Experience wins over youth

By Matthew Thomas
With very light winds across the race course this morning, the Race Committee made the decision to postpone the start and wait to see if the wind filled in. At around 1 pm, the wind started to fill in and the course was laid, this time a “sausage” shaped course (windward/leeward) of 12 miles. The race was started at around 2 pm and with many boats across early, coupled with a big wind shift, the Race Officer, Doug Alison declared a General Recall and the yachts returned to the starting area to restart. This start was very tight, in very light conditions, and the fleet immediately split into two groups. One going towards the land and the other out into the bay.

In the Lipton Cup Challenge, all starts are placed perpendicular to the wind, with the first mark, the windward mark, set directly upwind of the start. With this format, boats have to tack back and forth, across the course till they reach the windward mark. In most cases, and especially in the light wind conditions that were experienced today, crews need to decide which side of the course will be favourable and today, the fleet was quite evenly split after the start.

With the fleet split and numerous puffs and small wind shifts across the course, it was anyone’s guess as to who would be the first boat to round the top mark. Even though the yachts came together during the upwind leg, the positions changed numerous times and it was the yachts that had gone to the shore who had the favourable wind. It was Ricky Robinson, on Orion B2G2 who was first around, followed by Ewald Sternagel sailing TYC Lipton Cup Challenge, followed by Luke Wagner on PYC Challenger 3rd.
With colourful spinnakers up, the fleet sailed down to the leeward marks and once again, there were gains and losses and this time it was Ewald Sternagel on TYC Lipton Challenge who rounded first, followed by the Durban youngsters, Ricky Robinson on Orion B2G2 and Luke Wagner on PYC Element 3rd, chased by Guido Verhovert on Ells Teeth, defending champion Greg Davis on Colorpress and Neil Malan on UCT Maverick.

Once again it was back to the top mark, but the wind had died to a zephyr and all the boats battled their way to weather. During this, the deck was completely reshuffled and rounding the windward mark again, there was a brand new leader, Andrea Giovannini & Markus Progli, sailing Team Intasure Marine insurance, followed closely by Ewald Sternagel and Gerry Hegie, sailing Protea Hotel Mossel Bay.

With the wind dying inshore, it was decided that the weather mark should be moved further into the bay and this was done while the yachts fought their way downwind in the dying breeze, the mark was moved.
At the leeward mark, the leading boats had changed places and it was once again, Ewald Sternagel who rounded first, followed closely by Andrea Giovannini & Markus Progli, who were followed by Gerrie Hegie. Further back was Royal Natal’s Ricky Robinson, followed by yesterday’s winner, Redhouse Yacht Club’s Robert Archibald & Andrew Ward and Guido Verhovert from Royal Cape Yacht Club.

Now it was a battle supreme. With nearly almost no wind and the occasional puff across the course area, it was guaranteed that the next leg would be a battle of epic proportions and true to form it was. Defending champion, Greg Davis decided that there would be more favourable puffs out in the bay and a few boats followed him, while the majority of the fleet went to the shore, some further than others. When the fleet finally converged at the mark it was Greg Davis on Colorpress who was around 1st, followed by Ewald Sternagel and the team of Andrea Giovannini & Markus Progli.

In light winds, it is vitally important to avoid the various wind “holes” that develop and can easily ruin all your hard work in an instant, leaving you bobbing without moving forward. For many of the fleet that went to the shore, they were forced to pay the price for this decision as what little wind there was simply disappeared and they were left becalmed.

With the wind dying away, the course was shortened and a new finish mark laid at the bottom mark. First across was expert light air sailor, Ewald Sternagel from the Transvaal Yacht Club, followed closely by defending champion and day leader, Greg Davis from Knysna yacht Club, with the False Bay Yacht Club’s team of Andrea Giovannini & Markus Progli on Team Intasure Marine Insurance.

With one day left, Defending Champion, Greg Davis leads, but only 3 point behind are Andrea Giovannini & Markus Progli who will need to finish 3 places ahead of Greg tomorrow. The 3rd place is now wide open with 5 yachts capable of taking it as they are close to each other in points. Royal Cape Yacht Club; Theewater Sports Club; Redhouse yacht Club; Transvaal Yacht Club and Royal Natal Yacht Club.

Download the days results click here | Download the overall results click here

View picures of the days racing