MEDIA RELEASE WEDNESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2005

DRAMATIC ACTION AT CHEVROLET HOBIE WORLDS

The unpredictable weather conditions again played havoc with the fleet during the semi-final rounds of the Chevrolet Hobie Cat 16 World Championships. The ninth day of the championships, currently being sailed in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth dawned with no breeze. Over 200 anxious competitors waited until 11h00 before the predicted winds came through to sail the fourth semi-final race.

However, a strong north-westerly wind came through unexpectedly and with gusts of up to 48 knots on the bay, the race was abandoned as several boats capsized. Rescue boats and spectator craft rushed to the rescue of competitors, who were struggling to right their vessels. Seasoned sailors such as current South African national champion Shaun Ferry and Mark Laruffa from Italy joined the rescue missions spread across the bay to assist competitors with bringing the Hobie Cats safely to shore.

As the visibility over the bay worsened due to the raging veld fires in the Eastern Cape, race officials did careful beach checks to ensure that all the Hobies were safely back on the beach. Zac Wessels’ Hobie were eventually beached at Kings Beach and towed back by vehicle, while other competitors were towed back by boats. Spectators and officials were relieved when the final Hobie eventually made it to the beach shortly before 13h00. Christian Wright and Charlie Clement from Hong Kong drifted across the bay and were towed back by rubber duck.

Despite the chaotic morning, injuries were minimal with only bumps, bruises and lacerations being reported. Except for one bent mast and a couple of torn sails, the boats also escaped relatively unscathed.

Further racing was cancelled for the day and with only three races completed in the semi-final rounds, race officials have extended the semi-final rounds to Thursday.

112 Teams are competing for the coveted 56 spots in the finals.