Father-and-son sailing pair Thomas and Kai Funke delivered a commanding performance to clinch continental mirror sailing gold in Durban Bay last week.

According to The North Coast Courier, the Ballito duo entered the International Mirror Class Association African Championships in good form, having recently won the KZN championships and placed fourth at nationals. They were one of the teams to beat as 21 boats lined up for competition in Durban Bay from last Thursday to Friday.

The first day offered tricky conditions, with a strong south-westerly disrupting proceedings and allowing only one race to take place. Thomas and Kai were unfazed, however, claiming the sole victory on the day as almost half the fleet were forced to withdraw.

The wind moderated on day two and three races were held to decide the overall winners. Thomas and Kai were narrowly beaten in the first race by Western Cape sailors Grant Ekermans and Luke Liebrecht, before returning to the top spot in the second.

With two wins and a second-place finish under their belt, the Funkes sailed conservatively in the final race and placed fourth. They claimed overall victory on eight points, three ahead of Ekermans and Liebrecht.

Ballito business owner Paul Changuion and his daughter Polly, the reigning SA champions, claimed one individual race win but had a challenging outing overall, finishing eighth.

It is now all systems go for the Marriott Mirror World Championships, which will see 33 of the best mirror teams from around the globe competing in Durban waters. The majority of the teams are South African, including the Funkes and Changuions, but the UK and Australia are also represented. The regatta kicked off on Monday and will run until tomorrow.