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The 2022 Gordon’s Bay Yacht Club (GBYC) racing calendar wrapped up in December, with the annual closing cruise and prize giving held on 4 December.
Nico van Wieringen, on his L26 Go Dutch, laid claim to the Club Championship for the second year running, also scooping up trophies for most line honours and most wins on handicap.
The year was, however, far more competitive than 2021, with victories being scored by the L26 Equation (Richard and Edmund Tough), the L20 Time Out (Philippe Pringiers), and the Stadt 34 Seaboard (Paul Tanner).
Time Out took second overall in the championship, and mounted a strong campaign against Go Dutch. It was a stellar year for Pringiers and the small L20, taking the Autumn Series and the Ladies Helm Trophy. He was also the overall winner of the 3D Cooling GBYC Gaul Regatta, the most prestigious event hosted by GBYC. All of this was in spite of a mid-year handicap adjustment.
Third place overall was a bit of a surprise, going to the Holiday 23 Zia after a year-long single-handing campaign by skipper Barry Ross. He pipped Equation thanks to a second place in the Autumn Series. The top five was rounded out by the Flamenca Shifta, skippered by Tony Reynolds in his first season of racing.
Next year should prove interesting for competitive sailing at GBYC. Equation has been sold and will be moving to Langebaan, while the Tough family will instead campaign the Caribbea 30 cruiser Plain Sailing. The well-known L26 Blue Tango II, which used to run in DHL colours, has also changed hands and is undergoing restoration. The historic Lipton Challenge and Quarter Tonner World Cup winner Royal Flush is also set to race under new owner Denis Cochrane, and is likely to be in hot competition with the ever-improving crew of the Magic Bus quarter-tonner Pure Magic, under the command of Kevin Black.
The year-end prizegiving also saw other prizes being given out. The Most Improved Sailor Trophy went to Tony Reynolds, skipper of Shifta. The Woman Sailor of the Year award went to GBYC Commodore Jana Loubser, on the strength of her Stadt 23 Western Cape Championship campaign.
The Junior Sailor of the Year award went to Edmund Tough, not only for his efforts on Equation, but also for being part of a division-winning crew on the Mount Gay 30 Gigi at the FBYC Intasure Spring Regatta, and excellent performances on 420 and Laser dinghies. The Safety Trophy went to Gys Liebenberg aboard Old Brown. The Committee Cup was awarded to Carol Ferguson for her services to the Club over the past year.
GBYC is open to hosting sailing crew, who can contact sailing officer Ken Newton on 082 321 3100. For more information on membership at GBYC, contact manager Eleonore Bondesio at 021 856 3263, or email gbyc@gbyc.co.za.
