Father-daughter team clinch victory at Mirror nationals

Father and daughter team, Paul and Polly Changuion were victorious in the Mirror National held at the Point Yacht Club offshore of Durban last weekend.

The Point Yacht Club Mirror Nationals Offshore Durban was held from March 21 to 23.

In preparation for the upcoming Marriott Mirror Worlds, the father and daughter, who live in Durban North, were crowned in the Mirror Nationals. The late entry by the Changuions surprised a highly competitive fleet finishing the first day in second place behind Cape sailors, Grant Ekermans and Luke Liebrecht. Reigning KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Regional Champions, Thomas and Kai Funke were in third place. 

Conditions were challenging on Friday with a 10knot north-easter and a sloppy, washing machine sea state. Only three races were completed with the visiting sailors, Ekermans and Liebrecht earning two wins and a fifth place.

By day two, the chop in the bay had subsided and a pleasant north-easter remained.

Race officer Kevin Bingham slotted in four races with the fleet tackling two courses.

The Changuions got off to a cracker, notching up their first bullet of the regatta. Their second race didn’t quite go according to plan, but they led the boats around the racetrack on the last two races. Four points separated the top three spots, with Ekermans and Liebrecht in second, and the Funkes hanging on to third place.

Heavenly conditions greeted the competitors on Sunday. Blue skies, a gentle six knots of breeze and a calm ocean set the scene. The leaders continued their grand form, working their way to the front of the pack for the first two races. With the light breeze disappearing, Henley Midmar sailors, Mark Hawksworth and Mika Malan showed their mettle, navigating the challenging conditions brilliantly and snaffling top spot in the concluding races.

With the announcement of the shortening of race, half the fleet celebrated after a long, hot day on the water, turning and making their way home, while the more experienced sailors trundled along in the dying breeze to finish the windward leeward race. Hawksworth and Malan finished their regatta with their second victory. Matthew Jolley and Anna Correa had a blistering start and were in second spot until they were reeled in by the more experienced yachties at the bottom mark.

Paul and Polly Changuion glided over in second, with Steve Hegerstrom and Josh Pretorious claiming third, while making memories, scholars - Jolley and Anna Correa earned their first ever top four finish.

Changuion said he was really happy to win, and to do the race with his daughter, Polly.

“I have sailed this race a good few times and have never won it before. This race was really special and obviously sailing with my daughter was wonderful. Conditions were light and tricky so there was always pressure all the way through until the last race,” said Changuion.

“We were happy with the way we sailed. You look back at the mistakes where we could have done better, but generally I thought we made good decisions, a well balanced boat and we were going fast. But it is always tricky, even going into the last race we knew if Grant won and we pulled off a fifth which is quite easy to do, the results would have been different. We were so chuffed that we did it.”

Overall, the Changuions scorecard registered five firsts, three seconds and a fourth giving them a net total of 15 points.

The Zeekloevlei sailors, Ekerman and Liebrecht racked up two firsts, four seconds, two thirds and a fourth for their tally of 20 points. With their light wind successes, Hawksworth and Malan leap-frogged over the Funkes with a couple of firsts, seconds and thirds and three fourth places to finish on 24 points, two points ahead of the KZN Regional Champs. Thomas and Kai settled for fourth overall, and claimed a first, a second, fifth thirds and two fourths for their 26 points.

Three weeks remain until the Marriott Mirror Worlds gets underway with the Pre-Worlds / African Champs beginning on Wednesday April 9, followed by the crème-de-la-crème Mirror regatta on Sunday April 13.