what we want
This relatively easy downwind dash between Cape Town and Saldanha Bay some 65 n.miles up the west coast, pulls the biggest fleet of boats in South Africa each year, including a fleet of Hobie Tigers. It’s a downhill blast most of the way as the fleet runs with the Cape Doctor to the tranquil waters of the World heritage site of the Langebaan Lagoon and the local version of a transplanted Greek village – casino et al.
Race organisers set the fleet off (which numbered 107 boats this year) in four rolling starts by division from 08h30 and pulls the plug at midnight for the slower boats. The distance race is split into three sections with a gate boat just past the halfway mark.
The following day a 25 n.mile pursuit race is held in and around Saldanha Bay and Langebaan followed by a mother of a party, courtesy of generous sponsors. It’s a pretty cool event with some scantily clad girls passing cold champagne to finishers. Having the Silver Falcon aerobatic team overhead on arrival is not too shabby either.And the whole thing gets filmed for national TV. Organisers from Royal Cape Yacht Club and Club Mykonos got the entire event spot on. It’s interesting to note how some events work whilst others fade into obscurity. With this one, the race chairman, Hylton Hale, has the pragmatic approach and common sense to listen to what the sailors want. -Anarchist Trygve.
