THE Point Yacht Club announced their team that will be representing the club at this year’s blue water ocean race, the Vasco da Gama Race which starts on Saturday, 23 April.
Led by Round the World sailor and Commodore for the club, Craig Millar, he is joined by seven crew members who will be assisting him in
the 470NM race to Port Elizabeth. Millar and team will be racing down to PE on the recently re-launched Corrida 36 PYC Dusky who is sporting not only a new name, but a beautiful new look as well.
Millar was the skipper of the Durban entry in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 05/06 race, the first time the race stopped in at
South Africa. “I am quite looking forward to the race,” he said. “It has been a while since I competed in an ocean racing event, so I am looking forward to the freedom, and trials; that will be on offer as we race down the coastline.”
The team of able seamen consists of Edrich de Lange, Brendan Humphreys, Thokazani ‘DeaJay’ Latha, Nthuthuko Makhathini, Zamani Mda, Nhlanhla ‘Lucky’ Phakathi and Dylan Warrior with Nicole Koekemoer as reserve.
“I put out a call for crew about a month ago, and I was overwhelmed with the response. We selected the seven guys and Nicole. Ed, DeaJay, Zamani and Lucky all have some blue water sailing experience; I look forward to teaching and sharing the experience with all of them.”
De Lange has competed in the Inhaca Race and was part of the team last year on Majimoto in the Vasco da Gama Race and they were the only boat from Durban to cross the finish line. Latha was on board the tall ship, Lord Nelson on a voyage to Kochi in India. The up-and-coming nautical sportsman has also done previous Vascos from Maputo to Durban. Phakathi travelled to Spain in October last year where he did some sailing last year on a classic schooner, Aloha J of Cariba sailing 70NM from Palma de Mallorca to Ibiza.
The remainder of the young team have various sailing experience, sailing regularly on Saturday dinghy racing or offshore on the bigger boats in the Sunday keeler racing. The PYC Dusky will be one of 18 yachts tackling the gruelling race down to the friendly city, with the race starting in Durban and heading down to Port Elizabeth.
