And then there were three for intrepid race
Inhaca crews anxiously watch the weather warnings
ONLY five yachts had entered the 30th instalment of the Inhaca Island to Richards Bay race, and already that number has dwindled to three.
Apart from the two withdrawals, weather and sea conditions in the wake of the storms of the past week are also playing havoc with organisational planning.
The race was scheduled to start at 10am on Friday, with boats expected to arrive at the Zululand Yacht Club by late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning.
However, due to the weather forecast predicting a 40-50 knot southwesterly wind on Friday, the race start might move forward to 6am today (Thursday), so that the fleet can reach Richards Bay without having to beat into the southerly wind for too long.
A decision would have been taken at the skippers’ briefing on Wednesday night, which would have been followed by the traditional seafood banquet and entertainment send-off party at Ristorante Lucas.
The original boat entries were:
Alkistis (Point Yacht Club) - skipper Greg Donkin
Amber I (ZYC) - skipper Angela Harding
CFM II (Point Yacht Club) - skipper Nigel Milln
Seascape (ZYC) - skipper Robin Lavery
Watamu – (ZYC) - skipper Marius Potgieter
However, Watamu was on her way back from Inhaca on Wednesday after suffering drive shaft problems and wishing to avoid the heavy weather that is forecast.
Robin Lavery of Seascape has decided to stay on the island for another week and take a leisurely sail back next Thursday.
Prize-giving is scheduled for 6pm on Sunday at the Zululand Yacht Club.
The race, which was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the Covid pandemic, is a gruelling test of endurance, offering sailors 220 nautical miles of open ocean race for both racing and cruising yachts.
The route runs from the Inhaca lighthouse to the entrance of the Richards Bay harbour and the current record for fastest passage is under 24 hours.