Sails up for daring duo
The two Durban sailors will take part in the gruelling 200km race from Richard's Bay to Durban.
TWO extreme sailors from the Point Yacht Club will head off to Richards Bay this weekend to participate in the seventh Hobie Epic that will see a small fleet race down to Durban on their catamarans.
Struan Campbell and Murray May will be pushing the limits in the annual long distance sail on their Hobie Tiger. “There have only been four teams entered, including us. We are the only Durban entry though and are hoping for more teams to join us. The guys around the country are keeping an eye on the weather, before the potential thrill-seekers commit,” said Murray.
This hard-core downwind race starts with the catamarans launching from the banks of the Zululand Yacht Club, along the coast down to the Point Yacht Club’s beach site, which equates to 200km of open water.
For both sailors, this is not their first rodeo in the Hobie Epic. Murray has raced on a Hobie 16 previously and Struan participated in last year’s epic crewing on an ultra-modern, super-fast Narca F20 Carbon. “Racing in these type of events is a true test of skill, endurance and mostly guts. Being so far offshore on a small catamaran hitting high speeds, hanging just above the water is exhilarating.
“Murray and I have been sailing a fair amount together, and we have both been working hard on our fitness so I think we are completely ready for this race,” said Struan.
The next major Hobie event for the duo is the Hobie Nationals, that takes place offshore of Durban this Easter. More than 500 Hobie sailors from around South Africa will be taking part in the race.
