2010 Pacer Nationals & Mykonos Offshore
Race Reports
The idea to run the 2010 nationals piggy backing onto a major Cape event was the brainchild of Phillip Rentschler, a long serving crew member on Regent Express. The idea was bounced around amongst the crews at DAC during the 2009 Nationals and seemed to find favour with everyone. The brief was to squeeze the nationals into a three day regatta by adding one day of cans racing ahead of the Mykonos Offshore allowing the tandem regattas to finish simultaneously on the Saturday afternoon. An additional emergency day was tagged on after the event, just in case more races were needed. The advantages of running the nationals within the Mykonos Offshore, were many – not least of which was that the Pacers could also compete for places and prizes in the Mykonos event. As things turned out, the competitive level amongst the Pacers was so high, that four of them went on to clean up the top four places in the Mykonos event.
- Blasting away – Unruly in centre and Regent to the right.
CAPE TOWN SAILING WEEK 2010
Race Reports
In it’s second year, the amalgamation of the old Table Bay Sailing Week and the Admirals Regatta, has gained some impressive sponsorship, adding attractive cash prizes for competitors as well as TV coverage. This year the format was changed to span two weekends of which the first was a long weekend. This might be the reason for lower entries this year and perhaps the event should revert back to being sailed over a single weekend.
With some gleaming new Mercedes-Benz cars on display on the quayside outside RCYC the competitors set to preparing their boats for the first race on Saturday 20th March, in perfectly windless conditions, resulting in a one hour postponement. Closer to lunchtime, a light westerly set in of around 7 knots, allowing race officer, Doug Alison, to set a good length course.
PACER 27 National Championships - 24 to 27 September, 2009 – Deneysville Aquatic Club, Vaal Dam, OFS.
Race Reports
Report by Trygve Roberts
Seriously close one design racing is what this event was all about. Despite the fairly small entry of six boats, those that were on the water enjoyed outstanding close quarters racing with many of the races seeing four Pacers finishing within 30 seconds of each other.
Felix the cat out in front in Race 1
Ant Wentworth’s ‘Felix the Cat’ ended up as the overall winners, notwithstanding the top four boats all finishing on 10 points each for a four way tie.
Second placed ‘Regent Express‘ ended with an identical scoreline to ‘Felix the cat’ where the tie was broken on the better position in the final race – the very race where ‘Regent Express‘ skippered by Trygve Roberts had a halyard break and sent them plummeting from a possible 1st place right down to last in the final race. They jury rigged a second halyard and fought back to finish 4th in the final race, but it was one point too little for the overall win.
Finishing 3rd overall was Andrea Giovaninni on ‘Pacer 3‘ fresh from a similar podium finish in the Lipton Cup. He said after the event he could not believe how competitive the Pacer fleet was and had underestimated the quality of the racing.
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