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Point Yacht Club and Royal Natal Yacht Club

Point Yacht Club and Royal Natal Yacht Club

Date: 2012-04-11
Vetch's Pier over the Freedom Day long weekend will be awash with white sails as top sailors nationwide head to Durban to compete in the Riverview Manor Freedom Day Regatta, featuring the 2012 SA Laser Nationals, hosted jointly by the Point and Royal Natal Yacht Clubs.

It has been over a decade since the high performance class of Lasers has been sailed competitively in the warm Indian Ocean off Durban. The class of Laser sailboats is the most popular international adult racing class and every Laser is identical. It is a single-handed Olympic Class boat and is a challenging boat that rewards athleticism, subtle helming and trimming techniques, as well as tactical excellence.

McNeill, the defending champion, will be polishing off his Olympic training offshore of Durban at the Nationals before heading off to Boltenhagen, Germany where he hopes to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.

"The wind in Durban in April is always fantastic and the sea is warm and inviting", commented Chairman for the event, Colin Schwegman. "We have all the Laser classes competing, the Standard, Radial and the more manageable 4.7. The interest we are getting for this event is evident with sailors travelling down from Pretoria to train on weekends, and sailors from different classes are even jumping on a Laser to compete."

Over 80 boats are expected to enjoy the Durban conditions during the regatta, with the organisers optimistic they will have record entries. The competitors in the 2012 SA Laser Nationals will be on hand to welcome the bigger keelboats competing in the International Vasco da Gama Ocean Race hosted by Royal Natal Yacht Club, Kwa-Zulu Natal's premier blue water sailing event.

Hitting the water, top sailors will be congregating on the beach site at Vetch's Beach to compete in the 2012 SA Laser Nationals offshore of Durban; Lasers, a swell boat to sail!

Controlling the main on his Laser, Umhlanga resident Robbie Goulden prepares to pull in his sail before rounding the marker in the recent offshore training held ahead of the 2012 SA Laser Nationals.