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KNYSNA NEWS - Near ideal sailing conditions prevailed on Sunday 14 January for the second series of races for the Realty/Homenet Trophy (senior fleet) and the Tom’s Tavern Trophy (junior fleet), held at the George Lakes Yacht Club (GLYC).
A light southeasterly wind of eight to ten knots had set in and, although some may have preferred it a little stronger, the full schedule of three races could be completed.
Five Optimists competed in the junior fleet, while the senior fleet comprised a mix of Fireballs, Lasers, Sonnets, and Hobie 14s.
In the junior fleet, Conrad Holm was able extend comfortable leads ahead of the other Optimists in all the races.
Kyle America was second in the first and third races, but Thomas Lawa got this position in the second race.
In the senior fleet, the well-practised national champion team of Georgou Divaris and Ferdinand Holm were able to extend big leads ahead of the rest of this fleet in all three races.
The other two Fireballs, sailed by David Laing and Cundell Statt, had novice crews and could not perform to the same standard.
While these crews were coming to grips with the techniques of spinnaker setting, jibing and retrieval, they could not get much ahead of the Lasers.
However, by the third race, the crews were looking more comfortable with the manoeuvres.
Malcolm Osborne had the lead in the Lasers in the first race, ahead of Charles Norman.
The latter was ahead from the start in the second race, but was passed by Osborne during the second beat.
It was only in the second race that the Hobie 14 of Hans Delport could get going to be ahead of most of the fleet, except the Divaris Fireball.
National champions Georgou Divaris and Ferdinand Holm leading the GLYC fleet in the racing on Sunday.
For this fleet, scoring on class handicaps, Divaris/Holm won the first race, close ahead of Osborne on corrected time, and also the second race with a bigger lead.
However, Osborne was the race winner in the lighter wind of the third race, ahead of Divaris/Holm.
Only one race was sailed for this series back in September, where Divaris/Holm did not sail.
Scored over four races, without discard, Osborne is the overall winner of the series, to receive the Realty/Homenet Trophy.
For the junior fleet, which sailed two races in the first set of this series, a discard came into effect with the fifth race.
Overall, Kyle America is the winner, to receive the Tom’s Tavern Trophy. Conrad Holm, who did not sail last time, tied on points with Lawa for second place, but placed second overall on a tie-break. – Malcolm Osborne
* More info: www.glyc.org.za / Facebook/GLYC
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