Carioca Club Champs Weekend - 18 & 19 April 2009

The 2009 Carioca club champs were held at Hermanus Yacht Club on the weekend with two races on Saturday and only one race taking place on Sunday due to poor weather conditions. The Saturday afternoon racing took place in blustery conditions with most skippers opting for the smaller No.3  genoa (headsail). Sunday saw completely different conditions with light winds switching through 90 degrees at times.

The event was contested by six boats and the honours for first place went to Mardi Gras which was skippered by owner Gary Shaw. Although the weather was not ideal, a short hand course was sailed which offered spectators an excellent opportunity to follow the entire race from the shelter of the club house.

The Carioca is a small keelboat measuring approximately 21ft in length and can be sailed in shallow waters due to its unique lifting keel design. Fifteen of the original twenty boats manufactured now reside at the Hermanus Yacht club. The fist boat to arrive at the club was Windsong and was brought by road from Saldanha Bay by Fred Smithers in approximately 1985.