The Quantum HMYC 9 Hour Race 2009 at Midmar Dam

The weekend of 21st – 22nd February 2009 saw the best and most successful local event that Quantum has sponsored so far - The Quantum HMYC 9 Hour Race 2009 at Midmar Dam. This is now the third year running that Quantum has sponsored this event.

Sixty-one boats of different designs took part, racing each other according to their handicaps.
The racing circuit was three nautical Miles. Each team or boat had two complete crews, who had to change four times in the 9 hours of the race. The race got off to a great start in a stiff Northerly wind, which provided many thrills and spills at the downwind crew changeover point, well placed directly in front of all of the spectators, who had some entertaining and thrilling sailing to watch there!

The oldest competitor at 92 years takes time out from sailing while reading the paper

There were a total of 300 crewmembers involved, who all had an awesome day of great sailing action on the 61 different boats that took part. These ranged from a Flying Tigers, Inter 20’s, 505’s, Solings, Hobies and Halcats to the smallest boat in the fleet, a Tack sailing dinghy, all of which completed the race. Entries were from far and wide, as far as Witbank and the Vaal Dam and of course, from Durban and the Midlands.

Competitors reading their boat with the Quantum banner in the foreground

The HMYC 9 Hour Race event was well-branded with Quantum banners and flags, and plenty of web advertising leading up to the event. All crew got Quantum regatta T-Shirts. The biggest prize of the event was a lucky draw, held as the last item at the prize giving. To enter the draw, each competitor had to correctly answer a question about Quantum on the entry form and carry a Quantum Flag on their backstay for the entire event. The prize of a Hunter Mainsail (or a sail of equivalent value), ensured that everyone stayed till the end to see if they had won the prize!

Spectators enjoying the sunshine and saiilng from the Banks of the Henley Midmar Dam, during the Quantum Sponsored HMYC nine hour endurance event

Videos of Quantum’s of our recent success on the TP52 circuit were projected onto the wall of the hall, to entertain everyone for the hour before prize giving.

Craig Millar from Quantum and his crew sailed a Hickman 680 with a full Quantum sail inventory with Struan Campbell as the skipper of the 2nd crew and finished 7th overall and 3rd in the Keelboat class. Well done to Craig and Struan and their crews!

Prize giving at the end of the event was well attended.

Quantum would like to thank all participants and event organizers, and everyone who helped to make the event the huge success it was!

For more information and results of the race, look at the HMYC website: www.hmyc.org.za
All race results are posted on the website.

The 2009 event shirts sporting the Quantum logo on the back