Thanks to good support from its own members as well as large numbers of visitors from Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay and Knysna, there was a bumper turnout of 85 boats - 41 in the senior fleet and 44 in the junior fleet. Racing commenced on Saturday in a brisk South-Easter, providing challenging conditions especially for the less experienced, some of whom came to the event to experience the normally calm conditions on Island Lake. There was a wry comment from a visitor from Port Elizabeth that George was taking over the title of Windy City!
With over 80 boats on the start-line for the first race, there was a marked decrease in the number of competitors for the subsequent races, brought about by equipment failure and exhaustion by those who struggled to recover from numerous capsizes. The rescue boats were kept busy towing boats back to shore. Three races were completed on Saturday. For Sunday, the forecast was for less wind, but this turned out to be incorrect - by the scheduled start time of 10:00 the South-Easter had filled in already. Three further races were completed in wind of 15 knots and gusts over 20 knots. At least the sun was shining, compared to the overcast conditions on Saturday. Racing was then called off to allow plenty of time for the visitors to load their boats and for the prize-giving formalities to be prepared.
In the races, the senior fleet started first, with the juniors starting five minutes later. The catamarans, led by the Dart 18 of Kobus van der Bank of Mossel Bay, soon extended a large lead over the rest of the fleet, followed by the Fireballs sailed by David Laing, Anthony Parker and Dudley Isaac. The rest of the fleet comprised mostly Lasers of the standard, radial and 4.7 variety as well a small fleet of five Sonnets. In the junior fleet, the Dabchicks of Chris Kennedy and Kirstie Gehrung were out in front, followed by the Tera Pros of Knysna's Aphendule Maneli and Sanele Maqgaza. Then came the mixed fleet of Optimists, Toppers and Tera Sports.
With results being calculated on inter-class handicap, in the senior fleet, the GLYC commodore David Laing with crew Mark Dee made a clean sweep of first places to win overall in the individual boat category. In second place was the Laser 4.7 sailed by Georgou Divaris followed by the Sonnet sailed by Frans and Jamie Loots of Port Elizabeth.
In the junior fleet: In first place was the Optimist sailed by GLYC's Matthew de Villiers. Second place went to the Dabchick sailed two-up by Kirstie Gehrung and Britney Marques. Third place was claimed by Sanele Maqgaza of Knysna, sailing a Tera Pro.
For the inter-club competition, the good results posted by the top GLYC sailors enabled George Lakes Yacht Club to claim both the senior and junior inter-club trophies.
GLYC extends its grateful thanks to the sponsors of this event - Lew Geffen/ Sothebys International Realty (George) and Raubenheimers Attorneys - as well as everybody who assisted in making the event the success it was - the race committee, rescue personnel, the galley staff and the scorers.
Junior sailors battle it out on Sunday, October 26. In the foreground are Aphendule Maneli and Sanele Maqgaza.
These GLYC youngsters, won the junior inter-club competition.
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