Harbour: Saturday 10 February
Offshore: Sunday 11 February
Point Yacht Club had a bustling weekend with both dinghy and keeler racing – day two of the Holburn Class Champs took place in the bay on Saturday and the long-haul race concluded with day two of the Sigma Series offshore on Sunday.
A diminished fleet of only four Lasers joined forces with four Flying Fifteens in the second day of the Holburn Class Champs that took place in the bay on Saturday 10 February. Jan Larkens began as he had left off in the first day, taking the win in the first of three races. Larkens snaffled the win by mere seconds over South Coaster Rowen Clark, with a lift that hit him first that saw him surge for the line in the shortened one lap race.
In the second race, Larkens had a disappointing race, hitting a sand bank and having to get off his dinghy to push start himself after being grounded therefore earning a disqualified on his race card. First was Jerome McLoughlin with Clark taking another second, and Richard Bate taking third. Bate crossed the finish line having damage to his main sheet block and having to manually hold the boom. Bate retired from racing as he slowly made his way home.
The final race for the day, Race Officer Kevin Bingham set a short, sharp sprint up the Maydon Wharf channel, with a one way beat to a finish line set off the yacht mole. Eager Laser sailor, Larkens jumped the gun by a minute ahead of the rest of the fleet and ploughed his way up the channel but ultimately not bothering to go through the finish when he realised his mistake. First across the line, McLoughlin finished 24 seconds ahead of Clark, who notched up his third second for the day.
Bates stated in the boat park after racing, “It was a disappointing turn out. There was chatter on the WhatsApp group leading up to the race predicting gusts of 30 knots, which scared off a number of sailors. It was glorious on the water, and the racing was competitive. I am however, exhausted from holding onto the boom for most of the second race.”
In the Flying Fifteens, veteran FF sailor, Patrick Harris joined forces with his son, Liam and took line honours in all three races. Pushing them hard for all three races, were visiting sailors, Rob Tarboton from Henley Midmar Yacht Club, sailing with his son, Andrew who was out from the UK.
The Harris combo were 6 seconds ahead of Tarboton squared in the first race, 14 seconds in the second race and in the final sprint up the channel, 29 seconds ahead. For third and fourth, there was a bit of a tussle between the boats of Craig Campbell who was accompanied by Nhlanhla Phakathi, and Campbell Alexander with his crew member, Jeremy Kriek. Campbell and Phakathi took bronze in the first and second race, with Alexander and Kriek finishing 48 seconds ahead of them, and 26 seconds behind second placed Tarbotons in the final sprint race.
In the second race of the Sigma Series that wrapped up on Sunday, the impressive, slippery Argo FY helmed by Craig Millar snuck away from their nemesis, the larger CFM in the light, flukey wind. The fleet of 12 yachts were sent off by Race Officer, Tony Hardy to Coopers Lighthouse on the Bluff for a long-haul race.
This weekend sees all the local sailors head up the hill for the annual fun-filled 9-Hour taking place at Henley Midmar Yacht Club.
For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or like the club’s Facebook page.