Magnificent Sailing Season Opening Cruise

The Port Elizabeth based Algoa Bay Yacht Club held their annual opening of the sailing season sailpast on Sunday 14 September 2014.

Hobie Beach swimmers and Shark Rock Pier strollers were presented with the pleasant sight of gaily decorated ocean going yachts, speedy sport boats and dinghies taking the salute from the President and Commodore of the ABYC just off of Shark Rock Pier at 1:00 pm.

The Windguru had predicted a warm, overcast day with a light East – perfect weather for a sailpast and even more perfect for a first time sail out of the Port of Port Elizabeth onto the big ocean by young dinghy sailors who had never done so before. As Sunday drew closer more and more youngsters put their hands up eager to sail on the big ocean.

On Sunday morning at 10h00 the ABYC carpark in the Port was already filling up and dinghy sails were visible.

Shepherded by three support boats manned by ABYC members, Ronnie Baer, John Tudehope, Gordon van Zyl and their eager crews the dinghy fleet began to leave the Port of Port Elizabeth at 11h00 – destination Shark Rock Pier and a couple of hours of fun coupled with a huge sense of achievement with the bonus of adequate heroic stories for the coming school week.

Gaily decorated yachts began leaving the moorings – Harry Lamprecht’s, Lady, must come in for special mention as she was expertly decorated with flags, flags and more flags.

The Algoa Bay Yacht Club were celebrating the start of what will be an awesome sailing season with two major high profile international events – the 505 World Championships and the Vasco Da Gamma Race – coming to Port Elizabeth in 2015. The 505 World Championships will bring an estimated 250 sailors to Port Elizabeth for two weeks. Close to 200 of those will be international sailors experiencing the warmth and hospitality of Nelson Mandela Bay and her citizens for the first time. The Vasco da Gamma race marks, for the next 3 years, the return of South Africa’s oldest ocean race to Port Elizabeth. Alogoa Bay is the destination for these ocean going yachts who will race from Durban to Port Elizabeth. After rounding the Bell Bouy the finish line will be an imaginary line drawn between the Southernmost tower of the Boardwalk Hotel and the flagpole on Shark Rock Pier. Members of the ABYC will man this point in order to record finishing times.

The President (Chris Grylls), Commodore (Alan Straton) and Special Guests – Nelson Mandela Bay Metroplolitan Municipality Councillor Marion Harning and Redhouse Yacht Club Commodore Andrew Martin – were whisked out to a point off of Shark Rock Pier by kind courtesy of Raggy Charters and Lloyd Edwards on the boat Winkle.

The boats began their sail from close to Bird Rock to pass in line astern of Winkle on the Shark Rock Pier side with ABYC Vice Commodore Sailing, Hennie Haasbroek leading on his magnificently restored RCOD, Sewen.

Eager young sailors stood up on their Optimists and Lasers, saluting the President and Commodore who acknowledged and welcomed them to the 2014/15 sailing season.

Huge soap bubbles floated on the surface, water balloons flew in the air and buckets of water were thrown to cool unsuspecting people down – laughter flowed on the air and the fleet made it’s merry way home to waiting braai fires, liquid libation and tall stories.

On this day, the 55th birthday of the Algoa Bay Yacht Club, every member was 55 – for some it was a revelation to feel so young and for others a consternation.

A packed ABYC Sailing Calendar starts on Sunday 21 September with the traditional Frostbite Pursuit Race.

Author: Alan Straton from ABYC.
More Info link: https://abyc.co.za/2014-sailpast/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ABYCpe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABYCpe
Images: For high res version/s of Two image/s please contact: ABYC.

SV Talisker sails past the ABYC Commodore Alan Straton and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Councillor Marion Harning at the 2014 ABYC sailpast on Sunday 14 September. Photo: Alan Straton

Wild Thing – a Pacer 27 took part in the ABYC 2014 Sailpast. At the helm is skipper and owner, Russel Morgan. Photo: Alan Straton

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