The Finn Winter Challenge at Pretoria Sailing Club: On the eve of the annual Finn Winter Challenge, the biggest cold front of the season rolled over the Highveld, and Rietvlei’s normally balmy temperatures and light to medium winds were replaced with something completely different. The initial 35 knot Berg Wind blew itself out on Friday night, and by Saturday morning a very cold and blustery 12-18 knot south-wester had set in for the start of the regatta. Some of the gusts came barrelling down the southern hills and others whistled over the dam wall, combining to form rotating pockets of air that tracked across the water, randomly picking out individual boats as they fought their way around the course. The skill levels of the sailors were severely tested, some making spectacular gains and others suffering equally spectacular capsizes and broaches. The water was cold, the wind was freezing, and there were a good number of DNF’s (“did not finish”) among the results on the first day. Four back-to-back, windward-leeward races were sailed on Saturday morning, with two more in the afternoon. Last year’s winner of the Winter Challenge, Tim Addison, was eventually caught by one of the rogue gusts while approaching the leeward mark. When the dust had settled, “Black Cat” was left upside down, together with several other unfortunate boats. This resulted in a costly DNF, as well as a DNC in the following race, and put paid to any remaining chance of defending the title. Sunday was milder, and a rather fluky (but still gusty) westerly breeze arrived in time for two more races. The puffs of wind divided themselves between the northern and southern shores, forcing everyone to make brave strategic decisions on every leg. Normal defensive tactics were out of the question, and dramatic changes in positions occurred during both races. Nineteen Finns entered the regatta, which was an excellent turnout in the harsh conditions. In more benign weather the number may have been as high as twenty five. In spite of the challenging and variable conditions, several individuals stood out and performed consistently well: • Randolph Verheij had an amazing regatta; he never seemed to be threatened by the unpredictable gusts, and was nearly always in a position to exploit the big wind-shifts. He won seven of the eight races, and is the hugely deserving winner of Finn Winter Challenge Trophy for 2013. • Andreas Bohnsack sailed in the recent World Masters Championship in France, and his heavy weather experience was evident, especially on Saturday. On Sunday he also managed some reasonable results in the very shifty conditions, and he ended up in a well-earned second place. • Robin Greaves also sailed in the World Masters, and was always in contention. Time after time, like a ghost ship, Finn number 5 would appear among the leaders, on the edge of a wind shift that nobody else had spotted. This was super sailing by a Finn "Legend", and an excellent third place. • Paul den Boer is relatively inexperienced in Finns, but knows how to sail in heavier conditions. He finished well above par, and won the Handicap prize by a comfortable margin. • Rob Scott and Eric Quarmby are more suited to lighter conditions, but they both put in brave performances, with good results in several races. • Jeremy Coutts has been improving by leaps and bounds, and managed to threaten the leaders on more than one occasion in his somewhat battered “Classic” Finn. The weather on Saturday may have been a bit extreme for some, but the regatta was well-organised, the food was excellent and the company was even better.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 07:29:14 +0000
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