KNYSNA NEWS - After a successful seven months of sailing for the Knysna Yacht Club, Commodore Mike Jacobs signed off the 2022/23 sailing season at the club's traditional closing cruise on Saturday 22 April.
The Knysna Yacht Club Closing Cruise is held every April to end the sailing season. The day is always marked by boats and vessels of all kinds sailing past the club with the crews saluting the commodore to officially end the sailing season.
Founded in 1910, Knysna Yacht Club is the second oldest in the country, behind the Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town. The tradition of the closing cruise dates all the way back to the founding year, and has been upheld every sailing season ever since.
It is always a memorable and special occasion for sailors and yacht club members, and also for those in attendance, who get to watch on from the shoreline as the colourful sails and boats glide past the Knysna Yacht Club.
Like the yacht club itself, the ceremony has grown in size and participation over the years, now including not just boats, but swimmers and canoeists too. This year, between 30 and 40 vessels took part in the "sail past".
The Sea Cadets from the T/S Knysna salute the yacht club commodore.
Members of Knysna's National Sea Rescue Institute Station 12 were the first in the sail past, followed by the dignitary boat and then the pink-capped Knysna Seahorse swimmers.
Thereafter it was the turn of the Sea Cadets from the Training Ship Knysna, then SANParks, the canoeists, the keel boats, the dinghies and finally the power boats. While the weather in the morning had looked particularly ominous, it turned out to be a fine occasion with calm waters and cool air aplenty.
Knysna Yacht Club Commodore Mike Jacobs is beyond chuffed with the season gone by. "We saw great growth this season.
"We now have roughly 1 500 members, making us the second-biggest in the country [again behind Royal Cape]," he said proudly.
"Our sailors saw great success at national races and we even hosted the SA Canoe Polo Championships again this year, among so much more. It really has been a great season for the Knysna Yacht Club."
Between 30 and 40 boats of different shapes, types and sizes took part in the closing cruise.
With their pink caps donned, the Knysna Seahorse swimmers do their part in the closing cruise.
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