Eight students from UCT will represent the university and South Africa in the Annual Student Yachting World Cup in October this year.
The team consists of Alex Runciman (skipper), Richard Tanner, Dave Waiting, Neil Mackellar, Mathew Price, Natalie Burls, Lisa Coop and Dirk de Jager.
The UCT Yacht Club has won the Intervarsity Sailing competition for the past six years (barring 2000), making it the best yacht club in the country. They scooped the UCT club of the year award in 1998 and 2002.
Students from Ecole Poly-technique in France organise the world cup, which will be held in Cap d'Agde on the Mediterranean coast this year.
The crews will all sail on Jeanneau One Design Boats, which are 35 foot keelboats that are raced extensively in Europe. The racing will include coastal routes as well as overnight races, all of which the team is well prepared.
Each country may send only one university team and it will be the first time that an African crew will enter this major event.
Unfortunately, the team is still looking for a sponsor to help them with the R3 500 entry fee, and any interested parties can e-mail Dirk de Jager at
djgdir001@mail.uct.ac.za or Mathew Price at Mathew@dip.ee.uct.ac.za. Otherwise visit the website at
http://sportsclubs.uct.ac.za/yacht/sywoc.