What a tough day’s sailing today (Saturday) when two races were completed in shifting oscillating winds with speeds in a range from about 5 knots to 16 knots and narrow passing lanes.
But mastering the conditions with aplomb was the Royal Natal Yacht Club team who won both races today, beating the overnight event leaders, Walvis Bay Yacht Club, by 30 seconds in the first race and 38 seconds in the second race. It was that close with both teams duelling it out, and swopping positions, just to have a hard-earned place-gain snatched back after a brilliant decision by the tactician, or a lucky shift. This was racing at it’s best.
The Walvis Bay team simply could not convert their winning advantages into victories, leaving those for the Royal Natal team to scoop up with alacrity and bank as “bullets” when the winning guns sounded.
Despite infringing a rule at the start of the second race of the day the Walvis Bay team took their penalties and instead of admitting defeat took off in pursuit of their prey and caught them at the windward mark on the second round to take the lead. Sadly for them this was short-lived as the Royal Natal team fought back even harder and snatched their winning position back.
It was a long, hard day on the water for everyone.
Going into the final day tomorrow (Sunday) The Royal Natal Yacht Club has the overall regatta lead by just a single point, but rest assured that the Walvis Bay team will fight them all the way to the finish line with a serious challenge to win the Lipton Cup for their Club for the very first time in history.
Richard Crockett
