With a quiet south-easterly, minimum chop, gentle swell and a blue sky – so began the 35th Mirror National Championships. And from there it just got better.
The organisation, a collaboration between Redhouse Yacht Club and Algoa Bay Yacht Club under the guidance of Gavin Stephens, was superb. Port Elizabeth displayed its famous hospitality even as far as the sailing conditions were concerned. And the Mirror Class was, as always, the epitome of friendly high level competition, especially with selection for the Mirror Worlds in Sweden at stake.
The competition was as hot as it gets. Justin Onvlee, Sailing's Sailor of the Year, was teamed up with Ian Stirk. Taariq Jacobs, the Oppie Supremo, teamed up with his sister Kareemah, and Brett Stirk joined Andrew Collier, all fresh from the Junior Nationals, to challenge for the trophy.
The old hands challenging for the trophy were led by Fuad Jacobs and included Nigel Smithie and Kuba Miszewski.
But the real tussle was always going to be between the young lions, Craig Latigan, a previous National Champion from the Western Province, Waldo Zevenster, also a previous National Champion, having the added advantage of sailing on his home waters, and Ricky and Brennan Robinson from Boskop Yacht Club.
Although the numbers were not great (as could be expected with an off shore regatta where mothers still have some say in the decision making), and although the development component (which has been a hall mark of this regatta in the past few years) was sorely missed, the fleet showed a solid cross section of youth and experience, and a good attendance from all over the country, especially the Western Province and Northvaal.
Races One and Two were sailed in a building Easterly in glorious conditions, with Waldo Zevenster laying down the gauntlet with a first and third, and Fuad Jacobs making his intentions clear by winning the second race, and lying tied second with Craig Latigan over night. The Robinson brothers had driven a long way to get a ninth in the first race.
Day 2 was heavier, still from the East, but now with a challenging chop and not insubstantial swell. There were a few breakages, most notably, Waldo Zevenster who sat on his tiller with disastrous results, and Nigel Smithie, who lost his mast. Because of the distance to the base, both recorded their discards right there and then. With a South Westerly predicted, racing was stopped early, but the championship was still wide open.
Day 3 would be pivotal.
A fresh South Westerly had flattened the sea, all the breakages had been repaired, and the first of two discards was about to kick in. Waldo did his chances no good with a fifth and a ninth to count, while Craig and the Robinson brothers each cracked a first. Waldo came back after lunch with a first, but so did the Robinsons, to leave them in the lead, with Craig Latigan and Fuad Jacobs hot on their heels. All the while, the battle of the juniors raged on. Robert Dann of Florida Yacht Club cracked a second, showing real potential, but was too inconsistent to really challenge. Brett Stirk and Andrew Collier, who were really working well together, were always up there, finishing every race in the top ten, while Taariq and Kareemah Jacobs retired from the last two races.
In the three races on the last day, consistency would be the key word. Waldo Zevenster fought back with two firsts and a second, while Justin Onvlee kept the best for last and won race eleven. Craig Latigan, managed two thirds and a forth, which was not quite good enough to hold off the charging Zevenster. Fuad Jacobs sealed his fate with two tenth places. Gareth Cairncross had sailed the entire event, consistently in the middle of the fleet, which (it was alleged) showed conclusively that he had been consistently distracted by the charms of consistently stunning crew, Abigail.
It was however the Robinson Brothers, Brennan and Ricky, who, displaying remarkable teamwork and consistency in all the differing conditions, beat off the challenges of the other contenders, to become the worthy 35th National Mirror Champions.
Again, this remarkable little boat proved that it is not only a fine family boat, but also a very competitive championship racer, with huge potential for filling the gap in junior double handed sailing that exists in this country.