Interclub regatta on Island Lake

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GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - George Lakes Yacht Club (GLYC) hosted its annual regatta at Island Lake last weekend.

In addition to the GLYC sailors, the event attracted 35 participants from local clubs like Knysna and Mossel Bay and even from as far as Cape Town and Gqeberha.

This year, for the first time, an Eden District Mirror Championship was held, in conjunction with the inter-club regatta.

A light south-westerly wind prevailed on Saturday 8 October and three races could be completed. The following morning the breeze was again in that direction, but only one race could be held before it faded.

The fleet was sent to shore for an extended lunch break, while waiting for conditions to improve. Fortunately, in the afternoon a better south-easterly wind filled in, permitting the final two races to be held.

PHOTO GALLERY: Annual regatta at Island Lake in 2022

For the Mirror Eden District Championships, the front runners were the experienced sailors from Cape Town, with the team of Howard and Kabelo Leoto the initial series leaders, but they were overtaken by Craig Latigan and Sean van Aswegen in the later races.

Third place was closely contested between Henning Kock and Simamkele Mtshofeni and Grant Ekermans and Shane White, with the latter team getting ahead in the last race to claim this place by one point. There were ten boats in this fleet.

The GLYC inter-club regatta was held on the basis of the faster boats competing together in one fleet, with the slower boats in the other. This second fleet had seven boats from Mossel Bay and one from Knysna. Mossel Bay's Waydon Goliath dominated, winning three races.

Second place was contested between Ashley Lomati and Renier Delie, also from Mossel Bay. Delie was more consistent in finishing, to claim second place by one point ahead of Lomati, who had to settle for third place.

The fast fleet had 17 boats of various types, competing on a handicap system, using class ratings.

The Finns took the lead in these races, together with two Fireballs and a 505. Behind, the rest of the fleet comprised Lasers, a Sonnet and two Sprogs. The GLYC Finn, sailed by Georgou Divaris, was the clear winner, scoring five first places.

The start of a Fast Fleet race on Sunday, with GLYC's Jean Paul Buys getting a good start.

Second place went to Knysna's Brett Gething (also sailing a Finn) and third place was taken by the GLYC Laser of Matthew de Villiers.

For the inter-club scoring, on the basis of the top five positions of each club, George Lakes wins the inter-club trophy for the fast fleet, ahead of Knysna Yacht Club. Mossel Bay Sailing Club is the winner of the inter-club trophy for the slow fleet.

For more information about George Lakes Yacht Club, see its website, www.glyc.org.za, or like its Facebook page, GLYC. GLYC acknowledges with thanks its long-standing sponsor, Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty, for contributing to the success of this regatta.

The winners of the 2022 Eden District Mirror Championships are, from left, Grant Ekermans, Shane White (3rd), Craig Latigan, Sean van Aswegen (1st) and Howard and Kabelo Leoto (2nd).