SA dinghy sailors break 25-year-old record

Cape Town – Despite capsizing and breakages, a team of South African dinghy sailors managed to cruise their way to breaking a long-standing sailing record at the Milnerton Aquatic Club (MAC) 24-Hour Challenge.

Completing 222 laps and 255.3km, the Red Baron team which consists of eight dinghy sailors, headed by Axel Adelbert and Mark Mcleod, set a new record for the longest distance sailed in a two-man sailing dinghy in a 24-hour race, since the West Lancashire Yacht Club’s (WLYC) 253.13km record in 1998.

South African sailing dinghy Instructor Axel Adelbert said that the game plan was simply to make the boat go as fast as possible with the hopes of no breakages and injury to the crew.

“When assembling the team, we did not know what weather to expect, and on the day we were confronted with strong winds. We were not really suited to these conditions as ours was a light-weight crew, so we were disadvantaged from the start.

“The old guns did not have the stamina to sustain these conditions, so it was up to the young sailors to make it happen. If it were not for them, we would never have broken the world record.

"The record had been standing for so long, it seemed elusive that it would ever be beaten. Towards the end of the 24 hours, when we realised we could do it, we were elated. It proved that it could be done even with an aged boat.

“The key ingredient to making it happen was exceptional team spirit, even in difficult circumstances," said Adelbert.

With team members from Simon's Town to Dunoon, instructor Mark McLeod noted that this year's tournament was extremely remarkable since the team of young and enthusiastic people persevered despite the difficulties.

“We had an amazing team of young and passionate individuals. The conditions were not in our favour at times, but the team persisted. There were multiple capsizes and several breakages on the boat, but together as a team, we stayed optimistic and determined to finish.

“Breaking the world record was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in the sport as it was completed in South African waters by a team of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

“It was a privilege and an honour to sail in a team that persevered through this difficult event with such positive attitudes and enthusiasm for the sport.We will be back next year and for many years to come," said McLeod.

Mark Algra, from the Milnerton Aquatic Club 24-Hour Challenge, said: “SA has been trying for 25 years to break the record and given that the team had a crew that managed the challenges they faced during the contest quite well, the achievement was fitting.

"SA have been trying for 25 years to break this elusive record. This is a big deal. In the UK's West Lancashire Yacht Clubs 24 Hour Race, which was started in 1967 and sailed annually, they attract up to 85 teams/boats competing.

“So with 12 or more sailors in their teams, you have the very best competing in the UK. I think a lot of the sailors at the MAC 24 Hour-especially the older veteran MAC 24 HR sailors-have been wondering if we could ever do it. So it is a great achievement and very good for the event and SA sailing going forward.

"This is a inspiring story – it motivates young sailors and will help them realise that we are good enough in South Africa to break records. The team on Red Baron have shown that if you prepare your boat properly, manage your crew, and stay focused, you can break records.

“This is a big win for SA sailing. We have a reputation as a country with good sailors and this confirms that.

"During the event, a fitting ripped out, so they needed a pit stop with all the team working flat out to fix it and get the boat back sailing. They chose a young team of very fit and competent sailors who are also very good dinghy sailors.

“Sailors normally sail for two hours and then swop, so team selection and crew weights are very important when getting a team together,” said Algra.

He went on to say that as sailing is a sport a person can partake in throughout their life, there are many facets to it, on and off the water, that can teach young sailors on how to have an inquiring mind.

“Whether it’s about how to set sails properly or the best way to rig a boat quickly, young people with a slight mechanical or technical bent will enjoy sailing as there are lots of fittings and systems.

"Sailing offers young people an opportunity to get out onto the water and experience something quite unique. For the young and adventurous, what better way to see the world than by sailing a yacht?

“Sailors have a good reputation overseas on charter yachts, and given that, my advice to the youth would be to try it out. Sailing is a very social sport-on and off the water-and there is a great sense of camaraderie amongst sailors," said Algra.

Weekend Argus