Our Boy from Bolivia!

Another great Wednesday night Fireside chat! In this case its our own Mark Hainsworth (off Faraway), telling us about his time on an epic rafting expedition down a river in Bolivia. Something to do with nicotine and narcotics having been discovered near the Pyramids in Egypt, and an eccentric British adventurer who was trying to prove they must have found them in Bolivia, using inflatable rafts, landrovers, satellite phones etc etc. Whatever the reason, it was a great adventure, showing the primitive rural life in South America, great natural scenery, and a very challenging expedition.

Many thanks Mark! Your slideshow and talk was top class!

Discovery arrives in Moreton Bay, near Brisbane, Oz.

STOP PRESS: George Wenman's facebook page seems to think they (Chris Sutton, George Wenman, Joyce Wenman, and Rob Browne) have arrived in Moreton Bay, near Brisbane. They seem rather pleased. No doubt we will hear more one the obligatory showers, beer and steaks have been processed. Watch this space. You heard it first on www.hbyc.co.za !!

HBYC JML-3 going great guns at Lipton!

JML3 returns to moorings after a days racing with some tired but happy campers onboard!

Picture credit to Jeremy Nel and phone!

13, 16, 15 - these are their race placements after 3 races, out of 25 boats. A great result for such a young crew, on a very small budget, and on an older boat! They are only one point behind the RCYC JML entry with Murray and Willcox, and far ahead of JML2. Well done guys!

See the action and full results at http://www.liptoncup.com/

Skip Novak's Talk

Jeremy Nel, Skip Novak, chatting before the show!

 Skip is behind the pool table, see whats on the screen!

Fascinated faces of the HBYC Members

For me personally, this must rate as one of the most interesting and best delivered presentations I have seen in many years. I can't summarise it here, suffice to say this is no ordinary man, and the stuff he gets up to is almost beyond belief. After this, I think more than a few of us were left with a new resolution to get out of the bar from time to time . . . .

Skip is a US citizen by birth, moved to the UK at 24, did every big-name yacht race worth talking about until about 10 years ago, then started some REAL adventure specialising in the area around Cape Horn! He has mixed it with all the big names you can imagine, but comes across with delightful understatement and humility. We were very lucky to meet this great man, those who get to sail with him are far luckier still. Ask Jeremy Nel!

If it's the Roaring Forties, Cape Horn, South Georgia, adventure skiing, mountaineering, photography, or just extreme adventure you are looking for - Skip is your man. Or even just sight-seeing - you don't have to be a trained adventurer! Thank you Skip.

See there website at http://www.pelagic.co.uk/

Great new book on the Traditional Boat Association

I was very priviliged to receive a copy of this book last week through Roy McBride. It is a great piece of work by Colin Davies (with help from his friends), who tells the story of the Cape Town T.B.A. and its various interesting characters. I know (or know of) most of the names (as many local sailors will), but the context and what they got up to in the T.B.A. was quite revealing. It really was a very interesting time, and the T.B.A. a fine institution. Sadly, the T.B.A. was wound up earlier this year, but I think the best of it is preserved in this fine book. I should mention all the fine cartoons that were used to bill the events and meetings of those years are included - quite amazing. It covers a great piece of Cape Towns boating history.

Roy McBride may still have a few copies left - they can be had for R120 which is donated to the N.S.R.I.

Well done to Colin and all those who helped put this together!

Joyon sails 668 nm in 24 hours . . .

Thats an average speed of 28.3 knots! And singlehanded at that!
Bliksem.
Click here for details on Yachting World!

Glad he's not in our club series - imagine what PHRF he sails off . . . .

Stir Crazy!

As if they weren't crazy enough, or stirring enough for that matter! Reality cooking comes to HBYC in the form of the Thai Cooking Series called "Stir Crazy". Ramsay eat your heart out, this is the real thing!

The cheerful fellow with the apron is our very own Pierre Albertyn - I think he won the series after he voted the rest of the tribe off or something. On the left his the ever patient Brett Nussey, who runs the show! What a hoot!

Skip Novak talk 15 August, 7pm at H.B.Y.C.

What can I say - don't miss this one!

A Talk by Skip Novak

Based in South Africa, Skip Novak is a seasoned yacht-racer who has competed in four Round the World Yacht Races, first visiting Cape Town in the 1977/78 Whitbread. He is also a keen mountaineer and an author of two books. In 1987 Skip constructed the fifty four foot expedition boat, the Pelagic, and combined his mountaineering passions with his sailing skills by heading for southern South America, Antarctica and Southern Georgia for mountaineering expeditions. In 2003 he launched the 74 foot Pelagic Australis, built in Durban, which is currently berthed at the V and A Waterfront Marina for her annual refit.  Both Pelagic and Pelagic Australis operate in the South from October to June specializing in adventure tourism but also for providing logistic support for film teams and science projects.

The Galley opens at 17h30 for Mushroom and Cashew Nut Curry, Fish and Chips, and Roast Chicken. We expect a large crowd so please arrive early if you wish to have dinner ! No need to book – no entry fee - Call Penny on 073 6111 444 for more details.

Wednesday Night Fireside Tales!

Mike Lundy - member of HBYC and award-winning author of many great books on walks and tours in the Cape Peninsula (and SA) - was our esteemed speaker last night. And what a great talk it was! The club was packed and listened with admiratrion as Mike regaled us with stories and facts of Table Mountain and the Cape Peninsula. Too many to repeat here but certainly he has a knack for making things interesting and adding some colour! Mike has several books in print - they really are a must for every Capetonian - see them on kalahari.com for example . . .

Mike, live in concert!

 Lots of H.B.Y.C. faces and some others too.

 Even more . . .

 Robin Parker, and thanks to Mike!

Lipton Auction 2012

The Lipton Auction has returned in 2012 after a break over the last two years. Returned with avengeance I should say! Over R20k was raised to support the club's youth-sailing campaign for Lipton 2012, hot on the heels of their brilliant success at the PicknPay Youth Regatta (previous post). I understand the hangovers were also at least on a par with the Mexican Party, and the general clowning-about hit a new record too! Thanks to Jeremy and all members who contributed the pictures - not bad for cellphones in low light I think!

Click on them for full size!

Tony of RCYC handing over the trophy to HBYC's JML team.

How cool is that!

The obligatory picture of Jurgen who gets into every slideshow somehow!

Must be his cheerful face!

HBYC paying attention. Can only be prizes, money or wet T-shirts . . .

The "Mystery Prize" that Robin Parker very kindy bought for R450, thus saving the club the need to display it in the entrance way. . .

Wow - a wave jumper! Look out for this one next year.

The Auction chief conspirators, (acting) el-Commodore Jeremy, and Robin Parker (also acting). Would you buy a used teapot from these two?

More next year! Meanwhile, well dne again to JML-3 and all the best for Lipton 2012!