Tight win for Royal Natal Yacht Club
THE Lipton Challenge Cup concluded at Club Mykonos Resort in Langebaan at the weekend after 10 competitive sailing races that saw the Royal Natal Yacht Club (RNYC) emerge victorious for the 10th time in the race’s history.
The final race proved to be a nailbiter with positions changing regularly and only a single point separating the winning RNYC from defending champions, Witbank Yacht and Aquatic Club (WYAC), in second place and the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) in third place, with Aeolians Club fourth and Zeekoe Vlei Yacht Club fifth.
RCYC was in the lead until the final 8th leg of the race, where they took their chance, backed their tactician Pete Shaw to the hilt and went in search on the left course, in the same area that, two legs earlier, the Aeolians Club had sought.
“They looked good at times, as did the balance of the fleet, but as they all approached the finish line it was Aeolians Club that had the lead, and this was critical in determining the overall winner,” the RCYC said.
RCYC skipper Hylton Hale said that despite leading the previous races the Aeolians Club crossed the finish line first, winning the final race of the last event, followed by RNYC, WYAC, Zeekoe Vlei Yacht Club and then RCYC.
RNYC skipper Davey James will have his name engraved on the trophy for the first time as a winning skipper.
“The event was very tight. We were winning the event for nine races and we got to the final day with a point lead over (WYAC and RNYC),” said Hale. “All we had to do was win the last race and we would have claimed the Lipton Cup title. That’s sport, though, it has its ups and downs.”