General

Hobie Western Cape are hosting a Hobie Legends Party as part of the upcoming H16 Nationals which are being sailed from Hobie Beach Club Mykonos. The legends party is on Sunday 1 October 2017 at the Boesmanland Restaurant – Hobie Beach Club Mykonos @ 18h30. So who are the Hobie Legends? Let’s have your thoughts – MAIL HERE Enter the Hobie 16 Nationals HERE Event Info HERE

To celebrate its 16 year long relationship with Clipper Round The World Yacht Race, Marlow Ropes has created a short film on the lengths it goes to, to produce the market-leading high performance Clipper Race ropes. From the initial research and development to the final rigging of the 70-foot Clipper Race fleet, Marlow’s film is an illuminating insight into the entire process of creating the strong, light and durable ropes. Focussing on Marlow’s expertise, craftsmanship and manufacturing techniques developed over …

Harken has been named official supplier of winches, blocks, traveller systems and mast car systems for the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. It is the second consecutive race that the USA and Italy-based manufacturer has equipped the One Design Volvo Ocean 65 fleet with some of the most advanced deckware products on the market. The agreement ensures Harken hardware will continue to be a fixture of the racing boats when they line up in Alicante on 22 October …

by John Wright It is all go for the Sprog Nationals to be held at the end of the year at Henley Midmar Yacht Club. There has been some positive reaction and several boats have already conveyed there intention to enter. I would like to thank the following people that responded to my last News Letter:- Mark Statham, David Long, Kevin Bingham. Steve Kruger, Steve Hegestroom, Peter Clayton, Myles White, Peter Marcia, Dave Hudson, David Hayes, Andrea Giovannini and last …

As seven of the eight yachts competing in the forthcoming Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) battle it out in this week’s RORC Rolex Fastnet Race, they will be carrying a lot less weight on the transom than ever before, thanks to an unparalleled innovation from Ocean Safety. The new Ocean Ultralite SOLAS compact liferaft is a totally new concept derived from Ocean Safety’s original space-saving Ocean Ultralite liferaft. It uses carbon composite technology to achieve a significant 23% weight saving, a …

The Figaro Beneteau 3 is the first production foiling one-design monohull ever to be designed, with the first one on the water now undergoing sea trials. It is a distillation of technology and innovation, and results from a collaboration between group Beneteau’s best experts and the Van Peteghem Lauriot-Prévost (VPLP) office, the architects of the two last boats to win the Vendée Globe. Here are some early pics of her on the water.   Specifications LOA 10.85m Hull Length 9.75m …

One simply runs out of superlatives with which to describe Blaine Dodds and his ability to always be in the hunt for major Hobie titles, irrespective of where he competes in the world. He also has too many podium finishes at world championships to be able to keep count! In the recent Hobie Multiclass Worlds in Holland, Dodds put in a very late charge to end up second in the Hobie 14 Worlds, a title he previously won in 2015. …

Recognising the need for sailors to be able to see their data from a variety of positions on the boat, the Zeus³ incorporates a high-performance multifunction screen in either 7, 9, 12, and 16-inch widescreen displays incorporating SolarMAX™ HD technology for brilliant daytime visibility and ultra-wide viewing angles. Featuring all-new SolarMAX™ HD technology, Zeus³ enables full use of the of navigation controls in all conditions and situations, and combines an all-weather touchscreen that works even when drenched by a wave …

by Malcolm Osborne Annually, the Eden District (formerly SWD) Sport Council convenes the Eden District Sports Awards. All the 50 sporting federations in operation in this district are invited to make their nominations in the various categories, most prominent of which are Sportsman and Sportswomen of the Year. Georgou Divaris was nominated by SA Sailing Eden District for Sportsman of the Year, in view of his achievements in the Laser and Fireball classes over the past year. Just prior to …

by Kathy Manten And we’re off. The first sailed event of the 2017-2018 NKA Grand Prix Series has been completed after the Presidents Race in May was abandoned due to no wind. It was a perfect day for sailing. Balmy sunny weather, a gentle breeze and twenty boats on the start line. It was wonderful to see so many sailors out there. I am sure the majority of the sailors out there would have preferred the wind to pick up …

SABBEX, the South African Boat Builders Export Council, is a national export association registered with the Department of Trade and Industry with the primary purpose of promoting South Africa as a globally competitive and reputable boat building nation. Through developing awareness around the manufacture of boats, yachts, multihulls, catamarans, vessels and inflatables in South Africa to the international market, SABBEX aims to assist industry with access to markets and export marketing activities, and help gain traction in specific markets around …

By Richard Crockett The Old Gaffers of Campbell Alexander and Jeremy Kriek made a real hash of things on Tuesday after failing to read the Sailing Instructions carefully, and did not go through the start line each round! “We were first round every buoy today in moderate to fresh breeze with nice chop or wave, but didn’t read the SIs properly, so was DSQ in first race. Things are a bit quirky here, and I just didn’t expect that clause …

Two Durban sailors, Campbell Alexander Jeremy Kriek, are campaigning in the UK at the moment as part of the F15 70th anniversary celebration , and Cowes Week Their first regatta over this last weekend was the Flying Fifteen Southern Area Championship, run by the COWES CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB, and which included the 70th Anniversary race. In a fleet of 39 boats our ‘flying Durban duo’ finished 12th overall with a best finish of 8th in the final race. This week, …

by Sophie Thompson Defending their title, the team from University of Stellenbosch made it two in a row claiming the title of the Inter-Varsity Match Racing Champs hosted by Point Yacht Club this week. In a replay of last year’s finals, Stellenbosch met their nearest rival, University of Cape Town. Helmed by Iliana Boura, who drove the boat for Stellenbosch for the second year running, the deserving team took the win 2 – 1 in the best of three finals. …

by Sophie Thompson Nine University teams will take to the water to participate in the second Point Yacht Club’s Inter-Varsity Match Racing event this week. On the back of the highly successful Americas Cup held in Bermuda, Durban will see fifty sailors from various universities from around the country, competing in this exciting, tactical format of yacht racing. The nine teams hailing from UCT, Wits, TUKS, Rhodes, Durban University of Technology, Stellenbosch and University of Kwa-Zulu Natal will compete on …