We had another school from Motherwell attend the sailing school with 30 pupils today from 12:00 p.m to 2:30 p.m.

School teacher, Vusumzi Xayimpi said that he wanted to continue bringing pupis to the ABYC Sailing School as he could see great benefit for his pupils from exposure to sailing, the harbour and the self discipline demanded from sailing as a sport.

ABYC have been invited to do a presentation at Masiphathisane once Kabelo has returned from the Lipton Cup being sailed in Cape Town from the 23rd to the 29th of August.

On Saturday the 7th June a television crew from the M-Net Channel's Studio 53 spent the day at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club filming our new Sailing Coach, Kabelo as he trained a group of schoolchildren from Motherwell.

After interviewing yours truly and getting background shots the crew accompanied me on the Rubber Duck as we filmed Kabelo training with the ABYC Lipton Cup Squad.

The day before they filmed sites in and around Port Elizabeth for another program to be aired on Studio 53 on Mnet Series Channel on Saturday 21 June 2008 at 18:00, and 00:00 as well as on Sunday 22 June 2008 at 06:00 and 12:00

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First School at ABYC

On Thursday the 23rd May 65 Grade 7 pupils from the
Siyaphambili Primary School, Motherwell descended on the Algoa Bay Yacht Club for their first introduction to sailing. For many of these pupils it was there very first time in the harbour precincts and for all the very first time that they would see dinghies and yachts up close.

After an introduction to safety procedures and the art of tying a lifejacket on,
ABYC Sailing Coach Kabelo Koyana, demonstrated how to rig the two dinghies that 20 lucky pupils would get a chance to sail on. The introduction of the children to certain sailing terms was a riot as 65 pupils earnestly chanted words such as "starboard", "downhaul", "sprit" and "rudder". Most entertaining it was, to listen to these pupils hungry for knowledge earnestly trying to remember all the parts of the boat and the necessary theory to equip them for the very first time that they would sail by themselves.

Siyaphambili Primary School Geography teacher, Thobile Mkwelo, remarked that the exposure his pupils were receiving would assist in his Geography lessons as they would be able to apply real world experience to the Geography curriculum.

20 Eager pupils stripped off into 'sailing gear' and lined up to take their turns at sailing within the confined sail training area. Two at a time were sent out in the club supplied O9'er dinghies and given gentle instruction by Kabelo on the shore. I must say that the girls beat the boys with regards to concentration and the ability to follow instructions. Some of the boys were under the impression that hiding under the rudder was a 40 horsepower outboard motor and all they had to do to start it was violently wrench the tiller arm port and starboard...............

The pupils were then taken on a tour of the yachts in the marina. 15 Pupils were chosen to be the lucky scholars to attend an eight week sail training course which, if successfully completed, will equip them with an internationally recognised Level One Sailing Certificate.

The following article by Natalie Leung was published in the Macau Daily Times. It looks like ABYC have exported our Sailing School to Macau as Old ABYC'er, Jon Gailbraith has started a similar initiative there:

Macau's only youth sailing academy has a "big dream" - to represent the SAR in the 2012 London Olympics. However, the goal could be challenged by a lack of sponsorship, which the principal said has hold back a lot of future sailors from developing the sport, and the small fact that Macau is not yet a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Finishing his morning training session with six teenagers off the port of the Macau Yacht Club, Jon Galbraith, founder of the Macau Youth Sailing Association, told the Macau Daily Times the fact that the city had no sail training facility was "very much to his surprise" when he moved to the SAR with his wife Suzie, who accepted a job offer from Taipa's Sheng Kung Hui Primary School in August of last year.
Currently giving the second training module to the 13 students aged between 11 and 16 and admitted from The International School of Macao (TIS) and Sheng Kung Hui Primary School when the course began in March, Mr Galbraith said a lot of children in Macau were keen to pick up the sport but could not afford the fees of 1,900 patacas per module for the six week course.

According to this Royal Yachting Association (RYA) certified "yacht-master" who had also launched the Algoa Bay Development Sailing Academy in South Africa and worked at the Hanble School of Yachting in the UK, there was a very keen child called Akit in England who wanted to learn sailing so much but he was an orphan that no one could pay the tuition fees for him.

"To somebody in the western world 100 pounds is nothing. But 1,900 patacas is a lot of money for people living in this area [Macau]. But I don't blame their parents, they just can't afford it," the 55-year-old principal said.

In March when Mr Galbraith gave a presentation of his sailing course to 200 students at the Taipa primary school, he said 72 of them showed their interest afterwards but only five had returned the entry forms to the association eventually.

Every module has a running cost of about 38,000 patacas. Considering the small number of intakes the association has, the Galbraiths have been covering the costs out of their own pockets.

But for this married couple, running the academy was never a money-driven idea.

"It's very important to give back to the sports," Mr Galbraith said, adding "children today are sailors tomorrow and we really need to start them young".

Mr Galbraith was not in the sailing industry until 1994. Although he still managed to take home championships from different world renowned yacht races, he told the MDT a late starter could never obtain "the Olympics quality".

"Without a sponsorship, by the time a person can afford to buy a yacht, he will already be in his 40s or 50s," the principal said.

The 55-year-old already has a two-year plan in mind for his 13 students whose parents are either expatriates with western origins or Macanese.

Mr Galbraith said he wanted to train 16-year-old Kyle to be the assistant instructor by the time he reaches 18.
"It is like a pyramid from within, only by doing this sailing can truly carry on in Macau," he added.

One of the recent schools to take part in the ABYC Sailing School program was Herbert Hurd. They entered their first major regatta in March this year; The Redhouse Inter Schools Sailing Regatta and acquitted themselves well.

Darryl, of the Wednesday Committee of Two fame sent the following report in:

Herbert Hurd entered the 32nd Coca Cola interschools regatta held at Redhouse Yacht club on the 15th and 16th of March. With the 5 entrants being Jesse Martin, Mark Laggar, Shumeeze Salie, James Westraadt and Bryan Waters, nervous and excited because the day had dawned on their first regatta!

With the first race set to start at 10:30am, the weather decided to show her hand and gusted at 27 – 30 knots before settling down to about 16 knots constant. My kids’ eyes were wide as Scott Stephens went out on his laser 4.7 to show off a bit! He capsized on the run at some serious speed! “Is this what we are in for?” asked one. “I’m not going out there!” said the other.

Herbert Hurd at the Inter schools sailing regattaThe first race was postponed due to the wind but when it settled the lasers were first on the start line. Second to start were the gypsies and mirrors and the lone senior optimist. Then it was the chance of the junior optimists and lastly the novice class was set to go. The cries of “I’m not going out there!” turned into “When can we go sir? Is it time yet!”
The start line was a bustle of oppies and o’9ers, with it being the first regatta, the rules of starboard and weather boat, just didn’t apply to them! Shouts of “Get out of my way!” and “I’ll ride straight over you!” were heard from the bank! The hooter went and they were off on the run to the bottom mark! EVERY boat got to the bottom mark at the same time and there was a lot of bumping and shoving and shouting! You could hear as the o’9ers banged each other and booms clanged against masts! Herbert Hurd managed a 4th from Jesse Martin and an 8th from Mark Laggar

So first race was done, the second and third race was very similar. Same conditions, same shouting and they were off! Jesse managed a 4th place in both races due to his proper course choice.

The fourth and last race of the day came as a shock to the kids. Shumeeze didn’t sail and it turned into a correct choice. The wind suddenly picked up after the start and as some of the front runners gybed on their way down to the bottom mark, spectacular broaches were witnessed by the spectators on the banks! Other boats at the back were taken out and bashed into by the boats broaching and there was absolute chaos down at the bottom mark! 2 of my boys made the end of the race with boats filled with water!

Sunday dawned with lighter winds and bluer skies! After frantic rigging to go for a pleasure sail, the fifth race would soon start. The course was set to be a reaching course. As the kids went underway, all 5 of the Herbert Hurd children go a perfect start! As they reached the bottom mark the placing was as follows: 2,3,4,6 and 9th!

The last race saw the novices race the same course that the “bigger” boats. They were excited to finally sail round the elbow towards the mouth of the Swartkops River.
As they rounded the elbow, many of the bigger boats were on the run to the finish line so there was mass confusion and chaos as the novice fleet of 19 boats got tangled in with the other fleets! Herbert Hurd posted a 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 11th place in this race!

At the prize giving each novice received a medal and a Coke from Coca Cola! Herbert Hurd narrowly missed out on the team trophy to Clarendon. Watch out, we’ll get you next year!

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See the story on MyPE

Recent sponsorships to the ABYC Sailing Academy have included R100 000 from the Gutsche Investment & Management Company. These funds will be used to build a galvanized iron rack to store the training dinghies on and the balance will be used for youth training and development. More specifically, the funds are to be used to benefit junior boys and girls from the previously disadvantaged community, who will be given preference. These candidates will be introduced into yachting as the future of yachting is dependent upon the youth from all sectors of our Society.

Arnschell Hydraulics sponsored seven children from the Herbert Hurd Primary School to take part in the Level One Sailing Course and the cost of one years membership fees.

Prestige Auto also sponsored a new set of sails for the ABYC's Regatta dinghy. Many other club members have offered to sponsor children on the sailing course and for a years membership to the club.

Proving that ABYC is a well rounded citizen of Port Elizabeth, the club recently donated an entire fridge and freezer full of food from the restaurant to Sister Ethel Normoyle's Missionvale Care Center to help with her feeding program.

This weekend sees the first of ABYC's regular dinghy regatta's taking place. Every fourth weekend in the month is dedicated to Dinghy Regattas.

We will start sailing at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and again at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. The course will be set within the harbour so affording our 'Teak Reefers' ample opportunity to catch some of the action.

A meeting for all interested sailors, helpers, parents and volunteers will be held at ABYC this evening at 6:00 p.m. Please attend.

It is with interest that I read of the Australian drive to introduce sailing to a wider audience with the introduction of a new "Australian built and designed" polyethylene training dinghy based on the popular International Optimist Dinghy.

Looking carefully at the images it looks curiously like our O9er 'bump and bash' boats that we have been using at ABYC for a long time now.

See the full story on the Sail World site and decide for yourself.

www.abyc.org.za: The Optimist Class Association National Coach, Bronwen Klaas, will be conducting a two day Optimist Sailing Clinic from the Algoa Bay Yacht Club between the 27th and 28th of September 2007.

Contact Glynis Baer for bookings on 082 893 7905.

Costs will be R100.00 per sailor, to cover duck hire, petrol and sundry costs.

The training will start at 9:00 a.m. each day.

www.abyc.org.za: Just before the L26 Provincials, Ocean started a brand new group of sail trainees from the Ed U College school.

Great were the smiles from the candidate Shosholoza crew members when they were told that they would be actually sailing during their first lesson.

It always gratifies me to see the complete trust that most of the pupils have in ABYC and their coach, Ocean, when it comes to launching and actually sailing for the first time.

Of course it is such fun to see that the universal truth that kids always mix up push and pull when they get on the water. This, leads sometimes to hilarious situations and slight rises in blood pressure as the pitch in the coaches voice becomes shriller and shriller.

As a club member, the next time you see a training course starting up wander down onto the grass (you may bring your beer with!) and observe the enthusiasm that these kids show. A tonic I can assure you.

Ed U College resume their sail training after Lipton Cup.

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