On Sunday morning a number of keelboats participated in a most interesting and novel race hosted by our friends at the Point Yacht Club. The “Over the Horizon” race saw a fleet of boats enjoy a down-wind start off Addington Beach before rounding the Fairway Mark and then heading out over the horizon to a virtual mark 12 miles offshore. The novelty of sailing out of sight of land, employing some navigation skill and the weather conditions made for a superb day at sea. The brave Bridge Crew who spent over 6 hours anchored off Addington patiently waiting for the fleet to return may not have had as much fun and we are grateful to them for their tenacity and sacrifice.
The conditions at the start were lumpy although the sea flattened out further offshore and according to some boats the wind varied in intensity from 8 knots to zero and then back up to to 30 knots with everything in between and from every direction as rain squalls passed over head. The back markers however enjoyed perfect sailing conditions missing the squalls and even the rain. The Ocean One class boats surged out ahead of the fleet under spinnaker while the B Class and more cruising orientated yachtsmen enjoyed a more relaxed sail although Mafuta led the way with her bright red asymmetric and She Myra looked splendid under her new asymm with a good turn of speed challenging Flyer. Further back Hobbit, Sundance and Zap enjoyed a close quarter tussle with the boats all stacked up abeam of each other with fishing lines trailing out, until of course one of the trio boldly decided that the other boats up front were getting away and it was now high time to change gears and break out of each other’s dirty air. Finding the virtual turning mark was great fun using a handheld GPS and calculating the tacking angles in one’s head. Rounding the virtual mark within 20 meters for a shorthanded crew was most rewarding and especially satisfying as it only took one tack to find the spot! The run home was especially fun as it provided a long reach under spinnaker for the racing boats and some nice gentle surfing for the remainder of the fleet. Being out of sight of land and taking a bearing off the lead boats before they disappeared into the rain made for an added challenge and seeking out the Fairway mark in the misty conditions and grey sea added another interesting dynamic, especially when the ghostly silent fishing reel suddenly screamed to life punctuating an otherwise disappointingly sublime race with a rush of adrenaline and much excitement. Realising that whatever was on the end of the line was very big it goes against one’s racing instinct to head up into the wind and start reeling in. With the excitement of what might be for dinner growing, arms groaning and veins protruding out of the crew’s forehead it was almost a relief when the line suddenly parted without revealing what was attached and the lucky fish lived to tell the tale before we had to try and figure out how would land the monster. Undeterred by the loss we simply hardened up again before rounding the Fairway mark and heading for the harbour entrance with renewed and excited chatter about what might have been. Unfortunately by this time we had greatly exceeded the 15h00 cut off time for the race and despite graciously waiting patiently for the tail enders the Committee Boat could be hear calling Port Control for permission to re-enter the port, the desperation and tiredness in the voice on the radio was evidence of the Bridge Crew’s long and no doubt uncomfortable day at sea. By the time we reached the breakwater the rain had ceased, wind direction altered and with the kind permission of the Port Control in the absence of any shipping we sailed close hauled down the leading lights into flat water with 22 knots of breeze. A perfect end to a brilliant day’s racing; our grateful thanks to Point Yacht Club for hosting such an interesting and most enjoyable event.
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AuthorThe Royal Natal Yacht Club is the oldest yacht and sports Club in Africa and the oldest yacht club in the southern hemisphere. Read our Newsletter to find out more! Archives
February 2020
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