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

The Ballito duo entered the International Mirror Class Association African Championships in good form after recently winning the KZN championships and finishing fourth in the national event. They were one of the teams to beat as 21 boats lined up for competition in the Durban bay on April 10 and 11.

The first day offered up tricky conditions, with a strong south westerly disrupting proceedings and allowing only one race to get underway. 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 pipped in the first race by Western Cape sailors Grant Ekermans and Luke Liebrecht, before returning to the top spot in the second race of the day.

With two wins and a second place under their belt, the Funkes sailed conservatively in the final race and finished fourth. They claimed overall victory on eight points, three ahead of the trailing 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 April 19.

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