#TuksYachting: Tuks puts sail to the wind for the first time

Posted on April 24, 2019

 

The constant quest to be the best has led to Tuks deciding to take on a brand new challenge namely sailing.
 
Tuks can claim to be the Intervarsity sailing champions as they won last year. However, as Tuks competed as individuals, their results were not officially taken into consideration for the overall standings.
 
Jonathan Ham, a third-year veterinary student, has made sure that he and his teammates won’t lose out again by being one of the main instigators in ensuring that Tuks now has got a sailing club.
 
Getting the sport he is genuinely passionate about recognised as one of the University of Pretoria’s sporting codes has been his dream ever since his brother, Alexander, managed to get a club going at Maties. 
 
 
The Ham brothers seem to be quite a formidable sailing combination. Last year in Australia they finished second in their category.
 
Next year Jonathan Ham and Michaela Robinson (Tuks) are planning to compete in the Cape to Rio Yacht Race next year.
 
Robinson is a former double world youth champion. She and her brother, Ryan, managed to win their category at the Mirror World Championships in 2013 and 2014. What made their win even more noteworthy is that they did it in an eight-year-old, wooden boat while the other competitors sailed in sleek, fibreglass vessels.
 
According to Ham sailing involves a variety of competitive formats. A sailing competition among many vessels is a regatta. It consists of multiple individual races, where the boat crew that performs best in over the series of races is the overall winner. The sailboats used for racing varies from large yachts to dinghy racing.
 
Ham prefers to compete in the 505 dinghy-class. While listening to him, it seems as if dinghy racing can be quite tricky. As the boat has no keel, the biggest challenge is trying to stay upright. He explains there are times during a race where he will end up standing on the edge of the boat leaning as far out to the water as is possible in the act of trying to prevent the boat from tipping to one side. 
 
Getting to be able to understand the weather, especially being able to read the wind, is of utmost importance for any sailor. 
 
“Often before a competition, I will do some research on the venue where we will be competing as well as what the prevailing wind might be. Things like landmass and temperature definitely affect the wind direction. From experience, I have learned that you got to take anything that possibly could affect the outcome of a race into account. If you do your ‘homework properly, you will be able to pre-empt when there is going to be a gust of wind and make sure to make the most of it.”
 
The Tuks sailors are training at Rietvlei Dam. Those interested in joining could contact Ham via email. His address is [email protected]
 
- Author Wilhelm de Swardt

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