Gee... I am missing not being the beach captain this year... NOT! Nor is the rest of our beach team this time around. Go Hobie Cat FRANCE!

For those that might not understand the Hobie system for provided boat events, there is a beach team that is responsible for keeping all of the (60) boats up to sailing condition and ready to race. Not a fun task with lots of damage from wind, waves and boat contact.

Here is the latest press release:

1998 World champion Blaine Dodds from Plettenberg Bay added another world champion title to his name when he won the Masters division of the Chevrolet Hobie Cat 16 World Championships in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth. Dodds and his 19-year old daughter Roxanne won the only race sailed in the class.

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South Africans Belinda Hayward and Kim Wilkinson-Davies sailed a great race to finish second in the Women's division of the Chevrolet Hobie Cat 16 World Championships.

MEDIA RELEASE 27 OCTOBER 2005

GOLD FOR FRANCE AND SOUTH AFRICA AT CHEVROLET HOBIE WORLDS

The French team continued their strong showing at the Chevrolet Hobie Cat 16 World Championships being sailed in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth. After the first three days of the championships, world titles in both the Youth and Women’s category went to French sailors.

Pre-race favourites in the Youth competition and current European champions, Cédric Bader and Yann Montoya, continued their world-class performance to take win the Youth division. Tom Phipps and Andrew Taylor from Great Britain came second in today’s race to move into second place overall. Puerto Ricans Francisco Figuera and Martin Roldan finished in third position.

In the Masters championships, Blaine Dodds and his 19-year old daughter Rozanne took the world title after a frustrating afternoon on the water. After an on-the-water boat swap, the competitors waited for over two hours to get started on the race. However, by late afternoon the forecasted breeze was still not forthcoming and they came off the water with only one race completed. On Tuesday, the 53 teams competing in the Masters and Grand Masters disciplines only managed to complete one race as the final race was abandoned due to adverse weather conditions.

In the Woman’s championships, the French team of Morgane Laurancy and Marion Pennaneach showed their dominancy to take the world title. South Africans Belinda Hayward and Kim Wilkinson-Davies finished in second place with the Mexican team and former World Champions of Pamela Noriega and Andrea Mier y Teran in third position.

After the race, Hayward said that they were ecstatic with their silver medal. “Obviously we would have loved the gold, but I’m extremely happy with our performance. Although the winds were light and shifty, I am really delighted with our results.”

Bruce Tardrew and Sarah Turnbull of Australia took the grand masters title. The oldest competitor and skipper in the race, 65-year-old Harry Handley from New Zealand proved that experience does count to take finish second. Handley sailed with South African Lynda Paarman.

After the difficult sailing conditions of the previous day, today saw lighter winds with strong sea swells. Some Hobie Cats were towed into the bay by jet skies as competitors struggled against the huge beach breaks. The first race was abandoned when the wind shifted and a new course had to be set.

For more information, visit the event website on www.chevrolet.hobies.co.za.