SEDGEFIELD NEWS - After the high winds of the Sotheby’s New Year Regatta, there was just about nothing to fill the sails last Sunday at Island Lake.

Race Officer Jeremy Dee struggled to set a course in a pitiful wheeze of wind which shifted constantly from southeast to southwest. In the end, the 18 strong fleet managed two very short races in fickle conditions.

Senior sailors were competing in the first rounds of the Bell/Langvlei Trophy (first race) and Israelson Trophy (second race) and the juniors were sailing the fourth rounds of their Junior Championships.
The start of the new series allowed senior skippers to try out different crafts.

Malcolm Osborne ditched his Laser to helm one of the three Fireballs and John-Marc Olivier shed his junior status to sail a Laser in the senior fleet for the first time. Di Parker skippered the Parker Fireball instead of husband Anthony, young Jayan Smart helmed for Ferdinand Holm while Hobie sailor Alwyn Rose tried his hand at a Laser.

In the first race, sailing for the Bell/Langvlei Trophy, John-Marc Olivier and the club’s legendary Laser, Sir Plopalot, formed a formidable team, beating stalwarts Bill Turner and Dave Jones to the finish and keeping up close and personal to the Fireballs.
The Fireball fleet was led by the Parkers with Holm and Smart and Malcolm Osborne and Khaya Gould in hot pursuit.
Di Turner in a Sonnet edged ahead of Tony and Evie Bowen and Evelyn Osborne and Chandre Gould put up a good fight in their GP14.

At the end of the first race Olivier had clinched the handicap lead in a brilliant showing for a first time senior, with the Parkers’ Fireball and the GP14 in second and third place respectively.
In the second race the lighter airs favoured the Fireballs that swept ahead of the slower boats and got one, two and three on handicap. Once again the Parkers won, followed by the Smart/Holm and Osborne/Gould combos. Olivier on his Laser had to settle for fourth position.

In the junior fleet, Georgou Divaris, in his Optimist, scooted to the top on handicap while Nathan Page and James Hellstrom battled for line honours.

In the end Divaris was first, followed by Hellstrom and Page with Ashleigh and Robyn Hellstrom bringing up the rear.
This weekend the next rounds of the Realty Homenet Trophy and the Junior Tom’s Tavern Cup will be sailed.


Laser sailor John-Marc Olivier and Sir Plopalot make a formidable team.