KNYSNA NEWS - After two previous racing days of strong southeasters, conditions reverted to the more normal, light southerly breeze on Sunday to allow all three scheduled races at the George Lakes Yacht Club (GLYC) to take place.
With some members competing at Hermanus in the Southern Charter Classic regatta, just 14 vessels were sailing locally on 4 February.
In the first race, it was Henry Paine (Laser) rounding the first weather mark just ahead of the rest.
He was pursued by the similar craft of Malcolm Osborne and the Fireball of David Laing and Jacques Smit.
From the front, Paine was able to take advantage of puffs and shifts to pull well ahead.
The Fireball had a new crew in training, so they were not as fast in this first race but improved markedly in the subsequent races.
Lurking just behind was the Laser of Maurits Lammers.
In race 2, Lammers had the initial lead in Lasers, before being passed by Paine and Osborne.
The latter got ahead up the next beat and was able to cross the finish line just ahead.
The Fireball was a minute ahead, as a result of better boat handling, e.g. spinnaker setting.
Race 3 had the Laing/Smit Fireball finishing far ahead (four minutes), but were disqualified due to being over the line at the start. Dave Jones (Sonnet) and Brian Musto (Laser) were similarly penalised.
Osborne had the initial lead among the Lasers, before being passed by Paine during the second triangle.
It was just Tristan Boshoff (Optimist) sailing in race 1 in the junior fleet, but he was joined in the other two races by JP Buys, who was able to get ahead in these races.
In the senior fleet, at stake was the Woodwise Trophy. No races were sailed in the first session, due to lack of wind, thus all the day's races counted. In addition, races were scored on skipper ratings.
On this basis, Paine won the first race, Bill Turner won race 2 and Lammers won race 3. Overall, the winner of this series, to be awarded the Woodwise Trophy, is Lammers.
The GLYC racing fleet at the start of the second race on Sunday 4 February, with the Fireball of David Laing and Jacques Smit in the foreground.
The juniors were sailing for the De Klerk Trophy. Tristan and JP tied on points, but the tie-break made JP Buys the winner.
There is no racing at GLYC next weekend, due to the Knysna Interclub Regatta. Many of our sailors will be competing, hoping to return with the Interclub Trophy.
At the Hermanus regatta, James Hellstrom was second in the Laser Radial fleet of 16 boats, behind Calvin Gibbs.
Matthew de Villiers secured third place in the Dabchick fleet (nine boats). Georgou Divaris and Ferdinand Holm won in the Fireball fleet (four boats).
* More info: www.glyc.org.za or Facebook/GLYC.
ARTICLE: MALCOLM OSBORNE
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