Round Robben Island Pursuit Race 17th October 2009

Course: No 10 (starboard), Robin Island (to port or starboard), No 10 port

Start of first boats 11h00,     Time limit 16h30

Race Report by Trygve Roberts		Results   &   Pictures
Hats off to Dr Dave Smith who once again did an excellent job of calculating handicaps for this year's race. The entire fleet finished within a 45 minute window. The two leading boats, Naledi (J120) and Regent Express (Pacer 27 Sport) had a breathtakingly close finish of less than half a boat length crossing the finish line together. The smaller boats set off at 11h00 with Table Bay looking resplendent under a cloud of colourful spinnakers as a steady procession of boats weaved their way northwards between several large ships anchored in the bay. This year the wind was fickle and difficult to read. Those that had chosen the middle route probably benefitted the most as they were able to carry spinnakers all the way to the northern tip of the island. Around the back of the island there was something of a traffic jam as the bulk of the fleet compressed for a while, fighting kelp and a very lumpy sea. This is where many places were lost and gained. The first batch of boats rounding the island clockwise made their appearance, but for the anti-clockwise rounders, the leading batch of boats near the lighthouse were AL, Cabaray, Ariel, Mighty Lemon Drop, Freedom and Regent Express. The south westerly breeze held for this group as positions gradually changed with the top three boats being AL, Freedom and Regent Express. About two miles from the finish Table Bay threw it's standard blanket of calm over that area adjacent to Table Bay bringing the leading boats to a complete halt. What followed was a long procession of boats that parked in the calm zone one by one. It was virtually like starting the race all over again. Up at the masthead, the Windex was spinning around in random arcs. Whilst this was happening the clockwise rounders were making steady progress up the bay into a light south easter. What appeared to be a big advantage for the anti-clockwise fleet was rapidly changing as they lay motionless in the grip of the calm zone. Regent Express picked up a light puff of wind and started moving. They managed to wriggle their way out of the calm zone and were the only boat to do so, by quickly getting a spinnaker up, they managed to cross the convergence zone into the south easter with a quick genoa hoist and spinnaker strike. They looked like they would win comfortably as they had opened up a big lead over the other competitors, but coming up from the clockwise fleet was Naledi, skippered by Robin van Rooyen with Manuel Mendes doing the trimming. The next 5 or 6 minutes would turn into a David and Goliath battle as the diminutive Pacer 27 took on the J120 in a tacking duel for first place. The Pacer crossed on starboard by 12 boat lengths and quickly tacked onto port to give the J120 dirty air, but the wily old foxes on Naledi were having none of it and soaked low for speed and room to tack, which they did, with Regent Express following suit. Again Naledi tacked away onto port to clear their air and this time Regent Express, realizing they did not have the J120's upwind speed, decided to let them go and continued on starboard, but they were a few lengths below the starboard layline to the No. 10 mark. Regent Express tacked back onto port just before the three length circle to the pin end and crossed Naledi, who were coming up fast on starboard (with Manuel doing a lot of shouting about water and such stuff). The Pacer tacked quickly back onto starboard as soon as they were clear, but Naledi had just enough gas to pip them right on the line. The finish was incredibly close. Thanks to Harken and Cape Town Sailing Academy who sponsored some wonderful prizes. This was another great race and very well run by the bridge crew. The weather of course, played the game as well.
		The full story, blow by blow by becalm

Place	Sail No	Class	Yacht	TCF	Time	Island to
1	SA2773	J120	Naledi	1.155	14h35.39	starboard
2	17	Pacer 17S OD 1.7	Regent Express	1.080	14h35.44	port
3	SA 3800	Pacer 42R	Puma Unleashed	1.265	14h37.50
4	SA 630	Farr 38 mod	A-L	1.090	14h38.2	port
5	SA4444	ILC 40	Gumption	1.270	14h39.25
6	SA3455	Bavaria 36 #3 headsail	Mafuta	0.990	14h39.42	starboard
7	SA 2700	IMX 40	Lobelia	1.145	14h39.50
8	SA4242	Fast 42	Tenacity	1.175	14h40.21
9	US43434	Swede 55	Spilhaus III	1.110	14h41.26
10	SA2388	Leisure 42	8 Seconds	1.155	14h41.50
11	SA1178	Lightwave 395	Touch & Go	1.080	14h42.46
12	FRA 34635	A 35 Archambault	Addis in Cape Restaurant	1.105	14h42.45
13	SA250	Farr 38 #3 headsail	Freedom	1.070	14h43.6	port
14	SA1105	Farr 38 #3 headsail	Benba	1.070	14h43.39
15	SA898	Farr 38 #3 headsail	ME2ME	1.070	14h44.20
16	SA344	Fast 42	Maestro	1.150	14h44.20
17	SA 198	J 27	Hill Billy	0.995	14h44.55
18	SA 675	Farr 40	Majimoto II	1.130	14h45.44
19	SA 3740	Comfortina 39 No1 headsail	Celine IV	1.050	14h46.8
20	Sa667	Charger 33	Sea Shuttle	0.985	14h46.50
21	011	L 34	Tally Ho	1.015	14h47.30
22	SA723	First Class 10	Flyer	1.020	14h47.54
23	SA 2018	Stadt 34 Steel hull mod	Cabaray	0.940	14h48.34	port
24	SA 190	J 27	Pure Magic	0.995	14h48.47
25	SA 978	Atlantis 49	Aurora	1.080	14h48.0
26	SA 42	L 34	Sea Minor	1.015	14h52.28
27	13	RCOD	Ariel	0.925	14h52.47	port
28	SA 702	Charger 33	FTI Flyer	0.985	14h54.27
29	SA2360	Atlats 36	saoirse	0.930	14h54.30
30	SA569	Spirit 28 Mod (bigger headsail)	Gremlin	0.910	14h56.22
31	SA130	Miura	Apricot	0.935	14h58.52
32	1	Ocean 31	Orca	0.970	14h59.10
33	SA2118	Fortuna 37	Thalassa	0.935	15h00.05
34	SA 1967	Ocean 31	Storm	0.950	15h00.41
35	SA 941	L34	Morgenster	1.015	15h00.48
36	SA 597	L mini ton	Mighty Lemon Drop	0.880	15h01.35	port
37	SA432	Miura	Bandit	0.935	15h02.10
38	SA1692	Simonis 64	Doughty	1.420	15h03.14
39	?	Miura	Ava	0.935	15h03.47
40	SA1245	Simonis 35 (wheel version)	Pallucci	1.080	15h08.24
41	SA742	L 36	Goblet	0.950	15h13.00

It would be interesting to know which way everyone chose to round Robben Island. I took the entries above from Trygve's article. Please help us complete this by informing the Sailing Office which direction YOU chose to take. Thanks, Pam (webmaster).

Pictures from Kirsten Veenstra

 

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