The Lipton Cup Regatta sailed off to an interesting start on Tuesday 26 August 2025 with the top three yachts showing their mettle over two races and all ending on the same points.
Race Officer, Dave Hudson put paid to the compulsory Lipton Cup deed of gift course, the quadrilateral, by choosing to sail that course as the opener for the regatta. Making for tricky sailing in the light southerly winds.
Conditions for the second race – also sailed on the quadrilateral course – were a tad more challenging in a south-easter gusting just over 20 knots – the limit for J22s racing in the open ocean.
Doing WhatsApp commentary on the water was Richard Crockett.
The top 3 finishers played a ding dong battle scoring as follows:
- Saldanha Bay Yacht Club – 4th, 1st for total points of 5
- Hermanus Yacht Club – 1st, 4th for total of 5 points
- Royal Cape Yacht Club – 3rd, 2nd for a total of 5 points
The all ladies team from Gqeberha Yacht Club had an interesting first day with a 14th and 13th – placing them 15th in the fleet of 18.
As co-skipper Allyssa van Rensburg said; “We survived Day 1! Today was tough, but we made it through. We played the conservative game in the second race, we didn’t put up our kite, and we’re glad for it. The team is in good spirits and we’ll be back for it all over again tomorrow!”
Young 17-year old co-skipper and helmsman Sean Kavanagh, sailing for Saldanha Bay Yacht Club (SBYC) admitted at the end of the day to a less than spectacular start in race 1, fighting back from 8th to finish 4th. But it was the second race where they shot out of the start line, took the lead and hardly looked back despite a strong and determined challenge from David Rae of the defending Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC).
Kavanagh’s SBYC team had excellent boat speed as he steered his trusty steed expertly through the chop and big gusts. He is a man going places in the sport of sailing, and should he keep his head about him may well become the youngest winner of the Lipton Cup – an event he leads right now after two races!
In second place overall was another young team, this one headed by 26 year old Calvin Gibbs, representing the Hermanus Yacht Club (HYC). He took the first race in grand style, and despite some big gusts overpowering them, he managed to come back every time and finish very respectfully in 4th spot.
The not quite “old man” of the fleet, yet a man with tons of experience and several Lipton Cup victories to his credit – David Rae from the Royal Cape Yacht Club – is also tied overall on points at the top of the leader board with a 3rd and 2nd. While not the positions he was probably wanting, he realistically said after racing that he was extremely happy to have those results as consistency is what wins the Lipton Cup.
The Lipton Cup Challenge now has another 4 days racing to go, with a possible 8 races to sail.
Drama unfolded before the race even began for the Walvis Bay Yacht Club team. As they made their way to the start line, disaster struck—a snapped rudder threatened to sideline them before the competition even began.
In a display of sheer determination and mechanical prowess, a call to Mike Hayton the Royal Cape Yacht Club manager who happened to have a spare rudder. The three-person crew pulled off what can only be described as a Formula One–level repair.
In the time it took the fleet to complete Race 1, they managed to replace the rudder and were towed back out to the racing area, ready to compete in Race 2.
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