Lipton Challenge Cup 2013
The hunt is on for the Ola Lipton Challenge Cup, after the first race False Bay Yacht Club tops the leader board after an extremely intense day offshore of Durban.
With the auspicious sail number 007, the ‘double agents’ skippering Intasure FBYC Challenge, Andrea Giovannini and Markus Progli co-helming the False Bay Yacht Club’s entry, snatched the win sailing a determined race.
“It was awesome out there today,” beamed the helmsman Andrea Giovannini. “I think the level is very high this year.”
“I was nervous on the start, 30 seconds before the gun the wind shifted so we opted to go for the top of the start line, while the rest of the fleet were close to the Committee boat. It seemed like a good move but turned out to be the wrong choice” Giovannini stated.
“Once we were through the line, we settled down and got down to business” the helmsman said.
Rounding the first buoy there was congestion as everyone converged on the mark at the same time. Greg Davis sailing on RMS Harbour Lights for Royal Cape Yacht Club rounded first with local lad, Richard Weddell sailing on Choose Life Co-Ordination representing Point Yacht Club in second, followed closely by Intasure FBYC Challenge.
The positions didn’t change around the next pin. Intasure FBYC Challenge managed to sneak in the inside of Weddell at the bottom wing mark, moving up to second. “The boat was in a groove, we had good boat speed so took the opportunity.”
Markus Progli commented, “Once we had taken the Choose Life guys we then concentrated on chipping away at the lead Greg had on us.”
“Greg made one tactical mistake at the top of the course and we just hammered it,” a delighted Giovanni said.
For the remainder of the race, the top three positions remained the same. Orion B2G2 sailed magnificently, rounding the first mark in seventh position and concluded the day in fourth.
The conditions today were ideal for sailing, with a north easterly 15knot wind and big swells, tomorrow the conditions however look dire with no wind predicted.
Pix by Trevor Wilkins
Provisional Results
1 Intasure FBYC Challenge (FBYC Andrea Giovanni / Markus Progli) 2 RMS Harbour Lights (Royal Cape Yacht Club Greg Davis) 3 PYC Choose Life Co-Ordination (PYC Richard Weddel) 4 Orion B2G2 (RNYC Patrick Harris) 5 Southern Charter UCT Maverick (UCTYC Matthew Shaw / Neil Malan) 6 JML3 (HBYC Theo Yon) 7 DRBC Choose Life Lipton (DRBC Luke Wagner) 8 Hoplite (HMYC. Craig Millar) 9 Trader 24 (DYC Boland Sieraj Jacobs) 10 SLFC (DAC Trevor Donald) 11 Choose Life Lipton (ISC Siya Vato) 12 Bumbo (TYC Graham Baker) 13 Eikos Sail Africa (LDYC CJ Miln) 14 VLV Watersports Institute (VLC Shelee Nel) 15 Donna Mia… Always (DYC WP Dewet Nel) 16 Windways (Aeolians Phillip Bennett) 17 MCU@ZYC (ZYC Tyron de Jager) 18 Container World Challenge (GHSYC Michael Dickinson)
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