It is with regret that the Mauritius to Durban Yacht Race scheduled to start on 4 September this year has been postponed for 12 months. In making this decision, the Flag Officers of both the Royal Natal Yacht Club and the Point Club, made it absolutely clear that they are committed to the event, and are passionate about seeing it come to fruition. The Grand Baie Yacht Club in Mauritius has also fully supported this decision and has agreed to make their facilities available to the race next year. The skippers of the 6 yachts which have entered have all, with one exception, fully supported the decision and pledged their support for the start in 12 months time. In making this difficult decision, the fact that an overall sponsor has not been found makes it very difficult to continue. Added to this is that when the decision was made there were just 6 entries. With just over three months to go to the start, those planning to go will begin making final plans and purchases. With this also a major consideration, the organisers have decided to act responsibly and make an early decision in terms of postponing the start. The current state of the economy, the Soccer World Cup, and other factors may all have been contributing factors. A massive effort was made in an attempt to attract a sponsor, and while there was some interest, a sponsor was not signed. A Sports Marketing Company has been engaged to sign a sponsor for the race, and even if this did happen within the next few weeks, the race organisers would not be able to deliver on all promotional opportunities in such a short time. As sponsors are the lifeblood of all sport, and the fact that they agree to sponsor events for commercial reasons, it is absolutely imperative to look after them in every aspect, and work tirelessly to ensure that they get the maximum 'bang for their bucks'. A new date will be set soon and a new Notice of Race will be published.
Richard Crockett