UKZN sailors trim the sails for Lipton Challenge
The team consists of students from across Durban with countless hours of sailing experience.
THE sailing team that will represent UKZN in the upcoming Lipton Challenge, hosted by Point Yacht Club, in Durban from 6 to 13 July, has been announced.
The crew has been putting in hours of training and getting their L26, SLFC Spindrift, ship-shape ahead of the most prestigious sailing event in South Africa.
Team members have competed in a variety of shake down events offshore of Durban and will fly the University’s burgee at the MSC Week, the annual regatta that starts a week before the Lipton.
Leading the team is helmsman, Hannah Fokkens, from Durban North. Hannah has 10 years of sailing experience under her belt. She started as a sea scout and advanced through the classes, sailing Hobies with her brother and Halcats with her dad.
Her experience includes two MSC Weeks, Hobie, Laser and the Youth Nationals.
Working at the sharp end of the boat is Hannah’s older brother, Rudi.
He has 11 years sailing experience. His career started with a five-minute lesson on the bank before pushing off solo.
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A well-known name in the catamaran community, Rudi moved onto keelers as foredeck during his first of five MSC Week’s and has claimed a Vasco win. Rudi will be accompanied on the bow by honorary member, Ed de Lange.
In the heart of the boat, Serah Goldman from Gillitts will be taking up the role on the piano. Goldman started her sailing career two years ago through a Rotary programme at school.
Since her introduction to keelboat sailing, she has been selected as captain for Gelofte School’s sailing team. She is currently a Bcom Supply Chain Management student.
Working together around the mast are Ryan Naidoo and Gabriel Davies. Ryan, from Phoenix, has been sailing for three years. He started in his second year of university when he was encouraged by Rudi to give it a go.
Davies, a Mechanical Engineering student from Westville, started sailing in Grade 8 doing a dinghy course through Sail Africa. Advancing quickly from an 09er, he started sailing regularly with the Glenwood High School sailing club. Davies is the only crew member to have sailed a Lipton.
