LION OF AFRICA LADIES RACE         results Over 135 intrepid women sailors ruled the waves in Table Bay last weekend as they battled for top honours in the annual Lion of Africa Ladies Race. The sponsor also used the event to make a donation of R15 000 to Girls and Boys Town Western Cape. With the wind conditions very varied, changing from near calm at the downwind start to over 25 knots of south-easter later and lots of kelp on the course, the women had their work cut out and by the end of the 10-miles course, most admitted to having had a thorough workout. Said Judy Provoyeur, who skippered the Farr 38 Hocus Pocus to win the spinnaker class: "We had nine girls on the boat, but there were jobs for everyone. We had gone out for a practise in the morning, and by the end of the afternoon we were exhausted." Hocus Pocus led from the start, but was challenged by the nippy Beneteau 7-metre Always Well at the second mark, and then later by the L34 Lapwing skippered by Jennifer Burger. When the wind came through at over 25 knots, this ruled out spinnakers, while the sea conditions were also quite rugged, so the racing was hard fought. In the non-spinnaker class Ukuzwana, a Laser 28 skippered byCarla Dyer held off the rest of the fleet. Said CEO of sponsors Lion of Africa Insurance, Fred Robertson: "Our company has a very definite policy of empowering women, so this is a very appropriate event for us. And it is also important to look at ways of helping youngsters." Fifteen of the youngsters were out in spectator boats on the bay.

more pictures by Pam Newby

Spinnaker     Start 14:30     SE, 18 Knots, flat sea
Sail # Class	Yacht Skipper	Club TCF	Finished	Elapsed	Corr.	Place
SA 1105 Farr38	Hocus Pocus   Judy Provoyeur	1.065	15 50 37	1 20 37	1 25 52	1
010 L34	Lapwing   Jennifer Burger	1.015	15 59 1	1 29 1	1 30 21	2
SA 3141 Beneteau 6.7	Always Well   Natalie Burls	1.01	16 1 29	1 31 29	1 32 24	3
018 L 34	Aquavit   Debbi Robertson-A	1.015	16 8 9	1 38 9	1 39 37	4
Non-spinnaker     Start 14:35     SE, 18 Knots, flat sea
Sail # Class	Yacht Skipper	Club TCF	Finished	Elapsed	Corr.	Place
SA 3082 Laser 28	Uku Zwana   Carla Dyer	0.97	15 30 48	0 55 48	0 54 8	1
SA555 Compass 47	Solitaire   Jenny King/Cathy Brown	1.01	15 30 39	0 55 39	0 56 13	2
SA893 Muira fold.	Chen   Ann Fletcher	0.935	15 35 30	1 0 30	0 56 34	3
SA 2418 H34	Celine III   Antje Hargah	0.97	15 35 2	1 0 2	0 58 14	4
H 2994 H34	Touchwood   Trish Monaghan	0.99	15 34 4	0 59 4	0 58 29	5
SA 382 Muira	Chiquita   Fiona Whitworth	0.935	15 41 8	1 6 8	1 1 50	6
SA 050 L26	Cape Recife   Johanna Mars	0.955	15 41 44	1 6 44	1 3 44	7
SA 223 Impact	Impact   Jaqui Brand	0.92	15 45 17	1 10 17	1 4 40	8
047 L34	Vortex   Kim Carter-Brown	1.015	R T D (popped main halyard shackle)