DUT Team “Rapid Reach” Triumphs as Durban Revives Elite Pacer 27 Match Racing After 40 Years
The winning "Rapid Reach" representing DUT with Sbonga Sibiya (left), Siphosenkosi Nkwanyana,, Kwazokuhle Mnyakathisi, Snenhlanhla Msani, and Thulebona Mkhize landed the honours in Durban's e Pacer 27 Invitational hosted over the weekend.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers
For the first time in decades, Durban hosted a Pacer 27 Sport match-racing yachting event over the weekend, with victory going to a team from Durban University of Technology.
Team Rapid Reach, representing DUT and crewed by Sbonga Sibiya, Siphosenkosi Nkwanyana, Kwazokuhle Mnyakathisi, Snenhlanhla Msani and Thulebona Mkhize, emerged as the overall winners following two days of intense competition.
The Pacer 27 Invitational was hosted by King Shaka Yacht Club (KSYC), in association with SA Sailing KZN, marking the return of match racing to Durban after more than 40 years.
KSYC was founded with a clear mission to transform and grow the sport of sailing by creating meaningful development opportunities — particularly for historically disadvantaged individuals — while promoting excellence, safety, sportsmanship and community involvement on the water.
The weekend’s event advanced those objectives, providing a high-energy platform for emerging talent. The Pacer 27 Invitational created a rare match-racing opportunity that has not existed locally for over four decades, with six teams competing in a fast-paced format designed to showcase skill, tactics and teamwork at a high level.
Pacer events are specifically aimed at developing sailors aged 18 to 29 from registered tertiary institutions across South Africa. Ahead of the Durban regatta, competitors participated in a two-day training camp the previous weekend to prepare for the technical demands of match racing — a highly strategic discipline that differs significantly from the fleet racing more commonly practised in the country.
DAILY NEWS