South African sailors break 24-year-old endurance record during the 2022 Mac 24 Hour Challenge
by Mark Algra 18 Apr 2022 19:50 NZST
3-4 April 2022
The GP14 team on 'Red Baron' during the 2022 Mac 24 Hour Challenge © Angela Caroline Gray
South African dinghy sailors have broken a long-standing endurance sailing record, completing the longest distance sailing in 24 hours in a two-man sailing dinghy.
Sailing at the 2022 Mac 24 Hour Challenge, the GP14 team on 'Red Baron' with 8 top dinghy sailors headed by Axel Adelbert and Mark McLeod completed 222 laps and 255.3km.
The record was held by a team who sailed in the West Lancashire Yacht Club 24 Hour Race in the UK and sailed 253.13km in 1998.
Clive Porter, the WLYC 24hr Race PRO confirmed on Friday their course distance 2.009 km. Two top UK teams have sailed 126 laps in their event. WLYC and MAC are the only two yacht clubs that host similar 24 hour sailing events.
Enterprise dinghy Team CES Liugong Forklifts completed 216 laps and 248.4km - just four laps short of the record. This is a new South African record for the Enterprise Dinghy.
Sonnet Dinghy team - CMD sailed an incredible 371.4 km. Sonnet "We Are Sailing Centre" 343.8 km and 420 dinghy team "Rocket Pocket" 307 km.
Excellent achievements and very good news for South African Sailing.
Find out more at www.facebook.com/MAC-24-Hour-Challenge-133954806668109