Top sailors were acknowledged at the Point Yacht Club’s Prize Giving on Saturday 29 July at a glitzy conclusion to the 2016 / 2017 sailing season.
With a variety of events taking place both offshore and in the bay for boats of all shapes and sizes, the 2016 / 2017 sailing season kicked off with a breezy Barts Bash in mid-September last year with 194 participants registered on 52 boats. Some notable performances took place this summer sailing season.
Leading the roll of honour is Sean Jones, skipper of Bandit who earned himself four podium places this season on his catamaran. Jones captained an out-of-town team on the lightening quick SmartTri40 in a sprint down to Port Elizabeth for the 2017 Vasco da Gama race, bolting through the finish line in a dazzling time of 42 hours, 58 minutes and 53 seconds and blitzing a new multihull race record. Glenwood’s skipper scored a first in the Port Captain’s Sprints and seconds in the Commodore Series, Jonesy Sprints and second overall in the Multihull Division of the Wednesday night racing.
The always keen, Brad Rayson from Ballito and his team on Flyer managed an impressive five podium places. Racing in both the A and B division depending on the handicap, Rayson was second in the B Division in both the Commodore Series and Port Captain’s Sprints and a first in Two Handed Race. In the A Division, he was first in the Jonesy Sprints and second in the Sigma Series.
Container World in the OD Division, crewed solely by scholars featured four times on the podium. Skippered by Brendan Humphreys in three of the races, Humphreys got two thirds in the Commodore Series and Sigma Series and a second in the Jonesy Sprints. Christoff Schutte led his young team to a second in the Port Captain’s Sprints.
Bandit’s nemesis, Crazy Diamond skippered by feisty catamaran sailor, Wayne Smith had an impressive season with three firsts in the multihull division. He topped the leader board in the Commodore Series, Jonesy Sprints and first overall in the Multihull Division of the Wednesday night racing.
Theuns Nel on his smaller keelboat, Candi had a first and second in the C Division in the Commodore Series and Two Handed Race and a third in the E Division overall in the Wednesday night racing. The club L26 yacht, SLFC Spindrift got to stretch her legs with a variety of helmsmen, Rudi Fokkens helmed his team to a second in the OD Division in the Commodore Series. Florence Marshall topped the OD Division in the Port Captains Sprints and the Commodore of Point Yacht Club, Craig Millar got a second in the Two Handed Race.
The catamaran clan have had a hugely successful year with six of their sailors competing in the Hobie Multiworlds and Europeans 2017 in the Netherlands and Garth Loudon and Robbie Edouard-Betsy being invited to represent South Africa at the ‘Olympics of Hobie events’, the prestigious Hobie World Cat regatta in Germany.
Keeping it short and sweet, there were four merit awards handed out, all to up-and-coming youth Hobie sailors. The Hobie merit certificates awarded were for two or more top 10 positions on Hobies in National and/or Regional events from Aug 2016 – Jun 2017. They went to Dylan Albert, James Butler, Liam Fennessy and Jethro Brophy-Tintinger. Only Fennessy was present to accept his award, with the others all still in Noordwijk aan Zee in the Netherlands, having just finished competing in the Hobie Europeans 2017.
The final Hobie award went to Westville’s 13 year old Matthew Hall, who was recognised as the Most Improved Hobie Sailor. Hall scored a third on his Hobie 14 at the KZN Youth Regional Champs at Midmar, blasted around the course with his father, Peter in the blustery Bar Anniversary Mug on their Hobie 16 and again joined his dad on the Hobie 16 at the Nationals up at Lake Deneys Yacht Club where they came 19th overall in South Africa. He also got a 6th place in the hotly contested Vaal Hobie 14 Regional Champs, and beat his experienced father in several races during the recent Hobie 14 National Champs offshore of Durban.
The smaller dinghies had a fantastic season, getting in two Pursuit Races, two series and a dedicated Flying Fifteen Match Racing event in. Flying Fifteens owned the two Pursuit Races, taking five of the six podium spots. In the Jonsson Cup Gregg Hurter and Jeff Rose took the win, with Rear Commodore of Dinghies, Myles White and Estelle Buys in second and in third Craig Campbell and Chris Kloppenborg. In the Bar Anniversary Pursuit Race, Campbell Alexander and Jeremy Kriek took top honours, second was Paul Changuion and Tim Duguid and third as Wayne Smith on his Hobie 14.
In the first Flying Fifteen Match Racing held in the bay over two days, leading the pack were Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek. Second was top international 505 hot shot Thomas Funke and CJ Milln with youngsters Sam Lombaard and Jethro Brophy-Tintinger who raced for the first time in this class.
In the two series that took place over three weekends, five classes competed in the Commodore Dinghy Series and seven classes took to the water in the Holburn Class Championship. In first place in the Commodore Dinghy Series were White and Buys on their Flying Fifteen, Rob Goulden on his Laser full rig, Sean Keogh on his Finn, Rudi Fokkens on his Hobie 14 and top youth sailor James Butler.
In first place in the Holburn Class Championship were Alexander sailing with Kriek in the Flying Fifteen class, Richard Bate on his Laser full rig, Jon Marshall on his Finn, Justin Butler on his Hobie 14, Scott Bowman in his Oppie, Trevor Gibb and Marcelle Vermaak on their classic Mirror and CJ Milln and Charles Humphreys in their Hunter.
The next event for the yacht club is the much awaited 125th anniversary bash, the yacht club hosts the Band on the Bay featuring the South Jersey Pom Poms and will also see a huge fleet of yachts in the bay for the ceremonial sail past and fun race in the bay.
For more info visit www.pyc.co.za.