The 60th annual ‘LDYC Round the Island’ Race sets sights on smashing their Guinness World RecordTM!
The 60th annual ‘LDYC Round the Island’ Race
DENEYSVILLE. – Calling all sailors to make South African sailing history. To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the Round the Island Race, Lake Deneys Yacht Club (LDYC) plans to challenge and break their international Guinness World RecordTM awarded in 2007, when 389 boats crossed the finish line. The renowned annual sailing event will take place from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th February 2018.
Commodore Luke Quinn laid out the event’s objectives, ‘Our diamond jubilee event is twofold –to pull out all the stops to break our world record while we actively support the ongoing environmental war against water pollution.’
‘A percentage from every 60th ‘LDYC Round the Island Race 2018 ‘entry will be donated to SAVE (Save our Vaal Environment); Vanessa Remmington, the club’s PRO elaborated. ’This environmental watchdog is passionately committed to preventing local authorities from polluting and poisoning the Vaal’s waterways from the Vaal Dam down to Parys. It’s a cause very close to our sailing and environmental hearts.’
It’s not only guts and glory
The weekend regatta promises a jam-packed series of races culminating in the 60th ‘LDYC Round the Island Race’ on Sunday. There will be cash prizes totalling R30, 000 across several categories and over 65 trophies to be won. The overall weekend regatta prizes remain. Friday to Sunday LDYC Round the Island Regatta Weekend – 1st Overall Regatta Winner R5, 000, 2nd Overall Regatta Winner R3, 000 and 3rd Overall Regatta Winner R2, 000.
Sunday’s ‘LDYC 60th Round the Island Race 2018 ‘overall winner on handicap will net R5, 000.
Last year’s format change with an optional course for dinghies in the shorter ‘Beat to Beacon Island’ was well supported and will be repeated. Rear Commodore Anthony Engelbrecht expounds on the thinking, ‘The racing committee believed that the dwindling dinghy fleet has been at least partly due to the relatively daunting length of the Round the Island course. By setting a shorter and different course for dinghies we attracted a larger class participation on which we hope to build in 2018. This ‘race within a race’ will again foster a highly competitive spirit among this dedicated class.’ Dinghy participation will not be without its rewards. LDYC will again put trophies and cash prizes on the table; 1st Across the line R3, 000, 1st Overall on handicap R3, 000, 2nd Overall on handicap R2, 000 and 3rd Overall on handicap R1, 000. On Sunday Dinghy sailors may choose to race either the full course or the shorter ‘Beat to Beacon Island’ challenge. We’ll again hold a prize-giving on both Friday and Saturday evenings for participants in races on those respective days. This cash prize line-up for each race sailed will be R500 first across the line; R500 to the 1st overall on handicap, R300 to the 2nd overall on handicap, R200 to the 3rd overall on handicap plus a bonus of three R500 lucky draw prizes.’
Vice Commodore Warren Nel added, ‘Our overall strategy shift in 2016 remains. We continue to focus on the sailing. We will of course still provide live entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings, a giant water slide for the youngsters, novelty and food stalls, a full bar and catering from ‘The Wharf’. The efficient LDYC Temporary Membership CashCard system introduced in 2016 will be implemented. CashCards will be available at R20. Race entrants who register and pay by 19th January 2018 will qualify for a CashCards – Dinghy skippers will receive 2 and all other classes 4. Non-sailors over the age of 18 will pay a R20 gate fee entrance. There is plenty of camping and caravanning space for which we will charge a nominal R100 per vehicle for the weekend.’
Register online @ www.RTIR2018.co.za. Race entry fees: Dinghies R300, other classes R450, Ultra Class R650.
The Organising Authority is Lake Deneys Yacht Club under the authority of South African Sailing Northern Region.
Lake Deneys Yacht Club (LDYC), Union Road, Deneysville, Free State. GPS Co-ordinates, GPS Location: S26 54.822 E028 05.750. Tel: 016 371-1393 or 087 160 0556 and 079 472 0093. Email: ldyc@telkomsa.net
