Sailors of the Milnerton Aquatic Club (MAC) 24-hour Challenge have had to use all the endurance skills they have honed in previous 24-hour Challenges and wait – since 2019 – for the annual event to restart.
Teams of dinghy sailors and the MAC 24-hour organising crew are fired up and preparing for this year’s event, the 24th iteration, set to take place at Rietvlei at noon on Saturday 2 April, concluding 24 hours later on Sunday 3 April at Milnerton Aquatic Club.
In the big Sea Scout’s Saldanha dinghies sail for 24 hours through the night in a relay type sailing challenge.
Changeovers normally happen every two hours and these are spectacular, with many very slick crew changes – or disastrous teams capsizing their boats.
All this action happens in the water around the “changeover beach”.
This is the place to be, to witness the unique character of this 24-hour event.
Teams get lots of encouragement from the shoreside spectators when they perform a slick swop over – or ragged if they come unstuck.
Starting with nine teams in the inaugural event in 1998, the event can now host up to 35 teams.
The event is open to all spectators at no entry fee, while the clubhouse is open, as well as food and beverage stalls outside.
This year, Russell Vollmer, a South African Paralympic Sailor who participated in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, will be sailing his SV14. This is a high-tech sailing dinghy with special canting seats and lots of other high-tech equipment on board built specially designed for sailors with disabilities.
This is a must-see for anyone interested in sailing.
Sea Scout groups from all over the peninsula and further afield will also be taking part in their big Saldanha dinghies. They normally sail with four crew on board.
Plumstead and Milnerton Sea Scout groups are the ones to watch and they will be chasing each other for the top spot in their Saldanha dinghies.
Some of the Sea Scouts changeovers are classed “Classic” and the young sailors are reminded that a big, heavy dinghy sailed in a big breeze needs to be treated with loads of respect, or come unstuck.
This happens frequently, right in front of the crowd on the shore at “changeover beach”.
Bosun, Enterprise, GP14, Sonnet, Mirror, 420, Pico, Saldanha and SV14 dinghies are taking part.
If 24 hours of saling is not enough, some sailors continue for an extra hour in a separate one-hour challenge dubbed “The BAR ONE Challenge – the 25th Hour”, where they sail for an extra hour, finishing at 13:00, after which the prizegiving normally takes place (at 14:30).
The 24-hour Challenge is one of Cape Town’s unique sailing events and those who would like to get involved, the bridge crew is looking for volunteer lap counters to assist during the challenge. If you are a sailor and keen to take part, there are teams who may have one or two spots open.
For any other information, call the Milnerton Aquatic Club Sailing Office on 021 557 7090.
