By Oscar Pilipili
Kilifi’s Stan Nokes (4.7 rig, aged 15), warded off stiff opposition to emerge the overall winner on handicap in the sailing category during the National and Open Championships for the optimist, laser and fireball classes.
Don White (full rig of Naivasha Yacht Club) came home second, followed by Dave Carroll (full rig, Naivasha) and Gordon Bell (Uganda) in that order during the event hosted by Kilifi Sailing Club and Kilifi Boat Yard between July 12 and 21.
Chris Shaw (Naivasha) won the Master’s class for sailors aged over 45 years during the event supported by Inchcape Shipping Services, Mombasa.
Local hero Teddy Ndaro from Mombasa Yacht Club, who is aiming to be the first Kenyan to take part in a sailing event at the 2016 Olympics, finished seventh overall. The fireball class open and National Championships were held between the July 19-21 in Kilifi.
The fireball is a fast two sailor premier class in Kenya with lots of investment in time and practice required to sustain a competitive campaign.
The racing was located in Kilifi Creek bowl which is associated with very strong Kusi winds of 30 kph plus at this time of the year.
The contest offered variable and challenging conditions that ranged from lighter to strong winds and choppy seas.
The optimist class is one for a single person being for junior sailors up to 15 years of age and the event involved six races.
Twenty one sailors, including six from Dar es Salaam Yacht Club, one from Mombasa Yacht Club, three from Naivasha Yacht Club and the rest from Kilifi Sailing Club enjoyed some fierce and close racing.
tight racing
Racing was very tight with the final result resting on the last race. First place went to Wilf Nokes, 13. He was followed by Reinout Sanders (13), and Billy Douglas-Hamilton (13).
Highly commended were Bert Nokes aged 10 who finished fourth and Tanzanian competitors Michael Kelly (age 12, fifth place) and Imamu (age 14, sixth place).
Kenya nationals Sharif Mohammed was placed eighth and Athman Katana ninth.
The optimist is the premiere performance single-handed sailing boat for boys and girls with over 300,000 in use worldwide.
The Kenya event comes as preparation for the African Optimist Championships happening at Dar es Salaam Yacht Club from August 18 to 26. Kenya is sending a team of five including two from the local town of Mnarani.
The Kenya Laser Class Open and National Championship took place between July 15 and 17 with a fleet of 21 competitors from Kenya and Uganda.
The Laser class is a single handed boat used in the Olympics and comes in three rig sizes, full standard rig, radial rig and the 4.7 rig being the smallest for optimist graduates and lighter sailors.
This year’s run away winner was Don White crewed by Charo from Naivasha.
