These were the best times of my life
By Frank Stuyck
Hallo Coenie
Die eerste keer toe ek met my twee seuns geseil het ± 1998 het die boot ‘n furler op gehad en die romp was baie vuil. Daar was ligte wind en ons kom toe laaste van al die bote in ‘n race. My oudste wat baie ‘competitive’ is sê toe hy seil nooit weer met my nie want hy het nog nooit laaste in enigiets gekom nie.
Patrick gee toe vir my sy ou forestay en ek verkoop toe die furler en sit die boot se ou seile terug. Ek het toe die boot uit die water gehaal, romp skoon gemaak, die keel laat sandblast en self die fairing gedoen.
Toe probeer ons weer en Patrick wen ons toe met 30 seconds.
Daarna het ons amper elke wedstryd gewen en my seuns se seilvernuf het stelselmatig verbeter. Dit was een van die beste tye van my lewe. Nou seil ons minder saam maar geniet dit nog net so baie wanneer ons wel saamseil.
Die foto aangeheg is vroëer vanjaar op die bergrivier geneem. Ook ek en my twee seuns op die Dart. ( Wat die foto nie wys nie is dat die mas enkele oomblikke later gebreek het.)
Groete Frank
********************** (Administrator’s Comments)
Frank Stuyck is one of the legends in the history of the Holiday 23. He was involved with the production of the H23. If my memory services me right he was the marketing manager for John Robertson yachts. It is nice to see when the love for sailing goes from father to sons. Patrick to whom is referred to in his email, is also a very competitive sailor who owned H23 “Chequita”. Perhaps this was the reason why Patrick sold his H23. Patrick was in many racing seasons the cup holder in his class, first Saldanha Bay Yacht Club and then Port Owen Yacht Club.
I’ll try to translate Frank’s story for those who do not understand Afrikaans.
{The first time me and my sons sailed together was around 1998, my H23 had a furler and the hull under the waterline was very dirty. In the first race the winds were very light and we came last overall. My eldest, who is very competitive, said to me that he will never sail with me again because he is not used to come last in anything he does. Patrick then gave me an old forestay and I sold the furler and put back the old sails. I then took the boat out of the water, cleaned the hull, sandblasted the keel and faired it myself. Then we tried again and Patrick still won us with 30 seconds.
After that me and my sons won almost all the races in Port Owen and my sons’ sailing improved progressively. These were the best times of my life!!. The sons are now doing their own thing and we do not sail together that often but when we do we thoroughly enjoy it.
The picture of me and my sons on the Dart were taken earlier this year on the Berg River. (What the picture does not show is that the mast broke just shortly afterwards!) Some sailing I reckon, Frank is not a youngster anymore!!
