamed if we aren’t successful on the race course. Have you ever ask the winning teams how much effort goes into boat preparation and team practice before a big sailing event? How much does a successful racing campaign cost per season for the top teams?

If you’re scared to get the true answers to these questions, you might not want to race at the top level anyway. I’ve heard it said that

IRC is too expensive. But the cost for the annual renewal of the IRC rating is low compared to the basic running costs of any yacht.

Tips for successful racing under IRC Talk to experienced sailors about how to improve the performance of your boat. The answers might be quite basic: • Prepare your hull, keel and rudder as well as possible. The biggest performance factor is a precisely faired hull and keel. And this is something you only have to do once. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts. A smooth antifouling will round it up.

• Make sure that your hull never turns green and you don’t have any barnacles attached.

• Make sure your rig is trimmed correctly and the main sail matches the pre bend of your mast. This can’t be done over the phone. I would be very worried if your sail maker has never been on your boat to check your sails.

• Make sure that all ropes and lines are working chafe-free and your crew is able to trim your boat effortlessly.

• Then only turn to your rating and try to understand why some boats are rated better than your own. We could change the rating system every year but my guess is that the very same boats would win, regardless of the rating system. The best prepared and best sailed w w w. R C Y C . C o . z A

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boats have to win, even under IRC. The challenge is in your hands.

Don’t give up too soon if your boat is not winning at the moment.

Rick Nankin, reigning IRC champion IRC stands out right now as being used globally for a large number of top-class classic events. It has its roots in mid-sized cruiser racers and it is there that it probably works best. When it comes to handling the lighter planing boats, it has been able to become fairly accurate, provided the class groups are kept within a reasonable rating range.

But a fast planing and surfing yacht will always beat the rule.

Keeping the class groups within a smaller rating range helps the IRC racing to be closer. In this way the IRC is doing a pretty good job for the top tier of offshore racing, and designers are finding that there is life for fast, light yachts under IRC. Most new boats built for racing are designed with IRC as the priority rule.

I like the fact that a well-prepared older yacht can be very competitive. A good crew with a nice bottom finish, good sails and gear that works well can be successful in most fleets. Almost all well designed boats, no matter how old or new, can do well in IRC racing. Not in every race but with fair regularity, most boats can get on the podium just by sticking to the known methods and “rules” for boat preparation.

The subject of high costs is no different to other high-end equipment-based sports. Whether you are racing cars, offshore yachts or aeroplanes, the equipment needs to be at a high standard to succeed.

Costs can be reduced using good planning, regular and accurate maintenance and careful, skilled crew. Spending soundly usually gives an owner good value in the end. Often employing a boat captain and

Falx Trading imporT & disTribuTion oF qualiTy boaTing gear

using solid experienced racing sailors to help you plan your racing programme and boat prep will result in a reduced budget at the end of the season.

“Cheating” under handicap rules can occur in many ways. Owners do not always realise that it is their responsibility (with their skipper) to operate within the framework of all the rules that govern any race. That means familiarising themselves with the rules. Measurement rules and methods must be adhered to and boats must be raced in the measurement trim in all respects – sails and all gear must be used and declared correctly, crew weights must be adhered to.

Be careful when suspecting a yacht of cheating – do your research well as often the reason a boat has a “magic” tag is more due to good boat preparation than any sinister reason.

If more boats raced IRC, and were then racing at a higher level, skills would be enhanced and enjoyment and passion ignited by being part of something bigger and better. I believe that yachting in South Africa must encourage owners to race their boats alongside the champions and find a way to score fleets in two methods – using one system like IRC alongside a second system that offers the less successful boats a small amount of help, something like a limited golf handicap system. This will ensure there are different podium players and yet those who are starting to feel confident about their racing can measure themselves against the top boats as well.

I fear that leaving local racing as it is – the status quo will see fleets at the top level diminish even more and bored sailors leave the sport.

Peter Holmberg, top international sailor I think IRC is doing a very good job, particularly among like boats.

No handicap system can rate unlike boats very well in the full range of conditions, so regatta organisers need to focus more on classes, and group boats by type, more than size. The obvious characteristics to group together are planing boats, asymmetric bow-pole kite boats, and so on.

We use the CSA measurement rule in the Caribbean, and often review the results under both CSA and IRC for comparison and validation of our CSA rule. We have just done this for the Caribbean 600, and the results were virtually the same. This would indicate that the IRC rule is working pretty well (as is our CSA rule).

Luke Scott, advocate of ORC rating system Unlike most other single-number rating systems, the ORC rating system starts with this premise: more measurements of the boat and sails, coupled with a powerful velocity prediction program, can model the performance potential of any boat in a variety of wind conditions and course types. If these are known, then the ratings will be more accurate.

The ORC Triple Number approach offers ratings for inshore and offshore courses sailed in light, medium or heavy winds. If conditions are not known, then more general ratings can be used.

Because the ORC system is open; present in 35 countries; has more than 8 000 certificates issued yearly; and is improved by experts in aero- and hydrodynamics to ensure accuracy for a broad array of boat types, it is used for the annual ISAF Offshore World Championship.

Since there are more than 60 000 measurement records for designs going back 30 years, only in rare cases will new measurements be needed for new users to the system.

Another key feature of ORC is user access: through the ORC Sailor Services, copies of any certificate issued anywhere in the world in the last three years is available online for free. Moreover, users can run online test certificates themselves for only €10 each – another feature unique to ORC.

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PULL IN THE JIB

C

lub Racing at Royal Cape covers all of the club’s races, other than the big three – the Crocs Summer Regatta, the Midsummer Fling and the Mykonos Offshore Regatta – which are well funded and have strong sailors in the position of race chairman for each, making for excellently executed events.

For the purpose of this article, let’s assume the summer Twilight Series is also just so popular that we don’t need to ponder its successful formula, nor debate the perennial question of whether it’s the “white sails, beers and babes” or the “midweek kites” that bring out the numbers (the split between these two approaches is pretty much 50/50 in divisions 1 and 2, so let’s keep catering for both).

What’s left after neatly packing away these four is club racing.

For competitive offshore keelboat sailing to thrive, it’s necessary to have club racing where (amateur/novice) sailors can be nurtured. We are extremely fortunate at RCYC to be in a state of growth and rejuvenation. This requires innovation. If you consider the collective cost of getting 50 prepared yachts and their crew to the start line for each race, you

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quickly realise that it’s the club’s yacht owners, and also the crew members, who are the driving force behind racing at the club. The event sponsors also come to the party by promoting the club’s events and the sport to a broader audience, alongside their own objectives. This partnership needs to work both ways, and our sailing events manager is focused on ensuring this through the success of each event.

There are a variety of club events, with excellent participation in the last year, often in-spite-of the weather. The Royal Cape Sailing Academy feeds into the club racing too, with the intention that the two academy L26s will be on the water for every event, and that the graduates of this programme will have the opportunity to be placed on yachts requiring crew. This has already seen success, but will become even more important in the future.

The Seniors’ Race Unbelievable really – to get the wealth of experience and the legends of our own history parading before us on 60 yachts, with participants

PHOTOGRaPHS trevor wilikins & laetitia riera

Bringing the club together on the water. By Luke Scott

SAIL LoCAL RCYC

Portugal Day This consistent midwinter favourite had 57 yachts on the water last year. The format of a team pursuit race is an intriguing and winning recipe, as is the traditional dancing and chorizo party afterwards. This is a really social club get together.

PPS Inter Professional Team Race With a staggering 44 yachts on the water for an innovative and enjoyable team race, this event was won, naturally, by the architects [Ed: the writer is one of said architects]. Timed legs, laps, multiple scoring opportunities and nearly double the entries of the year before, this one has the potential to be owned by the youngsters of the club, both as the pushers and beneficiaries of the event. Hands up?

The Lion of Africa Ladies’ Race

ranging from 60 to 101-years-old! This event is so vital to the club, reconnecting us with our senior members. All the under-sixties should continue to roll out the red carpet for the seniors and soak up this special day. Club membership gets older each year, so participation in this event is pretty safe.

The Cutty Sark Winter Series With over 30 yachts on the start line, it was extremely unfortunate that this race was called off. Unlike the Summer and Autumn Series, which face fierce competition from the club’s glamour regattas, as well as other summer commitments, the Winter Series is scheduled just long enough after the all-consuming summer programme to be appealing, and I believe this will grow with clear marketing and communication to sailors.

Winter sailing weather is often superb, and offers a real contrast to the hectic summer blasts.

Expect the heart-and-soul of the club’s sailors on the line, but also know that if you’re not there, you would be most welcome.

This unique ladies-only race is a great day for introducing new faces to sailing at the club, and the most recent event with 23 yachts on the water was no exception. The talent on tap at this event is incredible: Olympians, World and National Champions, circumnavigators, and even a three-month-old. The future of this event’s growth could lie in pushing a more competitive race format for the experienced sailors in the spinnaker division (perhaps back-to-back races), while still getting new sailors out on the water for a less stressful white-sail-only bay race.

The Kling Double-Handed Series Camaraderie, good spirit and open interaction between all the sailors define this series. With a very faithful once-a-month following of about 25 yachts, this has the potential to build bridges. It would be great to link some of the club’s younger members from the rockstar yachts with big crews to this format, whether it be crewing on a Muira, or mobilising the Melges or Pacer sports boats to up the ante. There has been a decline in Division 1 yachts’ participation in the last year, but steady interest from Division 2 and 3 yachts, so growth will come from Division 1. Give this a try – it is a real tester! If you’re up to it, you’ll probably get hooked…

The Harken Round Robben Island races Harken’s two annual Robben Island races draw consistently good numbers of between 25 and 40 yachts, with one race being an all class start, and the other a pursuit race. The little yachts always seem to w w w. R C Y C . C o . z A

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start out bustling with confidence at the long journey ahead, only to be becalmed or blown apart by the southeaster, sometimes in the same race! With some small tweaks to the format, these events will continue to be well-loved and attended. The most recent race saw Vulcan (TCF 1.335) beat Hors d’Oeuvre (TCF 0.955) by 24 seconds on handicap after nearly five hours of sailing. Vulcan “gives” Hors d’Oeuvre just under 23 minutes in an hour of sailing!

Offshore races The Yachtport Overnight Race to Saldanha and the Pennypinchers feeder ace to Simon’s Town are both quite new to our calendar. Both fulfill an important function of maintaining seamanship and safety standards, and engaging with other clubs in our region. Both of these will continue to develop and grow with innovation. They are also the necessary step up towards ocean racing events, like the Cape to Rio and Governor’s Cup. The ghost of the Double Cape rattles through our halyards late at night… how do we bring her back to life?

Level racing Not to be found on any calendar – but it happened nonetheless – was level racing. A group of old-hand Division 3 sailors took to the water for a couple of weeks after last year’s Twilight Series, racing short courses without handicaps. Interesting results, and mixed too... This could be a fun template if developed into a couple of groupings of rating bands, forming the levels. While not reinventing the wheel, it is an interesting innovation that could be extremely exciting between yachts of similar but not identical ratings, sailing for short course line honours. Great for start practice, and the reduction of on-course mistakes.

Flag Officers’ Race Rethought and reinvented in 2013, this was the great opus to end the summer twilight season: a three division team race with spinnakers.

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Forty-eight yachts took to the water under the five “houses” – Commodore, Vice Commodore, Sailing, Outside (aka Jetty’s) and Inside (aka Catering). The Jetty and Catering teams had planned early, and attracted over half the fleet into their two teams, leaving the other three teams to fight over the scarce remaining resources. This added to the rivalry and good spirit. The weather was fantastic – warm with a stiff but manageable southeaster coming through late in the afternoon. The Caterers proved in the end that too many cooks do not always spoil the broth, pipping the much smaller Sailing team by just seven seconds. Incredible club-building spirit and an exciting prize for club members by way of a lucky draw – a set of return business class tickets to Europe from Lufthansa, who will be sponsoring next summer’s twilight series.

The club sailing calendar is well supported but can still become more robust. It is not just about getting numbers on the water, it’s about offering an excellent and varied set of events in which you can participate, grow as a sailor, and, most importantly, find valuable in your lifestyle.

The sailing committee is a positive bunch of regular sailors, open to your ideas and suggestions. Some of the improvements we may be able to make to improve your experience include reconsidering cut-off times, declarations and more achievable courses for all divisions. Most importantly, we are open to your criticism and suggestions.

The sailing office is making strides to benefit us as club sailors.

You’ll have noticed the improved efficiency of processing entries, registrations, race results and management that has come with the rejuvenation and growth of this office. Pair this with the recent overhaul of the bridge hut and the butt cat, and the race support is improving all the time. But participation is key… see you on the water.

You may be pleased to know that you can earn your club colours by winning your division in the accredited club series.

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D I S C O V E R

The much anticipated Mykonos Offshore was missing its famed southeaster but was packed with the high competition and onshore celebrations that attract so many boats. By Hylton Hale

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ow in its 23rd year, the Mykonos Offshore had an impressive entry of 87 yachts with a notable array of record-beaters lined up at the start. Back to try to break their standing record was the 60ft Simonis designed Warrior, which finished the race in five hours, 17 minutes and 23 seconds in 2002.

With the ever-changing forecast for the Friday start, the record just became academic – it was definitely not going to be threatened by the impressive hardware waiting in the Cape Town docks. Among the main contenders were: the brand new Ker 46 Cape Fling, campaigned by Lord Irvine Laidlaw and boasting a highly talented crew mixed with some keen youngsters; the recent acquisition of an Open 60 (ex Gartmore) by some experienced Capetonian yachting campaigners; a bunch of rowdy 40 and sub-40 footers – new launches such as the GP 42 Vulcan, the locally built Reichel Pugh 37s Cardiac Arrest and Silky, the Plattner’s Farr 40 Morning Glory and the new J111 Tenacity.

One of the main changes from previous Mykonos Offshores was a mobile start line, which was brought in as a result of racers experiencing windless starts at the Royal Cape bridge hut with 20-knot plus southeasters a mere 100m away. Other changes included an overall winner trophy, necessitating that the Saturday pursuit race would revert back to one course for all instead of two different courses.

Friday, 22 February 2013, dawned cloudy and windless with a promise of 10 to 12 knots of west to south-west. The Division 2 and 3 yachts headed out to the new start line for their 8.30am start, closely followed by the Division 1, catamarans and IRC yachts for their 9am start. The wind on the start line was about four to five knots, making conditions extremely difficult for the heavily displaced yachts; the lighter Grand Prix yachts managed to get some headway early and rapidly opened the gap between themselves and the remainder of the fleet.

The big decision was which side of Robben Island had the best wind conditions. The difference in opinion became evident with an almost 50/50 split in the fleet going either side of the island. Warrior left Robben Island to starboard and immediately opened the gap on her two nearest competitors Vulcan and Cape Fling. Some of the other 22

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PHOTOGRAPHS TREVOR WILKINS, INGRID HALE

Offshore thrills

yachts were far more radical in their approach and almost disappeared over the horizon in search of better winds. James Beaumont on Unleashed was one of those radicals and seemed to have chosen the smartest option. But in the end, the “middle road” was probably the best option.

After Robben Island the wind varied between west and north-west and it took some smart tactics to sniff out the lifts and puffs. Vulcan, Cape Fling and Morning Glory all took the shore option, which ended up as a hard fought match race between the three yachts. Warrior got tired of hanging out to sea and joined the match racing party by covering the three ankle snappers!

Warrior, with her large overlapping headsails, got some legs on the fleet at the gate and pulled out a handy lead over her close rivals.

However the corrected time results at the gate showed that Lapwing, an L34 under Alan Keen and Jennifer Burger, winning the first round, they were closely followed by Dave Hudson and Chris Garrett on Bally Hoo 2, a Mumm 36.

At the gate the big decision was to either hoist a reaching kite and sail slightly under the rum line to South Head, or sail the two-sail reach exactly on rum line. Again the decision was split with the front runners, Gartmore and Vulcan, going for their Code Zero and A5, while Cape Fling chose the jib top reach option. Ultimately though it seemed that there was very little on offer in terms of an obvious advantage.

On the approach to South Head, Warrior fell into a windless hole and frustratingly could do nothing but watch the three chasers close the gap; the crew on Vulcan, lying in fourth place for line honours, found themselves under their own private cloud, which saw them reaching along at 12 knots while Warrior and Cape Fling helplessly watched as their inevitable corrected time factor result slipped away.

Warrior finally managed to escape the clutches of the no-wind zone and ate up the final miles to the finish line outside Club Mykonos harbour, after 10 hours 46 minutes and 39 seconds of intense light air sailing. Some 20 minutes later, Cape Fling crossed the line with Vulcan a further six minutes behind.

For the Grand Prix racers, the Offshore was a fantastic day on the water with some intense battles for ever-changing positions; however the same cannot be said for the heavier displaced boats that couldn’t get going and at times sat for hours with no forward motion.

The race officer, working on a forecast that never materialised did not extend the cut-off time and found himself in the unfortunate position that should he have extended the cut-off, the yachts that retired early would have felt equally aggrieved to the yachts that pushed through and didn’t make it.

Saturday dawned bright with a light south-easterly blowing up in the Langebaan lagoon but windless conditions at the pursuit race start

SAIL LoCAL RCYC

area. The race officer was tempted to delay the start time but, during deliberations, a sailable south-westerly filtered over the race course.

On cue, the smallest or lowest handicapped yacht started in moderate conditions at 10.30am sharp, with a rapidly forming queue of eager yachts lining up to chase down their slower competitors. The last boat to begin her pursuit of the smaller yachts was Danie Colyn’s Trimaran Smart Tri40, which started some two and a half hours later to complete the 26-mile course.

For the first time in many years the wind didn’t favour the faster yachts – in the past the wind built up, giving the later starting boats a stronger start. The wind remained pretty constant throughout the day with some very light patches on the west side of Jutten Island. There were numerous private battles amongst the various classes with some intense racing between Dwayne Assis on his J105 and Robbie van Rooyen and his jovial crew on A-L, both in the end vying for line honours.

Cape Fling and Vulcan again found themselves thrashing it out, however a port starboard tacking incident at the last mark delayed Cape Fling’s progress in hunting down Vulcan.

It was a stunning day on the water, from the television crew in the helicopter buzzing the yachts to get those action shots to the numerous chase boats and supporters following their favourite sailors and boats; the frustrations of the previous day were quickly forgotten. Again, unfortunately the 4.30pm cut-off excluded almost half of the fleet from getting a result, although it still did not detract from the fun had by all on the water.

In the end A-L crossed the line in first place followed by Pants on Fire and Vulcan, with 40 yachts finishing the course out of the original 87 entered.

After four races, where three of the races were incorporated into the offshore race, the overall winner of the Mykonos Offshore was Vulcan with owner/skipper Hylton Hale, owner Johnny Cullum and their young and enthusiastic Puma team.

Results IRC – 16 entries 1st Vulcan (GP 42) – Hylton Hale/Johnny Cullum 2nd Cape Fling (Ker 46) – Irvine Laidlaw/Xavier Mecoy 3rd Speed Of Yellow (J133) – David Munro/Patrick Holloway Division 1 – 15 entries 1st Bally Hoo Too (Mum 36) – Dave Hudson/Chris Garrett 2nd Unleashed (Pacer 42) – James Beaumont 3rd Gartmore (Open 60) – Craig Sutherland Division 2 – 20 entries 1st Freedom (Farr 38) – CP van der Merwe 2nd Lapwing (L34) – Alan Keen/Jennifer Burger 3rd Nurthr Witch (L34) – Dave Garrard Division 3 – 30 entries 1st Warlock (L26) – Ian Slatem 2nd Seaboard (Stadt 34) – Hennie du Plessis 3rd Cabaray (VD Stadt 34) – Ray Matthews Multihull Division – 7 entries 1st Ladybird (Farrier F32R) – Andrew Dolloway 2nd Banjo (Farrier F9AX) – Kevin Web 3rd Smart Tri40-001 (Smart Tri 40) – Daniel Colyn

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Power racing For the sheer thrill and true spirit of sailing, the Crocs Regatta is one race not to be missed

By Harry Brehm

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Lord Irvine Laidlaw’s Cape Fling (Ker 46) to reach the weather mark well ahead of the rest of the fleet. In the end, the IRC powerhouse Windpower, skippered by Rick Nankin, won the first race on handicap, with the new boats Nigel Clack’s Cardiac Arrest (RP37) in second and Errol Stern’s Tenacity (J 111) in third.

In the IRC 2 fleet it was also a very close fight between the first three boats. Alexandre Monat’s Alliance Francaise (A 35) showed some good boat speed and was leading after the first round but ended up in a wind hole and opened the door for a comfortable win by Robbie van Rooyen’s A-L (Farr 38). In second place was Dwayne Assis’s Pants on Fire (J105) with the help of two highly experienced crew members, Dave Hudson and Manual Mendes. Alliance Francaise managed to hold on to third place.

The Club Class 1 had a huge variety of boats from the smaller sports boats like the Beneteau First 7.5 and Pacer 27 up to the 52ft Thunderchild. In the end it was Peter Hill’s evergreen Hill Billy (J27) crossing the line three minutes ahead of two sports boats – Trygve Roberts’ Regent Express (Pacer 27) and Ralph Thomas’s smaller Always Well (Beneteau 7.5).

In Club Class 2, the smallest boat – Rodney Tanner’s Ekoenergy SA (J22) went out to win the first race in convincing style. Second in was Leon Gerber and Toni de Villiers’ Ariel (RCOD) with Howard Minne’s Paprika (Peterson 33) in third.

In the eight-strong Miura fleet, it was Stefan Hund’s Iechyd Da in first, with Klaus Wiswedel’s Apricot and Vitor Medina’s Far-Med as the runners up.

Soon after the last boat crossed the finish line, the predicted southeaster filled in and the course had to be changed for the new wind direction. The local sailors knew the next race would be sailed in very different wind conditions and wind speeds of up to 32 knots promised interesting racing for all classes.

PHOTOGRaPHS TREVOR WILKINS & LaETITIa RIERa

he Crocs Regatta is fast becoming one of the iconic regattas on the South African sailing calendar. The major driving force for any event is the continuous support from a sponsor, and Crocs is generously sponsoring this sailing event for the sixth year in a row.

The format of the event was originally derived from the very successful Heineken Regatta held in the Caribbean – world-class racing all day and a unique party atmosphere at night. In previous years, former organising chairman Rob Meek did a great job of making this regatta fun and competitive, if that combination is at all possible.

So, the new organising committee had quite a task – to maintain the fantastic atmosphere and, for the first time, to include the IRC and Miura National Championships in the regatta. Fifteen highly competitive IRC boats and eight boats in the one design Miura fleet promised intense sailing in these classes, not to forget the competitively sailed boats in the Club 1 and Club 2 classes. The committee needed to create a memorable sailing event for all of these competitors.

The kick off of the regatta, with Crocjito Mojito drinks the night before, was brilliant, bringing all the sailors together and dissipating some of the tension. For the first day, the weather forecast predicted a strong southeaster, but when the fleet headed out to sea it was in fact a very light westerly breeze. Race officer Rob Wilcox understood the importance of laying a variety of different length courses for the mixed fleet of boats. Ranging from the latest Ker 46 to the small L26, it seemed almost impossible to create the right course length for all six classes. With the wind hovering at the five-knot mark, shifting significantly, the race committee took its time laying the best course for these light conditions. Unfortunately the organisers were down one marklaying boat due to engine problems.

The IRC 1 fleet got off to a good start and Hylton Hale’s Vulcan (GP 42) showed some impressive speed in the light conditions, battling

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SAIL RCYC LoCAL

Results This second race of the day must have taken the energy out of most sailors as not many were feeling strong enough to participate in the paddle competition in front of the vibey Grand Beach Café in Granger Bay. Eight boats lined up for the fun competition, with a great prize of a weekend stay for four in the intimate Grand Café and Rooms guesthouse in Knysna. Making progress lying on a half submerged inflatable raft in the nippy 15-degree water was entertaining for onlookers. The crew of Tenacity won the event but in an honorable gesture awarded their prize to the crew of the bridge boat Isla.

By sunset, all competitors were back at Royal Cape to enjoy the Crocodillo Burgers and drinks on the deck. Although the wind was howling, it was an extremely social evening and the music played long into the night.

Day 2 started with some moderate westerly wind conditions.

Having the racecourse so close to the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront made for a wonderful display of yacht racing in Table Bay for all the interested spectators.

In IRC 1, Windpower put a firm grip on the win, A-L did the same in IRC 2. Rockstar made a good run on the second day to get into the lead of Club Class 1 while Ekoenergy SA was on top in Class 2. In the Miura Championships, Far-Med emerged as the leader after day two.

After three races in almost ideal sailing conditions, the entire racing fleet moored at the V&A for the traditional post-race entertainment. Although the location was changed with very short notice from the North Wharf to Quay 6, RCYC staff did a splendid job of making it happen, and it turned out that the new venue was set up perfectly for good live music, free beers and plenty of food.

The third day of the Crocs event proved to be a typical Cape Doctor day – sunshine with an intense southeaster. In the early hours of the day the wind was already gusting at 28 knots! All the competitors knew they would be in for a big day. In the warm-up prior to racing, Speed of Yellow broke their boom and, from the bridge boat, conditions seemed to deteriorate to un-sailable, gusting to over 40 knots. The race officer made the right decision and abandoned racing for the day.

By midday the fleet was safely back in the harbour and prizegiving was brought forward to 2pm. With many valuable prizes from Crocs and worthy winners in all classes, this was a very festive affair.

Special mention should go to Elske and Ian Henderson, the owners of the bridge boat Isla. Isla suffered serious damage on the first day 26

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IRC 1 – 8 entries 1st Windpower (Landmark 43)– Phil Gutsche/Rick Nankin 2nd Vulcan (GP 42) – Hylton Hale/Johnny Cullum 3rd Cape Fling (Ker 46) – Irvine Laidlaw/Xavier Mecoy IRC 2 – 6 entries 1st A-L (Farr 38) – Robbie van Rooyen 2nd Pants on Fire (J105) – Dwayne Assis 3rd Alliance Francaise (A 35) – Alexandre Monat Division 1 – 12 entries 1st Rockstar (Farr 38) – Brian Gardener 2nd Regent Express (Pacer 27) – Trygve Roberts 3rd Maestro (Fast 42) – Ankie Roux/Paul van Ass Division 2 – 9 entries 1st Eckoenergy SA (J22) – Rodney Tanner 2nd JML1 RCYC Sailing Academy (L26) – Brevan Thompson 3rd Cabaray (Stadt 34) – Ray Matthews Miura – 8 entries 1st Far-Med (Miura) – Vitor Medina 2nd Iechyd Da (Miura) – Stefan Hundt 3rd Matador (Miura) – Chris Krafft after an out of control Miura rammed into their topside. Elske and Ian patched up the damage and went out the next two days without complaints – this is legendary stuff.

A notable thank you also goes to Dave Blewett who operated the Garmin mark-laying RIB single-handed at times, and Ian Kennedy who was driving Royal Cape 2. Rob and Ingrid Wilcox and their friend Shelli came all the way from Gauteng to run the event on the bridge boat.

Thank you very much for your time and effort. We hope to see you all again for next year’s event.

After receiving some constructive criticism, the race organisers have decided to make the Crocs regatta a more fun-orientated event next year, removing the National Championships from the mix. For next year, there is also a hope that we will be able to attract a bigger fleet of the coastal class. For now though, our deepest gratitude to Crocs South Africa and their continued commitment to sailing.

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SAIL LOCAL RCYC

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

The 2012 Lipton Cup will be remembered by many as the year the coveted cup was won by a club outside the Western Cape – for the first time in 28 years. By William Crockett

PHOTOGRAPH TREVOR WILKINS

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On Wednesday evening we were feeling more than a little dejected or the last four years I have been part of a team whose sole after our poor fifth place in that day’s race. We were a fair way off first goal was to win the Lipton Cup for the Royal Natal Yacht Club. place, but we knew anything was possible. We had been on the This started before I moved to Cape Town and became a memreceiving end of some bad luck the year before and were hoping that ber of the Royal Cape Yacht Club, so I have been torn in my the tables might turn. allegiances for some time now. Nevertheless, Lipton Cup has always Thursday was a “do or die” day for us. We had a decent buffer been one of my favourite events, and winning it in 2012 was a feeling to third, and a fair bit of catching up to first. Our start was shocking, but that’ll be hard to beat. luckily there was a general recall, so we had a second chance. We made We went into the event as underdogs, with RCYC and False Bay no mistake in the light breeze, and the team worked seriously hard Yacht Club (FBYC), the defenders, putting very formidable teams on the up the first beat. Unfortunately, in this light stuff I am sent downstairs water. We also had extra pressure after having to substitute a crew to reduce windage. This is probably the worst position as you have member a few days before the event. But we had a good plan, and knew absolutely no idea what is going on. each other well, so we were confident.

Near the weather mark it was apparent that we were in a fairly We had been training in False Bay for weeks, and had been strong position. We did some calculations and realised we were leading checking our boat speed against Greg Davis and the team from RCYC. the event on the water. It finished that way, and we had a one point lead They were fast; there was no doubt about it. on the RCYC team.

Day one dawned and FBYC was a hive of activity with everyone Friday was probably the most stressful day of my life. But all went running around at the last minute. The conditions were great the entire according to plan and we managed to hold on for the regatta win, after week – although many will argue that Thursday wasn’t conducive to the race was abandoned halfway up the first beat due to lack of wind! racing, but this is yacht racing! Our goal for each day was obviously The feeling was amazing! Finally we had achieved our goal. to win the race, but we knew that this may not be a reality. In keeping It was incredible to see with our overall goal, we the sportsmanship from all shifted our focus to “staying the teams, especially from in the hunt”. We did this and 1st Orion B2G2 – Ricky Robinson (RNYC) the RCYC team who are were always close on hand to 2nd RMS Insurance Brokers – Greg Davis (RCYC) close friends of ours – and capitalise on any mistakes the 3rd Southern Charter UCT Maverick – Neil Malan/Oliver Hobson (UCTYC) also fierce rivals. frontrunners made!

Results – 25 entries

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Nothing like it!

Stan Louw, strategic marketing and social media consultant, Gauteng had only 48 hours in Cape Town and, given my recently acquired addiction to sailing, I was determined to at least visit a marina to feed my dreams of a sailing life. I found the Crew Volunteer form on the RCYC website [go to rcyc.co.za, choose the Sailing tab and then click on Crew Finder] and filled in my details. To my surprise, within an hour I was rewarded with an invitation to come down on Wednesday evening with the chance to crew on a yacht.

I was warmly welcomed at the club and within no time I was allocated to Thunderchild. I could barely contain my excitement as I boarded to meet the diverse, friendly crew. Again the welcome and encouragement was overwhelming. Sad to say that this is critically lacking from my local sailing club in Gauteng.

When the time came, we cast off and made our way out of the docks. As soon as we rounded the last harbour wall and saw all the yachts in the bay I stopped for a moment to reflect on the majestic

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site of these beautiful machines under full sail criss-crossing the bay in anticipation of the race start, and how fortunate I was to be right there at that moment to experience it.

Skipper Rhett and the others patiently handled my bombardment of questions and gave me a chance to helm. The thrill of helming a 52ft yacht for the first time was indescribable.

After the race, RCYC certainly lived up to its Tavern of the Seas reputation, and I dread to think how I would have felt the next day if I hadn’t lined my stomach with two of those delicious burgers served in the bar!

I met happy enthusiastic sailors from all walks of life and made a boatload of new friends. It’s an experience I will always treasure.

(Search for “Thunderchild Puma Twilight Series” on Youtube.com to see a shortened rough cut of my experience that day.) Many thanks to everyone who made that possible! Who knows, if the stars align I might even tick Cape to Rio off my bucket list in the future.

PHOTOGRaPHS trevor wilkins & laetitia riera

Wednesday nights’ Twilight Series is an opportunity for people who are not members of Royal Cape to share in the thrill of sailing in Table Bay at sundown and the camaraderie of the club. Here, five of them tell us about their experience.

SAIL LoCAL RCYC

Iman Allie, 21, Johannesburg (studying at at UCT) Previous sailing experience (although I don’t know if it counts) is deep-sea fishing in Sodwana and Cintsa y sailing expertise was limited to say the least. The first time I boarded Windgat at RCYC I was prepared to sprawl across the deck, make the occasional G&T and soak up a Cape Town sunset while the real sailors manned the boat. To my surprise, I was thrown behind the winch and a series of jargon-filled instructions were hurled at me. Once the panic subsided I became addicted to the thrill of tacking and the ritual of sailing. It is both an exhilarating and a calming experience that has stirred my inner yachtsman and renewed my love of Cape Town – after all, the best way to view the city is from the sea.

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Louise Banks, 45, Cape Town No previous sailing experience had no idea how exhilarating sailing is. The freshness of the sea breeze, the unexpected and incredible power of the wind, and the amazing ability of people to harness and control it were a huge joy and surprise to me. At the end of my second sailing experience, I was wet, cold and sore all over, but I felt completely alive. I understand why people are so hooked on it.

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Dave Macleod-Elliott Previously Mazoe Sailing Club (Rhodesia)/Milnerton Aquatic t was an absolute pleasure to re-visit RCYC a few months ago, having been invited to take part in one of the Wednesday evening twilight races. While this was not my first visit to Royal Cape (I had the pleasure of getting married there), I was very impressed at the level of organisation and the reception I received on arrival. Having been an active and competitive dinghy sailor, which took me to a number of National, Inland and World Championships, I have been fortunate to have visited sailing clubs both regionally and overseas. Nothing beats RCYC, hearing the water against the hull and sailing into Cape Town as the sun starts to set.

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Tobias Weitz, 27, Cape Town No previous sailing experience was invited to crew on Saoirse, skippered by Tony Blackwell, over the summer and to race on Wednesday evenings. The Wednesday events are well organised and classed. They cater for a variety of sailing levels, from novices to serious competitors. There’s a lively community among the members and ta good bit of banter at the bar after the events. Sailing after work is a great contrast from the office environment and good exercise too – especially if you are manning a winch!

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LADIES’ RACE ATTRACTS TOP SAILORS Now in its 10th year, this unique regatta has become a drawcard for South Africa’s female talent.

By Toni Mainprize

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SAIL LoCAL RCYC

PHOTOGRaPHS trevor wilkins

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he all-female Lion of Africa Ladies’ Day Race has grown year-on-year since 2002, positioning itself as a premier fixture on the African yachting scene, attracting established, as well as emerging female sailing talent from all over the country.

Every year it’s a little more exciting and interesting than the year before.

As the event organiser, it holds special meaning to me. This event is organised and run by women for women to showcase women in the South African yachting world. Almost 200 female sailors from all walks of life arrive to participate in this race and the difference in ages, sizes, confidence and experience is a unique joy to witness.

Twenty-three yachts entered the race this year with each crew consisting of between five and 12 members. VIP guests also had the opportunity to be part of the action, watching the race from spectator boats, while the event could be viewed by the public from Granger Bay, Lion’s Head and Milnerton Beach.

Lion of Africa Insurance has been the proud sponsor of the Ladies’ Race for 10 years now, so this year was a special year for them. Sailors and guests were welcomed on shore by KFM presenter, Elana Afrika, who also awarded the winners with beautiful handmade porcelain yachts and sandstone sculptures of women, symbolising South Africa’s successful female talent.

The race itself is as competitive as any other out there, with boats split into two classes – spinnaker and non-spinnaker. Most of the teams choose to take part in the non-spinnaker class, allowing less experienced crew to be on board and take part.

The mix this year included five mother-daughter teams on the water, some sailing against each other and two racing on the same team. Two lady helmsman were sailing their first ever race. Eight nationalities were being represented out on the water, and the youngest participant on board was eight months old. Like I said every year gets more interesting!

The challenge this year was to find a team to beat the three years in a row winner, former Olympic sailor Dominique Provoyeur and her team in the Spinnaker Class on Alliance Francaise. The top two contenders included yacht Vulcan, skippered by Penny Alison and helmed by Inga Schabort (1998 ISAF World Hobie 16 Sailing Championship), and yacht Lapwing helmed and skippered by local RCYC champion Jennifer Burger. Dominique defended her title well and finished first.

In the Non-Spinnaker Class, Hermanus Yacht Club skippered by Jacqui Louw took first place, very closely followed by Carol Booth’s Necessity helmed by Mary-Ann Sharwood, and Heidi Kavanagh with Ray of Light.

Executive of Operations at Lion of Africa Insurance, Jonathan Holden said: “We are proud to celebrate our 10th successive year of sponsorship in 2012. The Lion of Africa Ladies’ Yacht Race is a unique opportunity that encourages women from all walks of life to participate in the sport of sailing.” Holden said the event must be encouraged so that female crews and skippers are given the chance to test their abilities and showcase their talent.

RCYC would like to extend a huge thank you to Lion of Africa Insurance for an amazingly loyal 10 years of sponsorship.

Results Non-Spinnaker Class 1st Hermanus Yacht Club (L34) – Jacqui Louw 2nd Necessity (Beneteau 34.7) – Mary-Ann Sharwood 3rd Ray of Light (Beneteau First 44.7) – Heidi Kavanagh Spinnaker Class 1st Alliance Francaise (Archambault 35) – Dominique Provoyeur 2nd Vulcan (GP 42) – Penny Alison/Inga Schabort 3rd Lapwing (L34) – Jennifer Burger

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Too light, too strong

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he third running of the Midsummer Fling regatta, held in February, had all competitors worrying whether we were going to have an event at all – the forecast for the weekend was a gale force southeaster without any relief.

Initiated and sponsored by Lord Irvine Laidlaw of Rothiemay and managed by Rick Nankin, the Midsummer Fling always brings a healthy mix of fast yachts, cruiser and professional sailors, and Champagne.

Again Irvine brought out some of international sailing’s best, including as Peter “Holmie” Holmberg, Matt “Wacko” Wachowicz and Mike Toppa.

Kicking off the formalities on Thursday evening was the owners’ dinner hosted by Lady Christine and Lord Laidlaw in their immaculate home, which is steeped in Cape history. Situated on the slopes of the Noordhoek hills, the setting sun over the Atlantic provided a perfect backdrop and the regatta promised to be another well-run operation.

Race 1 in the format of a Twilight-type race started on the Friday afternoon at 5pm in a moderate to fresh southeaster. Three divisions lined up in the start area with all 11 IRC boats in one fleet, with the highest rated boat being Cape Fling and the J105 Pants on Fire the lowest rated, giving the fleet split about 16 minutes per hour from first to last.

In Club Division 1, 12 competitive boats entered – all exceptionally well prepared and chomping at the bit to prove their worth. Boats to watch were David and Carol Booth’s Beneteau 34.7 Necessity and Ankie Roux’s Fast 42 Maestro.

Division 3 with 13 entries, had a bunch of ankle snappers all with an equal shot in spoiling the party for the regular podium grabbers.

Theo Yon on the L26 JML 3 was definitely not at the regatta for a cruise,

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he brought with him an enthusiastic team of youngsters. Also with a shot at winning was the evergreen Peter Bam on his well-prepared L26 Hors d’Oeuvre.

What ended up being the best race of the regatta in terms of ease of wind and consistency was the first race with Cape Fling taking the gold in IRC, Maestro in Club Division 1 and Hors d’Oeuvre in Division 3.

Saturday dawned bright and windy with the predicted southeaster in the Paarden Island corner and a light and variable westerly on the Atlantic seaboard. The race officer, Doug Alison, decided on the safety of the Atlantic seaboard, and the fleet eventually started a medium distance race to the Daeyang Family cardinal buoy and back, three times. In four to six knots coming out of the west, the racing got underway, with some boats opting to make a low VMG beat to the southeaster side and hopefully catch a wild ride to the mark with the remainder opting for a direct VMG reach in the light airs.

In IRC, Vulcan, Cape Fling, A-L, Windpower and Tenacity all opted for the wild ride, and what a ride it was, with A4 and A5s up. Vulcan recorded a top speed of 25.6 knots with the speedo never falling under 22 knots until they had to make the transition into the westerly wind where the first mark was sitting. This ended up being the undoing of Vulcan, who pushed too hard north in the southeaster, instead of making the transition earlier as the rest of the fleet did. The race ended up being a frustrating sail in light variable winds with a 30 to 35-knot southeaster 200m away.

Honours went to Robbie van Rooyen’s A-L in the IRC Division, Trygve Roberts’ Regent Express in Club Division 1 and Theo Yon’s

PHOTOGRaPHS trevor wilkins & laetitia riera

Cape Town’s unique wind conditions played havoc with this year’s Midsummer Fling, but sailors came home with new tales to tell. By Hylton Hale

SAIL LoCAL RCYC

Captions (clockwise from left): IRC Class boats lining up for the start in a strong south easterly.

Irvine Laidlaw’s newly-launched Cape Fling gears up for the start sequence. Crew on A-L working hard to secure their victory. The GP 42, Vulcan, rounding the bottom mark.

JML 3 in Division 2. The rest of the day was too light to race on the Atlantic Seaboard side and too strong to sail on the Paarden Island side – just another typical summer’s day in Cape Town.

Sunday, the last day of the regatta, the southeaster had settled in nicely overnight and due to the low-pressure system, filled the Atlantic Seaboard side too, providing strong fluky conditions. Doug Alison decided on a windward leeward race just off Granger Bay with the wind a consistent 20 to 25 knots at the start line with 30-knots plus at the leeward mark deep in Table Bay towards Robben Island.

IRC got off to an America’s Cup-type start of a short reach to the first “weather mark”, turn left and hang on for dear life! Vulcan managed to start prematurely and had to re-start and play catch up. Cape Fling got off to a flying start. She immediately screamed away, planing at 20 knots-plus with tons of water coming over the deck and looking like something out of the Volvo Race. As Peter Holmberg put it, ”it was nuclear out there, fantastic to get the opportunity to sail in these conditions”.

This was a race of upright is fastest and the teams that held it together were rewarded with podium finishes, unlike Vulcan, which at 25 knots-plus broached and shredded their A5, leaving them only with headsails for the remaining downward legs.

Cape Fling suffered the total loss of a spinnaker after a crew member got his leg tangled in the sheets. While the sail was being dropped and snuffed, a section of the kite got caught in the water and started coming out the hatch, jamming the crew’s leg between the side stay and the tightening sheet. Quick action by his teammates (who cut the sheets and halyards away) saved his leg from snapping but resulted

in a spinnaker settling on the bottom of the ocean.

In Club Division 1, Maestro took the honours by sailing a near perfect race and not taking any unnecessary risks. In Division 2, Peter Bam on Hors d’Oeuvre achieved a fantastic first place in these horrendous conditions on an L26, with Theo Yon also on an L26 taking second place with his boat JML 3.

The regatta ended after only three races, but was a memorable experience for all sailors – and an incredibly expensive excursion for owners with blown sails and broken equipment.

Results IRC 1st 2nd 3rd

A-L (Farr 38) – Robbie van Rooyen Windpower (Landmark 43) – Phil Gutsche/Rick Nankin Tenacity (J111) – Errol Stern/Rob Meek

Club Div. 1 1st Maestro (Fast 42) – Ankie Roux/Paul van Ass 2nd Necessity (Beneteau 34.7) – David Booth 3rd Lapwing (L34) – Alan Keen/Jennifer Burger Club Div. 2 1st Hors d’Oeuvre (L26) – Peter Bam 2nd JML 3 (L26) – Theo Yon 3rd Far-Med (Miura) – Vitor Medina w w w. R C Y C . C o . z A

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SAIL LOCAL RCYC

SHORE LEAVE

A new overnight race injects some adventure back into our season.

By Rob Meek

“L

We were all hoping for a southeaster – a high speed run down the ocal sailing has taken a hiatus from overnight offshore West Coast. Alas, the day before the start, the weather sites were racing. I grew up with stories about the Double Cape showing no wind and, if any, blowing from six different directions.

Race, the Mauritius to Durban and the Maputo Race.

The fleet and the sailors were diverse. From a group of Saldanha Stories of long beats, fast downwind sleigh rides and locals headed up by Bernard Farmer who raced his L26 Foster Wealth surviving whatever South Africa’s oceans could throw at you. Maybe through the night upwind! To the 60ft Warrior who had some of South this generation is softer than that of the previous hardened sailors, Africa’s greats on board. maybe the current economic climate has left people with less time A light north-westerly wind oscillated all night and Vulcan and available – but we have a generation of sailors who have missed out Warrior had a tacking duel all the way to the virtual mark 25 nautical on the adventures of offshore racing.” So says the 26-year-old former miles west of North Head. As the boats fetched in between the heads, Lipton Cup winner Andrea Giovannini after winning the Yachtport a pod of whales made an eerie but beautiful obstacle course to navigate Overnight race on Vulcan as tactitian. through. Luckily there were no collisions, and the fleet finished off the This inspired new race was introduced to RCYC’s sailing calendar in at the Yachtport breakwater.

November 2012 to get sailors racing offshore at night, and to experience Primary sponsor Yachtport SA and the joys of long-distance sailing. The the two co-sponsors Nova Marine and concept was to start on a Friday night and Sea Harvest hosted a fantastic sit-down finish midday Saturday, so you have the Division 1 dinner with a spit braai for all the weary weekend to recover, enough time to 1 Vulcan (GP 42) – Hylton Hale sailors and their support. The venue – a return your boat to its berth and a 2 Warrior (Simonis 60) – Rick Nankin spotless warehouse hung with colourful weekend away that incorporates tactical 3 Silky (R P Mark 2) – Joe van der Westhuizen spinnakers – and the excellent music sailing and adventure.

PHOTOGRAPH MARK ARELLA

Results

The fleet of 16 boats was split into three divisions with three separate marks at a rating’s distance from the YachtPort marina in Saldanha Bay. The small boats headed for a virtual mark closer and the big boats to a mark 26 miles due west of North Head. The whole week before, navigators were following the weather patterns and things were looking bleak.

Division 2 1 Majomoto (Farr 40) – Paul Mare 2 Ray of Light (Beneteau First 44.7) – Michael Kavanagh 3 Faraway (Farr 40) – Chris Sutton Division 3 1 YOLO (Sunfast 3200) – Dale Kushner 2 Alliance Francaise (Archambault 35) – Alexandre Monat 3 Foster Wealth (L26) – Bernard Farmer

made it really welcoming and everyone had a fantastic evening. One thing’s for sure: offshore sailing is back on the calendar and our young sailors are up to the challenge.

The next Yachtport Overnight Race is scheduled for 8 and 9 November 2013.

It will once again start on a Friday evening, and this time we guarantee a downwind dash!

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UNIVERSITY OF SAILING

The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup gives accomplished young sailors a chance to race on the high-performance AC45s of the incomparable America’s Cup. A very proud RCYC helped make it happen for one talented team.

By Tracy Whitehead

T

he announcement to the world of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup (RBYAC) gave me a passing thought We should do that, then immediately That’s too big a project, how would we get that right?

Tucked into the back of my mind for a while, the thought pestered me until I sat with my son Matt and husband Colin to confirm it was too big for us, right? Matt’s immediate enthusiasm plus Colin’s total support of the idea turned the thought into a plan... and now I am writing this

report from San Francisco eight months later, as part of team i’KaziKati who’ve proudly just completed their series of the RBYAC selection event.

The dedicated coaching time and skills from David Rae, and the positive responses from every single person we spoke to from then until now, saw us go from applying for an entry in July 2012, to being awarded one of the coveted 12 places (out of 33 applicants) in December and then learning to sail these beauties and racing them in San Francisco Bay together with the very best young sailors (aged 19 to 24) the world has to offer. w w w. r c y c . c o . z a

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Mind blowing What the team had to say “When I got on the AC45 it felt like the fitness test all over again and the breeze was only blowing 17 knots. It was incredible!”

Josh Selig aka Slig or Blueberry – Runner

PHOTOGRaPHS Gilles Martin-raGet, Balazs Gardi

“The pressure was on – every time we got on these boats we had to improve at least 100 percent to stay ahead. Everybody was learning so quickly I think it even took the selectors by surprise!”

Matt Whitehead – Helm The name i’KaziKati was born as a fun tongue-in-cheek expression for “the speedy or fast cat” as reference to the AC45 catamaran (AC being America’s Cup and 45 being length in feet). The initial response to the name was positive, so it stuck.

Two major hurdles presented immediately – funding being the obvious one, but timing just as tough. RBYAC’s announcement of teams happened on 1 December, giving us only two months notice before we were due to arrive in San Francisco. Prior to that, by September, we had taken it upon ourselves to train all eligible youngsters in the hope that we would get an entry, so that by 22 December we were in a position to accept our place and officially announce our team. Mike Ovenstone, Doug Edwards, Paul Vivian, Matt Whitehead, Josh Selig, Chris Gough and Dave Shilton being those who rose to the necessary level of skill and commitment. David Rae, who had supported us from the start, immediately understanding the value of this opportunity, came on board as official coach, bringing so much to the campaign on so many different levels. We value the precious time he had to take away from his young family to do this.

The short timing of the campaign did not afford us the option of securing a big corporate sponsor. Only through the generous support of fellow sailors and those who believed as strongly as we did in this opportunity, did we gather the funds. The last of these on the morning of the day we flew out! I cannot express to those who contributed, how much this support has meant to me personally, trying to put this

“It was incredibly cool to be on the boats we had dreamt about for months. I will never forget the sensation of sailing these boats. It was mind blowing for me to see Russell Coutts, Ben Ainslie, James Spithill, Tom Slingsby, Jan Dekker and a whole bunch of my sailing heroes all working together in the same place towards one goal of winning the America’s Cup.” Chris Gough, aka Goggles – Tactician “On the day before racing began, we were hammering down the bay on a broad reach when we were overtaken by Oracle Team USA by the lee and Artemis Racing to weather. It was an amazing sight and it is not often that I don’t mind being sailed past.”

Mike Ovenstone, aka Wiki – Wing trimmer

“This campaign has opened my eyes to the world of professional sailing, the skills and the dedication it takes to become a pro sailor – and that it isn’t impossible.”

Doug Edwards, aka Bugs – Runner

“We sat in talks with the pros about what not to do when sailing the boats and what to do if things go wrong like a capsize. That was a big one in my mind – capsizing. We had seen so much footage of the boats going over, I just kept hoping not to capsize!”

Dave Shilton, aka Able – Bowman w w w. r c y c . c o . z a

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together, and then to the team who put their heart and soul into sailing.

Arriving in San Francisco seemed surreal. But walking into the specially built base branded top to bottom for the event with our South African flag alongside the other 11 nations just made it all a reality. In the lead up to the trip, we conducted interviews with each of our sailors to get to understand them better. One aspect of this related to their sailing mentors and heroes. How incredible then to arrive at the event and have every one of those same people walk in (Russell Coutts, Jimmy Spithill, Ben Ainslie, Nathan Outterridge… the list goes on) to meet the youngsters and pass on their knowledge.

America’s Cup Race Managment (ACRM) are magnificent in their ability to put this kind of event together. The twice daily briefings were detailed, precise and hugely beneficial. Having not actually sailed myself

but having watched from the bridge boat, I was caught up in the explanations and scenarios that were discussed and passed on as lessons. Darren Bundock, Hans Peter Steinacher, Roman Hagara and Mike Radziejowski made these sessions so valuable. Timing, communication and management both on shore and on the water by ACRM was exemplary – a big lesson on how events should be run. Within seven short days we were introduced to AC45 sailing, taught how to sail and handle the boats, and then race them. The learning curve was vertical, and how this boosted each young sailor’s confidence was almost tangible.

Nicknamed the Sailing University by RBYAC, this is how it ran: one day of theory (rigging, safety, capsizing); one day of learning to sail an AC45; one day of learning to manoeuvre an AC45 around obstacles.

Then everyone was declared ready to sail!

SaIL I n t e r n at I o n a L r c yc

The race days took a similar crash course-type of format: dock out at 11am; three teams on an AC45 and three teams on RIBs; approximately an hour later the race course is laid, the start sequence is ready, and the gun goes for first three teams. Between 13 and 18 minutes later the race is over, RIBs pull up along side the AC45 and teams swap places. Ten minutes are allowed for this process, then the start sequence is ready, the gun goes for the next three teams, 13 to 18 minutes later the race is over, RIBs pull up… and so the three race days went! To perform at your peak, to process all the factors you have just learnt, all the while thinking We are racing on an AC45 was just mind blowing for all these youngsters.

According the ACRM all of this was a deliberate attempt by them to see how these young teams would perform under pressure and make the most of what was being given to them. To turn up the heat a bit more, each boat had two coaches/judges onboard at all times – and these were not just anyone. Russell Coutts did the honours for a day, Hans-Peter Steinacher, Roman Hagara, Darren Bundock… and none of them stopped raving about the teams, the skills, the ability and how amazed they were. Image having Russell Coutts breathing down your young neck while trying your hardest to impress him, all the while keeping this thing called a wing trimmed and the boat upright so you don’t drop him in the freezing San Francisco bay.

The guys have virtually lived with Colin and I for three months.

We’ve had our moments… smelly socks, the occasional over-ripe wetsuit, overflowing sinks with petri dish cultures that would give any science experiment a run for its money, but together we have cooked, cleaned, shopped (food, my word, I never want to shop for food again), learnt, explored, strategised and, best of all, have done it!

Not being one of the five teams chosen to go through to the finals was naturally a blow to us all. After a time of reflection, each of us has assessed the experience and we understand what we actually achieved. i’KaziKati is not finished by a long shot and, other than giving something back to our favorite sport in our wonderful country, we will certainly find other adventures to tackle.

Host club: Royal Cape Yacht Club Supporting clubs: Theewaters Sports Club, PE Beach Yacht Club, Langebaan Yacht Club, Plett Yacht Club Sponsors: Seascape Marine Services, Hobie Cat Company USA, Hobie Cat Youth Club, SAORT, West Coast Tourism, Second Skins – together with our many private donors and the parents of the team… we made it happen!

ONLY SAILing IS CLEANER We have taken smoke and smell out of our new D1 and D2 marine diesels. Particle emissions are down 50% and overall emissions comply with the world’s most stringent regulations. And the redesigned combustion chambers also contributes to lower noise.

To get it cleaner and quieter, you need to hoist sails.

D1/D2-SERIES: 12-75 HP. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE VOLVO PENTA GREEN COMMITMENT.

Ride of a lifetime

W

hen I was invited to sail at the Rolex Maxi World Championships in Porto Cervo, Italy, on the 82ft maxi Highland Fling, nothing was going to stop me from accepting this once in a lifetime opportunity. The 2012 Maxi Worlds were also very special to Lord Irvine Laidlaw, the owner of Highland Fling, because it was his thirtieth anniversary competing at this regatta, held every September in Porto Cervo, since its inception.

The Maxi Worlds were hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, which is in the heart of the marina town of Porto Cervo in Sardinia – probably one of the most expensive marinas in the world. The regatta represents the gathering of the largest racing and racer-cruiser yachts in the world, with the largest yacht measuring in at 197ft and the smallest at 66ft. Highland Fling was entered in the Maxi Fleet, the smallest fleet at the regatta.

The Maxi Worlds are broken up into five fleets: Mini Maxis, Maxi Racing, Maxi Cruising, Super Maxi; and the Wally fleet. There was some spectacular hardware on display, boats like 197ft ketch, Hetairos, which boasted a spinnaker measuring in at 2 000sqm, a 6.8m-long bowsprit, and an upwind speed, fully powered up, of 17 knots. Plus the newly launched Wally 100 Hamilton, with the largest set of 3Di sails I have ever seen. In the mini maxi fleet, boats like Ran, Bella Mente, Stig and Jethou were all in with an equal chance of lifting the world champion title.

On Highland Fling, our first task was to get the boat race-ready for some practice sails. Just hooking up the giant mainsail and then battening the J1 to J4 jibs took most of the day. All sails had to be loaded on board using the halyards on the giant hydraulically driven Harken winches – they were too heavy to manhandle off the quayside.

I was introduced to the crew and was instantly accepted into the tight-knit bunch of guys and girls. My job for the week was assisting the Tasmanian boat captain Xavier Mecoy as the “runner” – a common job given to the lesser experienced, new crew.

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Our first brief was to familiarise ourselves with each other, including some of the seriously talented sailors on our team – well-known Peter Holmberg was our tactician; Mike Toppa, from the North Sails Group in the US, was our main sheet trimmer; professional sailors from the current America’s Cup circuit and general big boat experts. Our crew also included South African, Mike Giles, a regular campaigner with Lord Laidlaw.

Managing the crew on a racing machine like this requires coordination and structure. In spite of the electric winch assistance, the average number of crew on Highland Fling is 24, which changes according to wind strengths – the maxi fleet is allowed to change crew when and where they feel fit to do so.

Prior to racing, the tactician, navigator and the sail guru decide on the strategy for the day, taking into consideration the weather forecast, course options and what sails need to go on board. They relay their decisions to the boat captain and crew boss who activate the crew.

Dock-off time is communicated to everyone and the boat leaves punctually. On the way out, crew offload fenders and any other unnecessary equipment onto the support boat. A team brief is conducted with the crew boss, discussing positions and his predicted manoeuvres. If there was racing the day before, the crew boss talks through any situations that occurred. The navigator covers the weather predictions and the course for the day, including sailing angles to assist the various sail choices. Finally, the tactician and the owner discuss points positions and starting strategies. The briefing often ends with a motivational chat to get the guys geared up.

Once the talking is done, the main is hoisted, systems are checked and hydraulic winches are neutralised for the lifting of the sail drive into the hull. The boat has a Volvo 70-type lifting sail drive to give the bottom of the boat a smooth surface. The boat is then ready for a practice beat to check systems, the jib is hoisted and TWAs (true wind angles) are checked and confirmed.

PHOTOGRaPHS Carlo Borlenghi

Would you say no to this? By Hylton Hale

SaIL I n t e r n at I o n a L r c yc

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Is it a boat, is it a plane? It’s a Wally 82 on steroids

Powered up, Highland Fling beats at about 12.5 knots with about 37 degrees TWA. A couple of tacks take place to make sure all systems are working properly and then the tactician starts thinking about his start procedure, which means doing a couple of start dummy runs and pinging the committee boat and pin.

Our races were made up of one medium-distance race per day, using small islands with historic lighthouses perched on rocky outcrops as turning points. Our fleet was constantly shadowed by television helicopters, large media RIBs, impressive support yachts and, in our case, Irvine’s sleek 223ft motor yacht, Lady Christine.

At the end of each day’s racing, the ritual of docking in is just as disciplined as the pre-race preparation. The quick debrief focuses on the repair list. The sails are packed back into the dock bag and the boat is given a thorough wash down. Once the boat is clean, we’re given the thumbs up to leave and get some well-deserved refreshments at the local crew hangouts, where a surprisingly large number 46

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Highland Fling XI was originally built as a Wally 82 but got the boot out of the Wally fleet. Italian and English sailors cited that a Volvo Ocean Racing-type of yacht was beyond the spirit of the fleet.

Highland Fling is a Reichel Pugh designed 82ft, 22-ton version of a Volvo 70. The hull and deck are built from pre-impregnated carbon fibre over Nomex coring. The carbon construction provides a stiff, light structure with a low centre of gravity. The keel is comprised of two parts; a hollow steel foil and a torpedo shaped bulb. The lead bulb weighs 14 tons and is externally attached. The keel extends to a depth of 16ft to counter the tall rig.

The yacht’s twin rudders are made out of carbon fibre.

Construction is in pre-preg carbon, autoclave cured for maximum compaction and strength. The tapered carbon mast and spreaders were built by Southern Spars of New Zealand. The boom, also carbon fibre, is built with a deep section accommodating a loosefooted mainsail. Carbon rigging also offers a weight savings of over 60 percent compared to conventional rod rigging. The running rigging is RSB, a square braided fibreglass rope. The mainsheet traveller is flush mounted in the deck. All winches are hydraulic.

The deck is clean and uncluttered, with a small anchor locker and a large, custom foredeck hatch. Highland Fling XI only carries reaching asymmetrical spinnakers, a carbon fibre bow sprit adds to the sailing performance and her super sleek look. The main is fully battened with a head more than six feet wide. The upwind sail area is 135 sqm while downwind the yacht flies more 925sqm of sail!

At the time of going to print, Highland Fling is being refitted with a new interior in order to be readmitted into the Wally fleet. of South African professional sailors are found among the Kiwis, Aussies and Americans.

The Rolex Maxi Worlds ended a day earlier due to non-existent winds. Highland Fling achieved a second place in the Maxi racing division with the 100ft former Alfa Romeo maxi, Esimit Europa 2, taking the honours and winning the Rolex Oyster watch.

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SAIL R C YC I N T E R N AT I O N A L

SLOW START, SWIFT REACTION

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n 22 December 2012, a fleet of 21 yachts started racing against each other in an eight to 14-day handicap downwind chase across the South Atlantic. Starting at the False Bay Yacht Club in Simon’s Town, Cape Town, the race to the remote St Helena island in the 2012 Governor’s Cup offshore race would cover 1 700 nautical miles.

On this race, the fleet is encouraged to follow the southeaster and then the trade winds from Cape Point all the way to St Helena Island.

Since it is mid-summer, competitors can expect a strong southeaster at the start, with hectic conditions around the Cape of Storms for the first 48 hours until the more manageable trade winds are reached.

However, as the skipper and crew of the winning yacht, Reaction, can attest, the 2012 Governor’s Cup of was a different kettle of fish! On board Reaction, for the first four days we struggled with light westerly to north-westerly winds of about five knots and at times completely calm conditions. This was in stark contrast to the 2010 race where we lost our rudder within the first 24 hours while surfing down a wave at a speed of 20 knots in a gusting southeaster of at least 30 knots.

Reaction, a Royal Cape One Design, loves downwind conditions, but when it comes to light winds, especially on the bow, she loses all her speed. From previous experience we knew that we needed downwind conditions of at least 15 knots. Proper preparation of the yacht would be the key – not only for safety reasons, but once you lose time as a result of breakage, it’s difficult to catch up. We studied the weather patterns for weeks in advance and soon realised that it was going to be a different race from previous years. Light winds at the start would mean that we needed to search for suitable downwind conditions as quickly as possible to be able to compete against the bigger, faster yachts. According to our weather routing information we would find those conditions high up the South African west coast near the Orange River mouth.

For the first four days we laboured on a beam reach up the west coast until we were able to head for St Helena with wind on our stern.

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At this stage most of the fleet was still caught up in the light wind conditions on the rump line.

Once we hoisted our spinnaker, our speed immediately increased from a mere four to five knots to something closer to seven to 10 knots.

Once up, it stayed up all the way to St Helena.

One night we were running at an average of 10 knots with a maximum clocked boat speed of 17.8 knot. She was planing like a speedboat, making a noise that sounded like a turbo. Quite scary when it is pitch-black around you and you can’t see where you are going.

Because we never knew where the rest of the fleet were, we worked hard and kept her at maximum speed all the time. Only three days before we reached the island did we realise that our only competition at that stage was the 34ft Van der Stadt – Indaba. In fact, she

PHOTOGRAPHS HEIDI KAVANAGH

Billed as a race with glorious conditions, the 2012 Governor’s Cup required weeks of planning and meticulous following of weather patterns to come out on top.

By Thinus Groenewald

crossed our line a couple of hundred metres in front of us to announce her presence.

We were sailing Reaction with a crew of four (myself, skipper and owner, Thinus Groenewald, 60; my sons Corné, 21, and Ruan Groenewald, 19; and fourth member Nicky Basson, 62), hand steering 24/7.

One hour on the tiller and the helmsman was replaced with the next crew-member taking over. For the crew it was steering, sleeping, eating and tuning all the time, with no luxuries on board. Similar conditions to what one would expect on a serious racing yacht.

The Governor’s Cup offshore yacht race is a good choice for South African sailors planning to do the Cape to Rio Race in terms of gaining experience and fine tuning their boats for the big event. For first-comers this is not just a yacht race but an experience and a holiday they will never forget. Twelve days of sailing, seven days on one of the most remote islands and five days on a cruise ship back to South Africa.

Those who have done it on bigger yachts and in comfort will tell you that they will certainly do it again. Those that have done it on a small yacht like Reaction will tell you they will only do it again on a small yacht because they have unfinished business. And that is exactly why team Reaction did it again.

Dismissing disaster Not all doom and gloom on Royal Cape’s feisty Ray of Light For Ray of Light, the Governor’s Cup held much promise. The boat was prepared, the weather understood and a strong crew assembled. Routing around a poorly established high and avoiding a cut-off low, saw us sailing up the African coast in variable conditions to the east of the rhumb line and the fleet. Early on day four the hard work had been done. In the trades, it was time to set course for the island. In 15 to 17 knots of west-south-west with the S4 kite set, we were confident of making a quick passage to St Helena. However the unthinkable happened, the top third of our mast came crashing down. Stunned, we stared as the broken section clattered against the remaining shrouds and stubby mast.

The spinnaker was trawling and the main doubled over. Quickly we recovered the spinnaker, back and forestay from the water, somehow gybed and made for Luderitz, 40 miles away. With the help of a French cruiser, we jury rigged. Twenty-four hours later we fired up the yanmar and headed south against wind and current. Not missing a beat for 84 hours, the trusty donkey was turned off, safely at anchor in Lamberts Bay, just as a 40-knot southeaster hit. Later we midnight motor sailed to Saldanha and then to Royal Cape. Four-year-old Sean Kavanagh was unphased throughout, relishing the opportunity to do a little fishing and the thought of the stories he could now tell at school!

– By Michael Kavanagh

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SAIL BLAZING

Royal Capers and their boats take on regattas, races and adventures around the world

HI FIDELITY & THE ROLEX MIDDLE SEA RACE 2012

By Gary Sindler

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NORMANDY CHANNEL RACE 2013

By Phillippa Hutton-Squire On board Phesheya-racing, Pip Hare and myself, Philippa HuttonSquire, were the only all-female team in the 1 000nm 2013 Normandy Channel Race around the English Channel. Although Pip and I both managed to get a little bit of rest on the first night, it proved to be tricky between negotiating the tide and sailing between the ships.

As we approached the Isle of Wight in the early morning, we prepared the boat to gybe around Bembridge ledge but it went horribly wrong. We wrapped the kite around the forestay, the halyard and the snuffer lines in an hourglass. It took two-and-a-half hours of patience and pulling until we were exhausted and the rest of the fleet had sailed away before we got it down (with only a small tear).

We then headed through the Solent, trying to make the most of Pip’s local knowledge to catch the fleet. But we ran aground near Lymington. We came off 15 minutes later, having lost all the time that we’d made up.

As we approached Land’s End, we had a phone call from the race committee to say that they had shortened the course, which meant we needed our big kite again. We were an hour away from Land’s End and we got to work untangling the mess that we had created off the Isle of Wight. We had it in the bag and set up 10 minutes before we needed it.

It was a beautiful day sailing up to the rounding mark. But it was a very wet bumpy ride down to Land’s End, short tacking between the land and traffic separation scheme. The rest of the fleet, bar one boat, had head off towards Guernsey and we were smashing our way over every wave. It was a real low point on the race.

Once the worst of the weather was over, we sailed with white sails across to Guernsey, avoiding all the ships in the Channel. As we rounded Guernsey we watched the lead boats finish on the tracker. We were only 60 miles behind them – not bad considering all of our problems in the beginning. We were thrilled with our finish and now qualify to sail the Transat at the end of the year.

Names in bold indicate Royal Cape Yacht Club members.

PHOTOGRAPHS KURT ARRIGO, PHIL RILEY & CARLO BORLENGHI

After successfully racing in Europe in 2011, Hi Fidelity owner Eddie de Villiers decided to compete in the Rolex Middle Sea Race in Malta in 2012. We assembled our regular crew: owner Eddie, tacticians Mark Sadler and Michael Joubert, navigator James Beaumont, Martin Lambrecht, Gui Verhovert, Trevor Spilhaus, Wrensh De Villiers, Michele Camerota and myself, Gary Sindler. The balance of the crew was made up of Italian sailors.

The Rolex Middle Sea Race takes place in the heart of the Mediterranean and covers one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The 606-nautical mile route includes the deep azure waters of Sicily and the Strait of Messina, the islands of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, and even features Stromboli’s active volcano as a course mark.

The race was very tough due to the variable changing weather conditions, which caused many sail changes and little rest. We went into the race confident we would do well within our class but with reservations about our overall standing due to the outstanding quality of the fleet. In the end, due to some great calls by our tacticians (ably assisted by our navigator), we were confirmed as overall winner. South Africa becomes the ninth different country to provide a winner of the trophy, joining yachts from Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the United Kingdom and the United States. The race is run by the Malta Yacht Club, which has subsequently become a reciprocal club with RCYC.

SAIL I n t e R n At I o n A L R C YC

ROuNdiNg CApE HORN

By Helen Bartholomew

MuSiC iN THE CARiBBEAN By gerry Hegie James Blakemore’s Swan 53 Music took part in the Rolex Swan Cup in Sardinia in 2012 where, in her first ever regatta, she obtained a mid-fleet placing. Next up was the Les Voiles de St Tropez 2012 where she finished second overall in IRC Class D. After these two regattas in the Med, it was decided to ship the boat over to the Caribbean.

We targeted the Heineken Regatta as a training run in preparation for the Rolex Swan Cup in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands. The crew enlisted were: owner-skipper James Blakemore; me, Gerry Hegie, the boat captain and navigator; crew boss Michael Giles tactician Brian”Taffy” Morgan; main and downwind trim Michael Robb; upwind trim Matthew Whitehead; bowman David Shilton; midbow Daniel Wilhelm Botha; kite packer and bow assist Coasta Ghioules; kite packer Vivian Arckoll; Gareth Morgan on halyards; and Jean Morgan and Kelly Blakemore as additional crew.

The Heineken regatta was an exceptionally well organised event with great coastal courses and stiff competition. The first day’s race saw us at a disadvantage with Music having a modern rig with smaller non-overlapping headsails, where a long light wind fetch did us no good, and we only managed sixth place. Over the next two days, our crew work and boat prep were our advantage and we achieved three first places. A huge morale booster, we won the event overall in CSA Class 2.

We now had one week to prepare for the Rolex Swan Cup. The 2013 Swan Cup was hosted by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Peter Craig was the race director and ran a superb regatta. We managed to dominate the fleet and win the first day. On the second day we did not have a good start but managed to hold our kite on the tight reaching legs and caught up to the leading boats. To our surprise, we managed another first. Day three we managed to just hang on to the lighter boats in our class to secure a second place, but unfortunately on the fourth day we could not match the speed and height of the lighter Swan 42, which weighs a mere five tons versus our majestic 23. We were knocked off first place into second and lost to the Swan 42 Arethusa’s 7 points to our 8 points.

After the regatta, I took part in the Lora Piana Super Yacht Cup on board the 100ft Wally Indio with five other South Africans – crew boss Mike Giles, downwind trimmer Jono Swain, Mike Joubert and Gerry Hegie on mid bow and navigator Marc Lagesse. We finished fifth overall.

Next up it is the St Barths Bucket, which I will be taking part on the Wally, after that, it’s back to Le Voiles St Tropez Regatta onboard Music.

Eight adventurers, decked out with all the cold weather kit possible, left Ushuaia on 9 March for a two-week voyage around the isles and inlets of Southern Chile on route to round Cape Horn on the 74ft aluminium hulled sailing boat Pelagic Australis.

The trip was hit by freak weather – no wind, no rain and only bright sunshine for nearly 10 consecutive days! The crew of Mike Bartholomew, Keith Bellamy, Geoff Grylls, David Abromowitz, Pieter du Toit, Helen Bartholomew, Janita Bellamy and Jim Volkwyn did not get to sail but the weather magnified the beauty of the fjords, waterfalls and glaciers with crystal clear skies. They ate like kings – fresh crab and Argentinean lamb that came strapped to the boat – with, of course, much vino and song!

The Horn did not serve up its usual fare. The sea was pretty flat with hardly any wind, and it was rounded under motor. The weather was good enough to go ashore and explore the lighthouse and the memorials under the guidance of the Chilean navy officer in charge. Then it was flat out to leave Porto Williams to get to Ushuaia to catch planes homeward before they closed the port because of the impending mega storm. The wind gusts were up to 60 knots on the return with squalls of rain – Cabo de Hornos is indeed a ferocious place for seafarers!

TOKOLOSHE TAKES ON THE SOLENT

By Mike Bartholomew Tokoloshe, a King 40, has had a successful start to the 2013 season in the Solent. We’ve sailed in four regattas to date. The first was the Spring Series sailed over six Sundays, starting in February, where a first place was achieved in Class 1.

The second and the first big regatta of the year was the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Easter Challenge, sailed over three days. The conditions were horrendous with sub-zero temperatures at midday and ice on the deck in the mornings. We sailed seven races and were on the podium in each, finishing with four firsts, a second and two thirds. We achieved a first place in Class 2, 15 points off the second placed boat.

This is the third time that we have had a class win in this regatta.

Later in April we competed in the Warsash Spring Championships.

Eleven races were sailed over two weekends and we achieved a first in Class 1 – eighteen points clear of the second placed boat – a Kerr 40.

In early May we competed in the Royal Southern Yacht Club’s May regatta, which is one of four making up their summer series. We scored a first in Class 1 having sailed five races.

We have a gap in our programme until June when we sail the UK IRC championships – a big one that we are determined to do well in. Apart from myself, Mike Bartholomew, other Royal Cape members who have been aboard this year include my son David Bartholomew and Paul Wilcox. w w w. R C Y C . C o . z A

51

SAIL RCYC

1 2 3

seen at sea

Royal Capers kick back and enjoy life – on and off the water 1. Members William Crockett and Shane Elliot celebrate their victory of the Lipton Cup Challenge. They narrowly beat the RCYC team lead by Greg Davis. 2. Eddie de Villiers and Mark Sadler led a predominantly RCYC team to victory in the Middle Sea Race. 3. Our nautical theme inspired these ladies at our opening cruise. 4. Harry Brehm and crew race to Mykonos. 5. Sails at sunset. 6. Di Hutton-Squire and team enjoy the Ladies’ Day race. 7. Alexandre Monet and youngsters from the RCYC Sailing Academy take a break in the Mykonos Marina. 8. Ingrid Hale and Anke Stegman enjoy the Opening Cruise. 9. Commodore Dale Kushner on YOLO. 10. Team Vulcan celebrate winning the Overall Mykonos Offshore event.

4 5

6

8 9 10

52

w w w. R C Y C . C o . z A

PHOTOGRaPHS trevor wilkins, kurt Arrigo, ingrid hAle, lAetitiA rierA

7

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Competent Crew . Day Skipper . Day Skipper Theory VHF Radio Operator's Course . Local Waters Skipper Coastal Skipper . Coastal Skipper Theory Yacht Master Offshore . Yacht Master Ocean

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Composite Spars & Rigging / Components / Global Service To learn more, visit www.southernspars.com or contact Cape Town: +27 21 555 3470 ABOVE: GC32 sailing in Dubai featuring Southern Spars high performance spars. Photo by Christophe Launay

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RCYC RaCing CalendaR 2013/2014 Main regattas – Western Cape circuit

DAY

Offshore events

JULY

Club championships RCYC rating/IRC

AUGUST

SUN

Twilight Series

SEPTEMBER

Fun PR events

OCTOBER

Short-handed series

NOVEMBER

1

DECEMBER 1

MON

1 MSC Week

2

TUE

2 MSC Week

3

1

3

WED

3 MSC Week

4

2

THU

4 MSC Week

1

5

3

4 Lufthansa Twilight 9 & prizegiving 5

FRI

5 MSC Week

2

6

4 Cape Town Boat Show

1

6

SAT

6 Lipton

2 Ladies’ Day Race

7 Lipton

7 Club Winter Series Gaul Regatta 8 Gaul Regatta

5 Opening Cruise

SUN

3 Club Winter Series Race 2 4

6 Cape Town Boat Show

3

7 Kling Double-Handed 5 & prizegiving 8 Dassen Island Rally Weekend 9

9 Gaul Regatta

2

MON

8 Lipton

5

7

4

TUE

9 Lipton

6

10

8

5

10

WED

10 Lipton

7

11

9 Lufthansa Twilight 1

6 Lufthansa Twilight 5

11 Fun Twilight Race

THU

11 Lipton

8

12

10

FRI

12 Lipton

9 National Women's Day

13

11

SAT

13

14

12 Kling Double-Handed 3

7

12

SUN

14

11

15

13

8 Yachtport/Novamarine Overnight 9 Yachtport/Novamarine Overnight 10

MON

15

12

16

14

11

TUE

16

13

17

15

12

WED

17

14

18

16 Lufthansa Twilight 2

13 Lufthansa Twilight 6

18

THU

18

15

19

17

14

19

FRI

19

16

20

18

15

20

10

13 14 Crocs Summer Regatta 15 Crocs Summer Regatta 16 Crocs Summer Regatta Day of Reconciliation 17

SAT

20 Kling Double-Handed 1

17 Kling Double-Handed 2

21 Spring Regatta FBYC

19 Harken Round Robben Island Pursuit

16 Kling Double-Handed 4

21

SUN

21

18

22 Spring Regatta FBYC

20

17

22

MON

22

19

23 Fun Bay Race FBYC

21

18

23

TUE

23

20

22

19

24

WED

24

21

24 Spring Regatta FBYC Heritage Day 25

23 Lufthansa Twilight 3

20 Lufthansa Twilight 7

25 Christmas Day

THU

25

22

26

24

21

26 Boxing Day

FRI

26

23

27

25

22

27

SAT

27 Club Winter Series Race 1

26 Risk SA Regatta

23 Ambassadors’ Challenge

28

28

24 Eish Media Jeep Race Day 25

28

SUN

29

27

24

29

MON

29

26

30

28

25

30

TUE

30

27

29

26

31

WED

31

28

30 Lufthansa Twilight 4

27 Lufthansa Twilight 8

THU

29

31

28

FRI

30

SAT

31

29

SUN MON

Eikos Boating Insurance is a specialist provider of boating insurance products direct to the boat owner.

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54

w w w. r c y c . c o . z a

SAIL CALendAR RCYC

DAY

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

SUN MON TUE

PHOTOGRAPH laETiTia riEra

WED

1 Lipton entries close 1 New Year’s Day

2

THU

2

3

1 Workers’ Day Lipton sail-off

FRI

3

4

2

SAT

4 Cape to Rio Race start

1 Mykonos Offshore

5 Double-Handed 4

SUN

5

2

6

3 Esprit de Corps – Simon’s Town 4

MON

6

3

3

7

5

2

TUE

7

4

4

8

6

3

WED

8

5 Lufthansa Twilight 4

9

7

4

THU

9

6

5 Lufthansa Twilight 8 & prizegiving 6

10

8

5

FRI

10

7

7

11

9

6

SAT

11

8 Double-Handed 2

8 Double-Handed 3

12 Seniors’ Race

1 Harken Round Robben Island Race 2

1

7 Portugal Day Bay Race

SUN

12

9

13

10 Club Summer Series Race 4 11

MON

13

10

10

14

12

9

TUE

14

11

11

15

13

10

9 Pick n Pay Argus Cycle Tour

8

WED

15 Lufthansa Twilight 1

12 Lufthansa Twilight 5

12 Flag Officers’ Twilight Team Race

16

14

11

THU

16

13

13

17

15

12

FRI

17

14

18 Good Friday

16

13

SAT

18 Club Summer Series Race 1

SUN

19

MON

20

14 Midsummer Fling Regatta 15 Midsummer Fling Regatta 16 Midsummer Fling Regatta 17

TUE

21

18

15 Club Summer Series Race 2

19

17 Inter Professional Challenge

14 Pick n Pay Youth Regatta

16

20

18

15 Pick n Pay Youth Regatta

17

21 Family Day

19

18

22

20

16 Pick n Pay Youth Regatta Youth Day 17

WED

22 Lufthansa Twilight 2

19 Lufthansa Twilight 6

19

23

21

18

THU

23

20

20

24

22

19

FRI

24

21

25

23

20

SAT

25 Double-Handed 1

22

21 IRC Nationals Human Rights Day 22 IRC Nationals

21 Double-Handed 6 & prizegiving

26

23

23 IRC Nationals

26 Club Summer Series Race 3 27 Freedom Day

24 Double-Handed 5

SUN

25

22

MON

27

24

24

28 Public holiday

26

23

TUE

28

25

25

29

27

24

WED

29 Lufthansa Twilight 3

26 Lufthansa Twilight 7

26

30

28

25

THU

30

27

27

29

26

FRI

31

28 Mykonos Offshore

28

30

27

SAT

29

31 Annual Dinner & RCYC prizegiving

28

SUN

30

29

MON

31

30

Are you automatically covered while racing?

1

Always ensure your boat is comprehensively insured

2

Always ensure that the sum insured values for your boat and its equipment are up to date

Please note that this racing programme is provisional and was correct at time of going to print.

This calendar is available to download from www.rcyc.co.za.

3

Know your policy’s navigation limits and advise your broker or insurer when you are sailing beyond these limits w w w. r c y c . c o . z a

55

SAIL RCYC ANNOUNCEMENT

FAST FACTS

1971

The year the first race set off from Table Bay.

69

Number of boats that lined up on the start line of the first race.

23 days, 42 minutes Length of crossing by winner of the first race Ocean Spirit, co-skippered by Robin Knox-Johnston and Leslie Williams.

ENTER THE CAPE TO RIO RACE

12 days, 16 hours and 49 minutes

Always dreamt of doing the 3 600 nautical mile transatlantic voyage to Rio? Your time is now. By Vitor Medina

The standing record set

by Zephyrus IV, a 22.9m sloop in 2000.

W

up at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (V&A). The Race Village concept allows the general public to Greatest number of boats be part of the event and experience entered into this race, South African and Brazilian culture in the year 1976. and tradition. Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro will have the opportunity to showcase their two very sexy cities to over one million people who visit the V&A during this period.

In October 2012, RCYC established the Royal Cape Sailing Academy, training previously disadvantaged youth. We are currently negotiating with a partner to facilitate the opportunity for five of these development sailors from our sailing academy to participate in the 2014 Cape to Rio race. The five participants will be trained, selected from strict criteria and will qualify specially for the race. They will then be reintroduced to the academy programme as trainers themselves.

If you haven’t entered yet, now is your opportunity. If your dream is to tick the Cape to Rio Race off your bucket list, to challenge yourself and your team to break records, or to simply enjoy the ocean crossing as a cruise between two beautiful cities with the security of other boats, this event caters for all. Copacabana and the excitement of the Soccer World Cup 2014 await. www.cape2rio2014.com

ith the acclaimed and highly tactical Cape to Rio Yacht Race scheduled to start on 4 January 2014, race preparations are well under way.

“Pitching this event as a ‘bucket list’ item, Royal Cape Yacht Club’s new and dedicated race committee intend to bring the Cape to Rio Yacht Race back to her former glory as a truly international event. However Rome was not built in a day, and the 2014 race will be the first step towards the rebuilding of this great event,” says RCYC’s commodore Dale Kushner.

Sailing from Cape Town to a finish line off Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, there are no racing marks to the course, which may well give the huge array of competitors the opportunity to break the current record. Set by Zephyrus IV, a 22.9m sloop in 2000, the record is an impressive 12 days, 16 hours and 49 minutes.

With entries and interest from Angola, Seychelles, Australia, USA, Brazil and the UK, as well as the Oyster World Rally, we are expecting 50 yachts on the start line.

RCYC, who own and host the event, will provide facilities and support to all participants, ensuring a smooth arrival, preparation and departure for this iconic event. Moorings at RCYC will be provided to all participants free of charge, from one month before the start.

One week prior to the start, a Cape to Rio Race Village will be set

2014 Cape to Rio Yacht Race timeline (2013-2014) IRC Certificates deadline: 30 Nov Closing date for entries: 2 Dec

Request for SAMSA Inspection deadline: 31 Oct 29 OCT

5 NOV

12 NOV

19 NOV

SAMSA Paperwork Submission deadline: 7 Nov

26 NOV

3 DEC

10 DEC

W W W. R C Y C . C O . Z A

Deadline: EPIRBs registration and RCYC Comms: 15 Dec

17 DEC

24 DEC

Submission for final crew list: 30 Dec

500nm test sail: 16 Dec

Race cut-off date: 31 Jan 2014

Skipper and navigation briefing: 30 Dec

31 DEC

7 JAN

Race start: 4 Jan 2014

Medical clearance & yellow fever innoculations: 2 Dec Free moorings at RCYC Marina open: 1 Dec

56

V&A Race Village: 27 Dec 2013 – 4 Jan 2014

Closing date for late entries: 27 Dec

14 JAN

21 JAN

28 JAN

Expected race finish: 16 Jan 2014 Race prizegiving: 1 Feb 2014

4 FEB

PHOTOGRAPH DALE KUSHNER

126 boats