Junior nationals a success

The Namibian Sailing Association (NSA) hosted its junior nationals at the Walvis Bay Yacht Club, sponsored by Catamaran Charters, over the past weekend. For the first time since its inception the event took place in two different types of dinghies - optimists and lasers - to allow for greater participation. The wind on Saturday started with a steady six to ten knots and the heats took place to allow qualification for the final medal race on Sunday.The first two heats of the optimist class were won by Nicole Steyn, with second place going to Mary-Ann Eeden in the first heat and Jacques Swart in the second. In the laser class, Albertus de Klerk showed his prowess by winning both heats, with second place going to Gerald McCarthy and Mathew Quinn, respectively. By the time the fifth heat came around, the wind had really increased and there was exciting sailing in the optimist class, with Xenia Plarre winning and Steyn taking second place. The laser class saw several capsizes by Elmi McCarthy and only one finisher, Karli Rudolph, who persevered in the difficult conditions to cross the line in first place.On Sunday, McCarthy won the laser class with Jonathan van Zyl taking second. In the optimist class, Swart won with Van Eeden taking second again.Going into the final race, it was very close with a number of strong contenders. The final started in a light breeze and the tide across the course was strong, which certainly provided some really tricky conditions for the competitors. All the boats started together, and with the start-line in front of the club house, spectators had an awesome view. As the race progressed the faster lasers looked like they were going to have an advantage, as the fastest one finished the three laps in 31 minutes and six seconds. But the wind came up and the first optimist finished the race in 44 minutes and 12 seconds, which was good enough to take the event on handicap. The final overall results were as follows: 1. Xenia Plarre (first optimist) 2. Albertus de Klerk (first laser)3. Nicole Steyn (second optimist)4. Elmi McCarthy (second laser)5. Stephen Fourie, 6. Mathew Quinn7. Gerald McCarthy8. Jonathan van Zyl9. Karli Rudolph10. Mary-Ann van Eeden11. Jacques Swart12. Deirdre Botha13. Danelle Swart14. Daniel van Staden SPORT REPORTER

Junior nationals a success

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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Junior nationals a success

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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