Hobie 16 and Flying 15 provincials wrap up

MOST local sailors, spent the Youth Day long weekend on the water, competing in the Hobie 16 and Flying Fifteen Provincials offshore of Durban with the two teams of experienced campaigners taking the win in their classes.

For long time partners, Garth Loudon and Robbie Eduard Betsy, it was a faultless regatta for the two in the Hobie 16 fleet. The team who have been sailing together for the last two and a half decades, re-joined forces after an eight year break to compete in the two hander Hobie 16 class. From the get-go the combo of Loudon and Eduard Betsy topped the log in every single race, with a convincing lead over the rest of the boats in the nine races.

Father-and-son team, Peter and Matthew Hall also had an impressive time on the water, finishing second with six seconds and two thirds and a fourth which was their discard. They ended their regatta ten points behind Loudon and Eduard Betsy. Another father-and-son team, Brandon and Mark Wijtenburg won the final spot on the podium, ten points behind the Hall team.

The out-of-town, Wijtenburgs relished their time on the warmer waters, notching up two seconds, two thirds, two fourths, two fifths and a sixth spot which was their discard.

“Garth and Robbie were untouchable, they sailed phenomenally, a world class display! We only got to see the back of them the entire time we were on the water. Congrats to them,” said second placed, Hobie representative, Peter Hall.

In the Flying Fifteens, another formidable team of Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek walked away with the top honours. Harris and Kriek’s names both appear a number of times on the provincial trophy, being long time campaigners in the class. Entering the regatta, they were unbeaten in the last

provincials. The duo scored six firsts out of the 11 races in the 2016 edition with some fiery young blood adding to the mix this year, giving the experienced competitors a run for their money. Previous winners Paul Changuion and Tim Duguid finished five points off the winners, with Olympic Laser campaigner Rudy McNeill joining forces with Lipton sailor, Byron Watt pushing the leaders all the way ending their regatta in third spot. The young team proved their mettle in the foreign class scoring two firsts in the last two races, a second, four thirds and a fourth place.

The final class to compete was the extreme Hobies, the Hobie Tigers with three boats getting on the water. Local lads, Struan Campbell and Murray May walked away victorious in the class, winning all but one race when their spinnaker got jammed turning at the bottom mark and they were forced to retire. Up-and-coming Dylan Albert favoured racing the Hobie Tigers over the J22 Youth Nationals, scoring a second overall with Riaan Botha. Another mixed

club team of Kobus Fourie and Jaco Labuschagne finished third, three points behind Albert and Botha.