Lipton Challenge Cup. Meet the Teams

by Richard Crockett

The first race of the Lipton Cup kicks off on Monday in Table Bay – a mere 5 days away – and will bring with it a new era in one of the most up-to-date and modern racing keelboats available.

Since 1982, which one can comfortably refer to as the ‘modern’ Lipton Cup era, just two classes of yacht have been used in the competition. In 1982 and 1983 the IOR 1/4-tonner was designated, and from 1984 the L26 was the designated class. Now 37 years later, the Lipton Cup enters a new era with the Cape 31 being the designated boat.

And with this change comes a whole new set of challenges which will make this regatta something very special. No longer is one able to comfortably predict a winner, nor does one really know which of the crews will master the three compulsory Lipton Cup courses which are unique to this event. The square and the equilateral triangle may well be the two courses which will bring the top teams to the fore, and could also be the courses that set some up for success and others to fail. The windward/leeward course is the third compulsory course which crews know well as that’s what they often sail.

What the change of class has really done is bring the top sailors in this country together on the same race course – and that’s going to be something well worth watching, or following depending on where one is in the world. The number of past Lipton winners, Olympians and World Champions competing this year is staggering. And this list does not mention the many other events around the world in which our sailors have done well and stood on podiums.

As racing is likely to be very close, an International Sailing Jury has been appointed to adjudicate on the Racing Rules of Sailing. Sailing is a sport in which honour is important as there are no referees, umpires or any officials judging on the water. The racing rules permit a skipper to lodge a protest if it is felt that a rule of sailing has been broken on the water. That protest is heard by the International Jury, and their decision is absolutely final.

In the Lipton Cup, unlike most yacht races, there is no discard in the series, so skippers will need to ensure that they compete well within the rules as a disqualification in just a single race will ruin their chance of victory.

Races will be tracked, and this is the link from where one can follow each race HERE

Bookmark it now!

So who is sailing?
Here are the teams, and apologies for any incorrect info as every effort has been made to get it as accurate as possible.

Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) – the defending Lipton Cup Champions.
16 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – Yanmar
Skipper – Gerry Hegie
Skipper – Asenathi Jim – World Champion; Olympian & multiple Lipton Cup winner
Sean Ballantyne
Marlon Jones
Sibu Sizatu
Brevan Thompson
Marco Tobin

Royal Natal Yacht Club (RNYC) – Challenger of Record
9 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – ‘Orion DYP’
Skipper – Mark Sadler – 2x Lipton Cup winner & World Champion
Michael Giles – multiple Lipton Cup winner
Davey James
Charles Nankin – Lipton Cup winner
Trevor Spilhaus – multiple Lipton Cup winner & World Champion
Anthony Spillebeen – Lipton Cup Winner
Gui Verhovert – multiple Lipton Cup winner & World Champion

Aeolians Sailing Club (ASC)
0 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – Nemesis
Skipper – Philip Baum
Dave Hudson – world champion; Olympian and 3x Lipton Cup winner
Oscar Baum
Henry Daniels
Jakes Jakobsen
Cullen Keytel
Stefano Marcia – Olympian
Dominique Provoyeur – Olympian

Gordons Bay Yacht Club (GBYC)
1 Lipton Cup Victory
Boat Name – Ski
Skipper – Rodney Tanner
Crew – Jon Kukard
Damien Botha
Tyran Kerford
Wendall Kleinbooi
Marc Wilson
Josh Young

Hermanus Yacht Club (HYC)
2 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – Magic
Co-skipper: Malcolm Hall – world champion
Co-skipper: Roger Hudson – world champion, Olympian & 3x Lipton Winner
Alex Burger – World Champion & Lipton Cup winner
William Crockett – Lipton Cup winner
Benji Daniel – World Champion & Lipton Cup winner
Calvin Gibbs – World Champion
Alex Ham – World Champion
Josh Rubenstein

Langebaan Yacht Club (LYC)
0 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – Scud
Skipper – Greg Davis – 13x Lipton Cup winner
Skipper – Geoff Meek – 2x Lipton Cup winner. World champion
Kenwyn Daniels – Lipton Cup winner
Leo Davis
Hein de Jamaer – Lipton Cup winner
Paul Lagesse – Lipton Cup winner
Ian Wolmarans – Lipton Cup winner

Sailing PE (SPE)
0 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – Vivaldi
Skipper – Rick Nankin – 7 x Lipton Cup winning skipper
Nicolai Biakoff
Andrea Giovanini
Joe Heywood
Richard Hutton-Squire
Bruce Keytel
Peter Shaw – Lipton Cup winning skipper

University of Cape Town Yacht Club (UCTYC)
0 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – Turquoise
Skipper – Nicholas Ryall
Taariq Jacobs
Peter Marsh
Nina Pienaar
James Stock
Sonja Stock
Warwick Strutt

Walvis Bay Yacht Club (WBYC)
0 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – MB Racing
Skipper – Bjorn Geiger
Mikhayla Bader
Nic Baigrie
Doug Edwards
Kevin Foreman
Chris Gough
James Largier – multiple Lipton Cup winner

Witbank Yacht Club (WYC)
0 Lipton Cup Victories
Boat Name – Nitro
Skipper – Mike Hayton
Skipper – David Rae – 5x Lipton Cup Winner
Paul Allardice
Joweal Claasen – multiple Lipton Cup Winner
Markus Progli
Gary Sindler – multiple Lipton Cup Winner
Murray Willcocks