Baker Cooks J/22 Mpumalanga Championships

(Mpumalanga, South Africa)-  The start of the season long J/22 South African Championship series begins in Mpumalanga.  Hosted by Witbank Yachting and Aquatics Club, the twenty sailing teams were in for yet another treat by this fine South African sailing club.  The sailors were happy to get in a total of six races with one discard over the weekend regatta.

Sailing near the top of their form were Graham Baker and crew of Shaun Gurnell and Barry Gurnell, just roasting the fleet on their J/22 US'N'J with an extremely consistent 2-3-2-5-2 score for a net of 9 pts, winning the regatta without ever winning a race.   They kindly left daily first trophies for all their friends!  Giving them a run-for-the-money was Ewald Sternhagel and team of Devon Matthews and Ron Gurnell taking that crazy-looking clear gelcoat "balsa patchwork" boat called HAKAHANA to a scoreline of 4-1-6-3-3 for a net of 11 pts, good enough for second place.  Were it not for some serious, serious "brain fades", the team on SHAMBLES somewhat lived up to their namesake, with Shelly Nell and crew Anton Nel and Tyron Smith banging out a roller-coaster ride  of a 3-8-1-1-9 for a net of 13 pts!  Fourth was Luke Wagner and crew Steven Wagner and Tim Dugguid on BLUE JAY with a 1-11-7-10-4 for a net of 22 pts in fourth.  They beat out on a tie-breaker, the LAUGH A MINUTE team guided by John Bruckman and crew (Dave Martenson and Aysha Genloud) with a 16-4-4-2-12 tally for a net of 22 pts, too.  For more J/22 South Africa sailing information