Excitement as sailors vie for Vasco da Gama title
Local saliors will be competing in the anticipated Vasco da Gama sailing race this weekend.
EXCITEMENT is mounting in the Durban sailing community as a confirmed fleet of 17 yachts will start the 44th Vasco da Gama Race hosted by Point Yacht Club this Saturday, heading down to Port Elizabeth.
The gruelling 389NM race takes the sailors along some of the most treacherous coastline in the world. This is the first time in 15 years that the race is heading south, after the last decade and a half had the race starting in Maputo and finishing in Durban.
Back to defend his title, is Gregg Hurter and his crew on Bellatrix. They took the handicap honours last year in the race from Maputo to Durban. Hurter has won the handicap honours for the last two years running. Michael Kavanagh, together with his wife Heidi sailing on the majestic Ray of Light will be keen to retain their line honours that they won last year. The Kavanaghs will have a separate rivalry coinciding with the running of the race this year as they will be competing against Heidi’s sister Sigi and her husband Anthony Bailes on Nemisis from Port Elizabeth.
This is the first time since 2008 that the fleet includes six boats from outside of the province and two boats from Richard’s Bay.
The impressive list of trophies sailors will be vying for has four new additions this year; the Dave Cox Memorial Trophy will be awarded to the first Line Honours in the PHRF division. The de Beyer Memorial Trophy will be the awarded to the first PYC boat on handicap in the PHRF division and the ABYC trophy will be for the first ABYC boat across the line. Plus there is a new trophy for the first Western Cape boat across the line.
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Visit https://yb.tl/vascodagama2015 to track the boats using the Yellowbrick link or like the Vasco da Gama 2015 Facebook page for updates.
