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Hunter KZN champs – Midmar 2007-12-18

17 Hunters lined but for the 2007 Hunter provincials held at Midmar from the 15th to the 17th of December. An outstanding entry considering that there were a number of sailors competing in the J22 World Championships held in Durban. The fleet was predominantly made up of Henley Midmar Yacht Club members with visiting boats from Witbank, The Vaal Dam and Durban.

The weather was mostly cool with cloud and occasional rain. The winds were consistent and fair making for a great event sailed over 9 races with the final race being abandoned due to very thick fog. Henley Midmar again proved to be one of the finest sailing venues in the country, not only did it not fail to produce great breeze for the event but also enjoyed impeccable race management by Race officer Rob Bell assisted by Dave Wagner on the mark layer. There is nothing better than getting out and sailing in races that are swiftly and accurately managed. The entire race management must be commended.

The racing was tight and the results showed a mixed bag of results. Paul Changuion and Mathew Fleming emerged winners with fellow HMYC members Tony Cockrill and Hank Pike finishing second. Michael Coburn teamed up with Dean Gafney on a boat kindly borrowed from Craig Millar to finish in a very strong third position. Having not sailed much in recent years they were slow to find their speed but once they had the hang of the boat they proved to be a real force to contend with. Previous 2005 champions Chris Frost and Mark Stockousen showed there ability to win 3 races but lacked consistency and ended up 4th. Closely following them was Rob Samways and Duncan Keir. Luke Wagner sailing with William Crocket tied with Anton Ellens and Peter Metcalf for 6th position. The rest of the results can be found on www.hmyc.org.za.

The next major Hunter event is the Mpumalanga championships to be sailed in Witbank from the 8th and 9th of March and the National at the Vall dam from the 21st to the 24th of March 2008. For more details go to www.hunterclass.com