Sailors gear up for Hobie race
Make your way down to the beachfront this Easter weekend to catch the Hobie 14 Nationals.
OFFSHORE of Durban will be a rainbow of colours as over 40 Hobies will participate in the much-anticipated Hobie 14 Nationals hosted by Point Yacht Club over the long weekend.
On the back of a hugely successful Hobie 16 event hosted last year, the fleet of adventurous sailors are trading in their two-man craft to go solo in this event. The three-day event boasts some world-class talent, including the reigning Hobie 14 World Champion, Blaine Dodds from the Western Province. Giving Blaine a run for his money is Douglas Edwards from Plettenburg Bay, who was crowned the Hobie Tiger World Champion last year with his father, William, last year.
Local favourites include rising star, Jethro Brophy-Tintinger, who is racking up results both on home waters and across provincial borders. Joining him are Garth Loudon, Greg de Beyer, Sean Fennessy and Peter Hall.
The fleet includes 13 sailors who will be travelling from Gauteng and the Western Province to be a part of this regatta. Hobie racing is the largest multihull class in the world and continues to attract a number of top international sailors to major regattas, with South Africa having a few of the biggest names in Hobie sailing.
“We believe that South Africa has one of the biggest competitive Hobie fleets in the world, and we are breeding award-winning sailors right here on our doorstep,” said Hobie representative, Peter Hall.
Vying for the title in the junior category are future stars, Dylan Albert, Matthew Hall, Ian Modola, Liam Fennessy and Sven Paton.
