Southern Charter Classic finale hosted in Hermanus
The final leg of the prestigious Southern Charter Classic took place at the Hermanus Yacht Club over the weekend of 9 – 10 February and drew a large entry of boats from the Western Cape.
A total of 101 boats were entered in the different classes which included Sonnet, Lazer, 420, Optimist, RS Tera Sport, Hobie and Mirror.
Southern Charter Wealth Management has been the title sponsor for the past seven years and the sport of sailing is synonymous with the ethos of the company, embracing the necessity of teamwork, consistent performance and managing risk. The father and son team, Mark and Sebastian Thompson are at the helm of Southern Charter’s involvement. Mark is the founder and owner of Southern Charter, while Sebastian has the responsibility for organising and marketing the event via his company, Get Outside.
The Hermanus regatta was the finale in a series of three, with the previous events held at Zeekoevlei Yacht Club and Theewaterskloof Sports Club. A total of 134 ‘yachties’ sailed in various classes, with fierce competition from many accomplished sailors. Unfortunately, the weather was not ideal for sailing due to light winds over the weekend.
Sunny skies and a light wind prevailed on Saturday but Sunday brought some light rain and virtually no wind, curtailing the competition. This did not prevent these sailors from enjoying the camaraderie and hospitality provided by our yacht club.
Among the category winners were:
Sonnet: Rick and Helen Nankin
Lazer – 4 .7: Tristan Tomlinson
Lazer – Radial: Sarah-Jane Beary
Lazer – Standard: Alistair Keypel
420: Matt Ashwell (Rivaldo, crew)
Optimist: Sean Kavanagh
RS Tera Sport: Oliver Holden
RS Tera Pro: Rhys Whitfield
Mirror: Heinie Wentzel (Sisseko & Mtsheofenie, crew)
Hobie 16: Duncan and Gabriela Ross
Well done to the Hermanus Yacht Club and the many volunteers who ensured the success of the regatta and the reputation of our yacht club as a favourite destination for the yachting fraternity.