NOTE FROM THE EDITORS
Welcome to GybeSet’s 60th Newsletter!
Today is the 1st December and that means a few things –
(a) The year is almost over, which we struggle with seeing as it was only January yesterday!
(b) It’s Holidays! (well certainly for the students and scholars - us working mortals are all trying to find the energy for that final push to the end of the year)
We also note that this is the 60th of these newsletters that we are putting out – whew! That seems like a LOT. Truly, we could never have done it without the support of the SA Sailing Community, so thanks a million, Guys. Here’s to the next 60 - and even though we update the site and do these in the evening after work, and often feel we’d like more time to devote to GybeSet – we aim for these newsletters to get better and better and have more of what you would like to hear about – so we welcome your feedback and suggestions!
As we write this, the Western Cape Dinghy and Multihull Grandslam/Synergy Weekend at Theewaters is in full swing and we look forward to filling you in on that next week – and the weeks ahead are packed with some great sailing events!
The big news of the last weeks is obviously Paul Larsen’s and Vestas SailRockets’s smashing of the sailing speed record – if you have not watched the video on You Tube, make a point of doing that – awesome!!!
Til the 61st newsletter...
Yours in Sailing,
LATEST SAILING NEWS
DAC Pursuit Race
Yolanda van der Vyver kindly weighs in with a report on DAC's pursuit race.
"The DAC Committee boat left her mooring early on a cool misty Sunday morning. The wind was blowing from the east, 15 knots gusting to 20, causing the leeward side of the dam to be very choppy. According to the sailing instructions, the start line would be in the vicinity of the muster mark, the bridge team dropped anchor close to the muster mark in calmer waters protected from the wind by Groot Island. The finish time was set for 13:30, due to the handicap system the first class “Vivacity 24” was scheduled to start at 07:11 however, it wasn’t until 9.15 that the first boat, a Mistral “Chihili”, started followed by the Stadt 23 “Gusto” and the Mistral “Freude”. The last boat to start was a Multi 23 just before 11am. Sailors had the opportunity to register and pay on the water before their start time." More here, in our Articles Section.
Keith Hasenbroek snapped a pic of the Multi 23' which won the race.
Sailrocket's world record is official!
The WSSR Council announces the the establishment of a new World Record.
Record: Outright World and World "B" Division Sailing Speed Record
Venue: Walvis Bay. Namibia.
Name: Paul Larsen. AUS.
Equipment: Vestas SailRocket 2. Inclined rig Hydrofoil Proa.
Date: 16th November 2012. 17.02 hrs
Course length: 500 metres
Current: Nil
Elapsed time: 16.41 secs
Speed: 59.23 kts
Comments: Current Outright Record: 2010. Kite Board. Rob Douglas USA. Luderitz, NAM. 55.65 kts.
Current "B" category record: 2012. Vestas SailRocket. Paul Larsen AUS. Walvis Bay, NAM. 54.08 kts
A further claim for a speed in excess of the above is currently being assessed
John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council
A MUST watch - the You Tube video of the record being smashed here
Read Paul's blog here
There and Back Big Triangle Race at PYC, 25 Nov 2012
The moderate to fresh South-Westerly wind again seemed to have kept all but the dedicated sailors in bed on Sunday, 25 November 2012 when Point Yacht Club hosted the There and Back Big Triangle Race.
Race Officer Ron Pet sent the disappointing fleet of 8 boats on their way out from the calm waters off Vetch’s to the Fairway mark where the encountered some bigger rolling seas. After making this mark in swift time the fleet then turned to a mark off La Lucia where they enjoyed sliding down the swells. Incognito paid the price for being too enthusiastic and broached wildly losing the Commodore overboard in the process. The recovery cost them the race while they were comfortably ahead.
Read more here...
Imvubu Through The Northwest Passage
We couldn't help chuckling at this! Bluff Yacht Club's Lawrence Moorcroft did this cartoon for Ralf Dominick when he went through the Northwest Passage during his recent circumnavigation in his Barens Sea Trader, Imvubu (which means hippo in Zulu).
Optimist African Champs Coming To Town
"Optimist Sailing South Africa are pleased to announce that they have been awarded the right to hold the IODA African Optimist Championship for 2013. The championships will be held from 10 to 18 August at Club Mykonos on the Langebaan lagoon, located on the West Coast, just north of the city of Cape Town.
We are privileged to be hosting this prestigious International sailing event for the third time in its 11 year history and look forward to welcoming our fellow African Optimist sailors to South Africa”
Kevin Bingham - Optimist Sailing SA President
More info on the event website, here.
UK 49er and Musto Skiff Inlands 2012
Huge Congrats to South African sailors Graeme Willcox and Andrew Tarboton who finished 13th and Bruce Keen who came 3rd! Congrats, Guys! Always a pleasure to see our boys doing so well internationally!
See the full results here.
Dedication - you never know when you're gonna need it.
Frozen boots at the Ovington Boats 2012 UK Inland Nationals...
KZN Hobie Fun Day 18 Nov
Calm cool weather started the day down at PYC beach. This made it perfect for some show casing on how to rig a Hobiecat presented by Peter Hall. This was received really well and many learned some interesting facts and technical tips on how to “setup your hobie to go faster”.
Discussions on Safety tips and righting your hobie were also discussed. Thereafter, fun sailing with family friends and kids were the order of the day, thank you to all the skippers that were involved in taking newbies for rides. Talk on the beach from non-sailors was, Hobies’ are great fun!!! Read more here
PIC OF THE WEEK
The Next Level
Congrats to Paul Larson and the team in Walvis Bay who have claimed the World Speed Sailing Record. For this pic and more plus all the info and more about the journey, check it out here at the official Vestas SailRocket Website.
A MUST watch - the You Tube video of the record being smashed here
Read Paul's blog here
Send us your Pic of the Week to
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UPCOMING REGATTAS
Most regatta docs can be found in our Upcoming Regatta Section for the relevant region.
2012 Youth Nationals
This year's Youth Nationals will be held from 8-14 December at Pine Lake Marine, Swartvlei. Dinghies AND multihulls incorporated into the same event..!
Race Documents, here.
Fireball Nationals
Straight after the Youth Nationals, from 15-17 December, at Pine Lake Marina, Sedgefield. All regatta docs on the Fireball Website.
Flying Fifteen & Hunter KZN Provincials
15-17 December, offshore Durban.
NOR.
Crocs Summer Regatta
15-17 December 2012 at RCYC.
Sonnet Nationals
27-30 December 2012, VYC. Class Website for documentation.
SAS KZN Championships Regatta | Sprog Nationals | 505, Laser and Mirror Class Provincial Championships 2012
27-30 December 2012, Henley Midmar Yacht Club. Download here: NOR | SI | Entry Form
IN CLOSING
If you have anything to share with the SA Sailing Community, please send it to us at
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If you want to call us, please give us a shout on our cells – the numbers are on the “About Us” section of the site.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"A sailor’s joys are as simple as a child’s."
- Bernard Moitessier
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