by Richard Crockett
The L26 class was the Lipton boat of choice from 1984 until 2018 – a span of 35 years during which many an exciting challenge was witnessed, and during which many an older sailor, having been denied international competition for much of their sailing lives, made names for themselves locally.
The winner during this period read like a ‘who’s who’ of top sailors in the country. It’s just such a pity that there is no definitive record available of all the crew on the winning boats! Maybe this is something the Lipton Cup Trustees should address.
The first ever L26 winners were the team from Transvaal Yacht Club (TYC) headed by Ewald Sternagel when they snatched victory in a very close encounter off Cape Town in 1984.
Roll on till 2018 when Roger Hudson and his Royal Cape Yacht Club team won the Lipton Cup off Durban when they won all but a single race.
So here’s your chance to be bold and predict who will win this years Lipton Cup winner, the first in Cape 31s. Don’t be shy – let’s see who the favourites really are.
Here are the 2019 teams:
Royal Natal Yacht Club – Mark Sadler (Challenger of Record)
Royal Cape Yacht Club – Jerry Hegie & Asenathi Jim (Defending Club)
Aeolians – Philip Baum
Gordons Bay Yacht Club – Rodney Tanner
Hermanus Yacht Club – Malcolm Hall & Roger Hudson
Langebaan Yacht Club – Greg Davis & Geoff Meek
Sailing PE – Rick Nankin
University of Cape Town Yacht Club – Nicholas Ryall
Walvis Bay Yacht Club – Bjorn Geiger
Witbank Yacht Club – Mike Hayton & David Rae
And here’s a reminder of the L26 era winners:
1984 | Cape Town | E. Sternagel | TYC |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Durban | B. Savage | UNYC |
1986 | Durban | E. VanCuyck / C.P. Keeping | RCYC |
1987 | Cape Town | E. VanCuyck / C.P. Keeping | RCYC |
1988 | Cape Town | C. King / R. Nankin | ZVYC |
1989 | Cape Town | C. King / R. Nankin | ZVYC |
1990 | Cape Town | C. King / R. Nankin | ZVYC |
1991 | Cape Town | G. Davis | HBYC |
1992 | Cape Town | C. King | ZVYC |
1993 | Saldanha | C. King | ZVYC |
1994 | Saldanha | C. King | ZVYC |
1995 | Saldanha | G. Davis / D.Hudson | RCYC |
1996 | Cape Town | M. Schultz / G. Meek | HYC |
1997 | Gordons Bay | G. Davis / D.Hudson | RCYC |
1998 | Algoa Bay | P. Shaw / S. Du Toit | GBYC |
1999 | Gordons Bay | C. King / R. Nankin | TSC |
2000 | Simons Town | G. Davis / M. Sadler | RCYC |
2001 | Cape Town | R. Nankin | TSC |
2002 | Cape Town | I. Ainslie | ZVYC |
2003 | Durban | R. Nankin / M. Sadler | TSC |
2004 | Cape Town | R. Nankin | TSC |
2005 | Cape Town | D. Hudson / R. Hudson | RCYC |
2006 | Cape Town | G. Davis / G. Blankenberg | TSC |
2007 | Cape Town | G. Davis / G. Blankenberg | TSC |
2008 | Cape Town | G. Davis / G. Blankenberg | TSC |
2009 | Cape Town | G. Davis / D. Rae | RCYC |
2010 | Cape Town | G. Davis / G. Blankenberg | KYC |
2011 | Mossel Bay | G. Davis / D. Rae | KYC |
2012 | False Bay | R. Robinson | RNYC |
2013 | Durban | R. Weddel | PYC |
2014 | False Bay | G. Davis / D. Rae | RCYC |
2015 | Cape Town | G. Davis / D. Rae | RCYC |
2016 | Cape Town | G. Davis / D. Rae | RCYC |
2017 | Cape Town | Roger Hudson | RCYC |
2018 | Durban | Roger Hudson | RCYC |