Largest TSL Participation to Date in KZN

Team sailing on Sunday, 13 October, saw the biggest participation yet for the KZN Team Sailing League with 36 people taking part, plus volunteers who ran the racing and the jury/safety boat crew.

Firstly, we say a huge thank you to P. Trimborn agency for sponsoring fuel for the rescue boats for Team Sailing in KZN, and to the KZN Department of Sport and Recreation for sponsoring the entry fee and transport for a development team. Thank you too, to Lotto for sponsoring the TSL14 boats.

There was plenty of excitement when the teams finally assembled on the veranda for a briefing, as most had been delayed either by the Durban City Surf Run or on the N3 due to new electricity cables being strung across the freeway.

With just over 36 people, sailors divided themselves into six teams being: PYC Pitbulls, UKZN, the 14 DUT students made up a DUT 1 and DUT 2 team, with two new DUT sailors joining the Youth Mixed team supported by Eli, who assisted the two girls in their first ever team sailing event.

The youngest team for the day was the youth junior team made up of new youth coming through the HMYC Learn to Sail programme, with Tristian Uys leading the group of young contenders.

Race 1: DUT 1 vs PYC Pitbulls: PYC took the lead with a first, second and third.

Race 2: UKZN vs Youth Jnr: UKZN won with a first, second and fourth.

Race 3: DUT 2 with Youth mixed: Youth mixed won with a first, second and six.

Race 4: DUT 1 vs DUT 2: DUT 2 won with a first, second and six.

Race 5: Youth 1 vs PYC Pitbulls: Pitbulls won with a first, third and fifth. Very hotly contested round.

Race 6: UKZN vs Youth mixed: UKZN won with a first, second and third.

Final

With the weather closing in and rain obscuring the distant hills, and teams looking forward to warming up around the fire, it was decided to run a final instead of completing the round robins of 15 races. PYC Pitbulls and UKZN were only two points apart, and in the final UKZN won with a first, third and fifth. Well done to Rudi, Lungelo, Jethro, Jordan, Hannah and Nic.

Hopefully next month, if we get the same teams, we can complete a full set of round robins.

The teams were:

UKZN

Rudi Fokkens, Lungelo Myeza, Jethro Brophy-Tintinger, Jordan Silver, Hannah Fokkens, Nicholas Bradley

PYC Pitbulls

Myles White, Estelle Buys, Jerome McLoughlan, Connor McLoughlin, Blaine Dunbar, Wayne Dunbar

DUT2

Nkululeko Mathenjwa, Yondisa Tobo, Banele Sabela, Zamani Mda, Ngwaniwapo Dyer (Wapo), Eugene Blose,

Youth Mix

Joseph and Jennifer, Iain Bowman, Aaron Ward, Akhona Mlaba and Mbalenhle Njapha with Eli Brophy-Tintinger

Youth Junior

Tristian Uys, Bruce Corder, Douglas Page, James Pellow-Jarman, Travis Tegg and Kasey Tegg

DUT 1

Smangaliso Dlamini, Ayanda Ndimande, Mkhanyiseni Chiliza (MK), Lebohang Prince Mokoteli, Olwethu Shezi, Ntombifuthi Moshesh

Thank you to the Race officers who assisted on the day: Rob Barker, Edd de Lange and Cay Hickson, assisted by Rudi Fokkens as mark layer and Sam, HMYC bosun who assisted with the launching of the safety boat. Rudi and Tristian assisted Rob Barker on the jury boat when their teams weren’t racing.

Link to time-lapse video on SA Sailing KZN regional events Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SASailingKZN/videos/2501286746573036/

The next team sailing is

9 November: Team sailing social. All welcome.

10 November: League teams

Report by Cay Hickson – SA Sailing KZN