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The League
October 24, 2020
Durban sailors will be hitting the water soon for the brand new L26 racing series called ‘The League’.
Three series will be accommodated in The League – an offshore series, an inshore series and a match racing series.
The League takes place over 20 Saturdays during the 2020 and 2021 sailing season – from 24 October to 26 June.
What is the format?
The next race takes place on Saturday 24 October, with the boats lining up on a start line set in the bay.
There will be a minimum of one race to a maximum of five races taking place each day.
Weather dependent, the race track will be announced by the Race Officer on the day of racing.
The inshore and match racing series will more than likely make use of a windward / leeward or sausage course, but the offshore series courses can be set a bit more creativity with loads of space to play around with. The number of laps for each race will be decided depending on the strength of the breeze on race day.
What is the League?
The League is the vision of the L26 Class Committee, and is hosted by both the Point Yacht Club and the Royal Natal Yacht Club. The exciting series will test the waters in Durban before spilling over to the other provinces.
The nifty L26 boat is one of the most popular keeler classes in the country, and up until recently, was the yacht of choice for the most prestigious sailing event in South Africa, the Lipton Challenge Cup.
Driving The League is Chairman for the KZN L26 Race Committee, Tim Attwell, who states with contagious enthusiasm, “The series will have a bit of a Top Gear or Tour de France feel where the leading boat will get to fly a leader flag. It could be the overall leaderboard flag or boasting victory from the previous race, winner of the last day’s racing or top junior, and for some added fun – a polka dot flag will be rewarded to the boat with the best starts on the day.”
Taking it digital
A new development in Durban sailing is the inclusion of a digital software that will be run on all the L26’s called RaceQs. This programme is making waves in the international sailing community and will achieve two things; provide insightful training and post-race analysis, while allowing spectators to view the racing in real time from home.
Masakane
Commenting on the future of sailing in Durban, Commodore for Royal Natal Yacht Club, Leo Kroone said, “Masakane. That is what I believe we all need to do to make our sport grow. We need to work together, plan and simplify. The L26 is a beautiful boat to sail, and teaches you so much about team work and working together to get across the finish line. The launch of this fun and competitive series shares our vision of Masakane, which is hugely exciting for sailing in Durban, and South Africa.”
Commodore for the Point Yacht Club, Myles White shared, “This is a brilliant initiative organised by Tim and his passionate team. Witnessing our L26 youth sailors shouting with absolute glee as they sail past me on my dinghy, each weekend, is heartening for the class, for this series and for sailing. I look forward to watching it grow into a vibrant, national league.”
