AUGUST 2022

Thankfully we’re on the downward run towards spring and all that sunshine & sailing!

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The 63rd Annual General Meeting 11th & 12th June 2022. 

The weekend was back to the traditional format of Caravan and Boat Owners’ meetings on Saturday afternoon followed by the AGM dinner and prize giving that evening.  The various reports tabled during Sunday’s AGM were upbeat and the
proposed changes to the Constitution were approved. Members can and should familiarise themselves with the contents of the Constitution and By-Laws both of which are on the website:

https://www.ldyc.co.za/about-us

The management committee elected thereafter for the most part remains unchanged. Yolande Engelbrecht has taken up the banner for Transformation Officer and Anthony Engelbrecht has become an Alternate Trustee.

 

2022 Marriot Investment Managers J/22 World Championship July 3-8

LDYC was proudly represented on the offshore waters by 3 entries who schlepped kit and crew to Durban’s Point Yacht Club.
We supported each team with a donation of R4,000 towards costs incurred.

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The competition amongst the 24-strong fleet was fierce and our entrants acquitted themselves well – overall BATTLE AXE III placed 4th
narrowly missing the bronze by 2 points, Joint J secured 8th spot and J’Ysuis 22nd.

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Battle Axe III – Skipper
Richard Weiderhold’s (M)
crew (L)Greg Plunkett
(R)Dylan Emmet

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Joint J – Skipper Rob
Edwards (R) & crew
Marco Seitz (L) &

Marc Hiles (M)

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J’Y Suis Skipper Brent Haddock
(M) crew Nikki Haddock (R) &

Andrew Connold (L)

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Scout Big Gig Race Camp 29 – 31 July

LDYC hosted several scout groups for their valiant annual overnight row from Villiers to LDYC. Intrepid members from the Eastleigh, Benoni, Kibler Park, 22nd Pretoria, Kensington, Florida Lake and Victory View Scout Groups and a Sea Kadets contingent participated. 79 Scouts and 24 Sea Cadets braved the endurance row in 15 rowing boats known as “gigs”, which have 6 rowers and a cox per craft. The Juniors (11 to 14 years) began their lengthy 45 km course at 23h00 followed by the seniors (15 to 18 years) at midnight on Friday 29th July on their staggering 90 km route.

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LDYC member Peter Sequeira Troop Scouter, Scout Group Leader and organiser of this event recalls, “A bunch of us young scouts started this big row about 44 years ago and it has continued annually - apart from 2 years during COVID - on various Vaal dam and river courses. I vividly remember our first event at LDYC in 1977 organised by Neil Hamilton’s dad, member Bob Hamilton.”

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Parents and supporters happily camped on our grounds through the weekend. Benoni Sea Scouts took both 1st junior team and 1st senior gig. Eastleigh won 2nd junior gig in. The winning senior team arrived at about 8:30 pm on Saturday evening and the first junior team reached home at 08.30 on Saturday morning. The last gig came in at about 15.30 on Sunday afternoon.

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These guys did the first Powerboat Polar Bear Fun Run from Villiers back to LDYC on Saturday 30th. Initial early morning drizzle cleared up into intermittent spits during the 107 kilometer route back, which took approximately seven hours. The fellas took a time and course detour to help a scout gig get back on track.

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Accompanied by Luke Quinn and son Robert organiser Michael Doubell elaborated, “ Our first nasty surprise was a gill net snagged around our prop. This fishing method is illegal and we spotted other floaters on the way back which we disabled. The scenery along the way is good for the soul!” This recce trip was a worthwhile exercise which fellow power boaters are keen to join. A date will be advised once the logistics of shuttling boats, drivers and securing permission to leave cars and trailers at the water drop-in site are ironed out.

 

Safety First – Always.

Three LDYC staff joined by Leon Ferreira from Pretoria Sailing Club learned essential safety boat handling skills and procedures in the two-day SA Sailing accredited Safety Boat Course. 

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Run by our very own Anthony Engelbrecht, one of four national instructors, the group successfully completed the practical and written test components.

Anthony summed up, “Even though the water is our leisure playground, it is potentially a dangerous space where accidents can and do happen.”

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“The aim of the course is to build the skills of our volunteers, to assist sailors and the boating community at large, during SA Sailing accredited events and in general at our clubs every day. Prevention is better than cure, and hence these courses are an investment in everyone.”

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La Voile restaurant is in full swing

Managed by Juan-Marie Botha, their mantra is good food reasonably priced, served quickly and efficiently.

View the menu on the website.

Info and Orders: 064 881 6747

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LDYC’S EMAIL HAS CHANGED to : office@ldyc.co.za

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SEPTEMBER 2021

Spring has sprung,

the grass has rizz,

I wonder where da boydies iz?

Da boids is on da wing,

But dat's absoid;

Da wing is surely on da boid!

 - Damon Runyon

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Greetings LDYC!

Another Covid-19 winter of discontent began to lift and lighten from the Women’s Day long weekend in early August. Members cautiously emerged to enjoy the gentle weather. 

Some sailing souls raced in the “NR Combined Keelboat Provincial Championships” hosted by DAC which scored results from 38 competitors.

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Big John 25 Hour Endurance Race

Online platforms then began to buzz with info and eloquent enticements from Heather Opperman & Co to sign up for the Big John 25 hour endurance race, 21st - 22nd August. The sailing challenge was launched in 2017 to honour Jake Opperman’s dad John Coetzee, who fought a brutal war with cancer for 25 years. Funds raised are donated to the @Peace Care Centre for terminally ill cancer patients. LDYC has officially adopted the  event which is believed to be the longest time lapse race in the southern hemisphere.

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Our Rear Commodore Nigel Beckett and Commodore Luke Quinn hitched a berth on Altantis 36 “Sillago”, with Trustee Rodney (Skipper) and Sharron Beresford.

Nigel recounted the experience, “On race day the fleet bobbed slowly across the  10h00 start line. The early afternoon breeze steadily escalated to a 20 knot blaster gusting 31 knots. After hours of hanging on and fighting through, the wind went away just after a spectacular sunset. We settled in expecting a chilly but slow and steady night sail. Just after 02h00 the heavens ignited. We battened down and sailed through bolts of lightning and thunder, howling wind and sheets of rain. Come early morning much appreciated coffee arrived. And then the wind evaporated.” Twenty-three of the twenty-six starters limped across the 11h00 finish line.

That afternoon’s prize giving at LDYC  proved a complaint yet spirited affair. The American Auction of donated stuff netted a whopping R10,000. Funds raised in previous years roughly totaled R60,000. This year donors – corporate, private,  competitors, club members -  came from a variety of sources but were all incredibly generous; the total is a whopping R47,420.28!

Big John25 Buffs in white and black are selling from LDYC’s office.

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MAY 2021

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Greetings LDYC!

Four months and counting into 2021, the club is weathering the global epidemic pretty well. With judicious date juggling most sailing fixtures have been held including the Round the Island Regatta and prize giving in March . So life at LDYC is the same only different!

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Member.making a difference.

LDYC has been built on the foundation of members stepping up to help in the running of the club and contributing in a variety of other ways.

In January Wendy Doubell took on the challenge of Transformation Officer. More recently Lynne Baines offered to step up as Entertainment Officer; her first project will be the upcoming annual AGM Dinner and Prize giving function.

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Nominations are open for MANCOM and other committee posts to be ratified at the AGM in June. We appeal to members to follow these examples and volunteer. Watch your mailbox or contact the office.    

                                                                                                   

Members constantly identify needs they can meet and thanks are extended for enlightening solutions so far in 2021.

• Adam Scott and Mike Pelser have donated solar lights for the walk on moorings

• Terry Parker has supplied and installed  sorely needed additional lighting in the clubhouse.

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All the action was on the water in LDYC's Round the Island Regatta 2021.

Originally scheduled in early February 2021, our 63’ d annual Round the Island Raœ Regatta was successfully raœd from 12 to 14 March.

 

The regatta comprised raœs on Friday and Saturday afternoons, cu!minating in the Round the Island raœ itself on Sunday. Traditionally it's a sizable gathering of enthusiasts and supporters sailing and socialising; it's the funest yachting raœ of the year with a core of ferociously competitive sailors. This unique fixture on the national sailing calendar still holds its Guinness World Reord TM for “The most yachts to finish an in!and yacht raœ (389) awarded in 2007.

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The racing kicked off on Friday afternoon with the Commodore's Cup. Skippered by Tony Norris, Cape 31 "TNT" won 1" p!aœ in the 28-sFoot fleet of finishers. The team gamely towed their spectacu!ar boat all the way up from Theewater Sport Club (TSC) in the Western Cape. This re!atively new Cape Town built 31 foot sport boat class !aunched in 2017 and notched another first by competing in, and ultimately winning the Round the Island Raœ.

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Saturday's Tune Up Sprints got the sailing juiœs flowing after months of lockdown inactivity for many competitors.  LDYC's Rear Commodore Anthony Engelbrecht remarked, “We had no idea how many entries to expect and were greatly heartened by the final number. Sailors may be tetchy and independent but are fierœly loyal and supportive of their sport. ”  Sunday dawned clear and challengingly quiet. For many of the 142 registered entries the raœ marked the first time back on the water in over a year. The raœ commenœd with 2 separate starts to offer the faster boats (ultra Class) clean wind and water. This group went over at 08h00 in a gentle north easterly followed by the rest of the fleet at 08h20.

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A northerly wind lifted across the dam for the front runners at Mistral point ahead of the south rounding of the Island. As often experienœd, the wind dropped off at the back of the island. The leading boats headed off to the north western shoreline hoping to pick up the promising north-easterly breeze they had spotted which proved to be about 7 knots; the best speed of the day thus far.  Three boats led the approach and rounding of the top of the island - Mark Hammick on Seacart “Bog Monster”, and Nacra F20’s "Girard Racing” sailed by Charles Girard and "Flipping Fast" raœd by Jonathan Crawford and Brian Lion-Cachet.  A jibing raœ ensued, maintained by the same north-easterly all the way back to the finish line but died off shortly thereafter rep!aœd by a low level easterly for the following fleet.

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Jonathan Crawford and Brian Lion-Cachet grabbed Line Honours for the 4th time on their Nacra 20 "Flipping Fast". The duo has a!so won 2 raœ titles.

Special thanks to Ronny Gurnell from TYC for a smartly run bridge and NSRI for running emergency rescue serv iœs.  Overall LDYC Round the Island Raœ Results Line Honours Nacra F20 "Flipping Fast" Jonathan Crawford LDYC; 1st Cape 31 ’TNT" Tony Norris Theewater Sports Club (TSC); 2nd Viper "Antidote” Nevan Lucas (LDYC); 3r d Seacart “8og Monster” Marc Hammick (LDYC)

 

Our Commodore Luke Quinn summed up the sailing weekend, “We aptly themed our 2021 regatta “All the action's on the water”. In diligent response to prevailing legis!ation we restricted entry to the club grounds and implemented complianœ with all protoco!s. Although this was undoubtedly and  memorable as ever.                   

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August 2019

 

SA Team hoists our flag in Viper 640 World Championships  - California here we come

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Three Gauteng-based sailing teams with a total crew complement of nine have set their sights on the country’s first participation in the 2nd international Viper 640 World Championships later this month. The event will be hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) in Long Beach, California from 17th to 24th August 2019. Of the 49 International entries thus far, South Africa ranks third after the USA and Canada in the number of national crews represented. The team’s sailors are all members of local inland club Lake Deneys Yacht Club (LDYC) located on the shores of the Vaal Dam. Established in 1958, the club is the region’s largest in size, facilities and membership.

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LDYC’s Commodore Luke Quinn elaborated, “Vipers are the new kids on the South African sailing block; all the country’s four craft were imported during 2018 and are based at our club, LDYC on the Vaal Dam. In spite of public perceptions, we inland sailors regularly participate in Durban and Cape Town-based offshore sailing regattas and often give our coastal competitors a good run for their money.” The international Viper 640 fleet numbers about 300 and is growing rapidly. Of all the single hulled keelboats raced in this country, relatively few are classified as sport boats. The Viper joins the ranks of the Thompson 27, Melges 24 and Pacer 27’s.

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