Bitter sweet victory in Mossel Bay Race

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - At approximately 11:45 on Friday, 28 September the front runners of this year's Mossel Bay Race over 210 nautical miles from Simon's Town to Mossel Bay were spotted off the Point.

Some yachts such as Radio Holland Gryphon, winner of the 2018 race entered the bay with with damaged sails, evidence of the rough sea conditions the sailors had to face.

Second home was Raymarine Regardless. By approximately 19:30 the participating yachts were safely moored in Mossel Bay.

Tragedy
Owned by False Bay Yacht Club, the Mossel Bay Race is labeled as South Africa's oldest ocean race. This year, sadly the Skipper of racing yacht Silver Girl, Melvin Rautenbach, on Thursday fell overboard after the yacht was apparently struck by a wave off-shore of Quoin Point, between Gansbaai and Agulhas, 10 nautical miles off-shore.

A distress call from the yacht was intercepted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services on Thursday at 19.30.

Despite an extensive overnight search operation by the NSRI ASR (Airborne Sea Rescue), an SA Air Force 22 Squadron Oryx helicopter and an SA Air Force 35 Squadron Dakota aircraft, MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) no sign of the 45 year old missing skipper has been found.

Second over the finish line in Mossel Bay was Raymarine Regardless.

According to the NSRI sea conditions grew increasingly unfavourable as the search progressed and sea swells exceeded six metres. The NSRI Hermanus towed the Silver Girl, which suffered a damaged tiller arm and failing battery power to Hermanus harbour.

Telkom Maritime Radio Services continue to alert vessels in the area and vessels passing through the area to keep watch.

Photos: Les Bridgland - lesbridgland@outlook.com

The torn sails on Radio Holland Gryphon, winner of the 2018 race bears evidence of the rough sea conditions they had to endure.