Gordon’s Bay Yacht Club (GBYC) has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Strand property development Shane’s @ 99 on Beach for its flagship sailing event, the Gaul Regatta. The sponsorship deal secures the future of the Helderberg’s premiere sailing event for the next five years.
The owner of Shane’s, local businessman Tim Beardmore, is himself a keen sailor, having recently sailed his catamaran Synergy to Mozambique and has crossed the Atlantic from Brazil. He has competed in multiple Gaul Regattas in the past and recognised the parallels between his project and the recent revival of the regatta. “Renovating 99 Beach Road has been a process of rejuvenation, much like what has been happening with the Gaul Regatta in recent years,” noted Beardmore. “The pandemic has put an immense strain on all our lives, and now we must rebuild. The renovation of 99 Beach Road will give a boost to the local economy and provide close to 100 job opportunities. In much the same way the Gaul Regatta has been rebuilding sailing in the Helderberg and promoting the revival of the local leisure maritime economy.”
The newly renovated building will host Kapstadt Brauhaus, Ocean Basket and New York Slice. These businesses are aiming to open their doors on 1 October 2023.
The building is named after Beardmore’s son Shane. His story is also one of resilience and determination. Shane was diagnosed with a rare medical condition at the age of seven and given only a few years to live. With the total dedication of his mother Romana, and against all odds, he has proven all wrong and he will celebrate his 18th birthday this year.
GBYC Commodore Jana Loubser pointed out that this was a significant moment for sailing in the Helderberg region.
“Since the end of the pandemic, smaller sailing clubs have had to face escalating costs and make major cuts,” she said. “We are proud that GBYC has been able to weather this storm more successfully than most. The partnership with Shane’s shows that local businesses value the prestige and heritage of the Gaul Regatta.”
Loubser also noted that GBYC and its members are major players in the Gordon’s Bay harbour economy, and that maintaining attractive events such as the Gaul Regatta was beneficial to the Gordon’s Bay community at large.
Chair of the Gaul Regatta organising committee Ken Newton was thrilled with the deal. “Events such as the Gaul Regatta are becoming more and more expensive to run each year. Without sponsors clubs can’t afford to host quality sailing events such as this.”
In addition to the sponsorship from Shane’s @ 99 on Beach and a generous contribution from SA Sailing, the regatta has received support from several other businesses, including MDL Logistics, 3D Cooling, Ullman Sails, and Felco.
The Shane’s GBYC Gaul Regatta will take place from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 July. The defending champion is the L20 racer Time Out, skippered by Philippe Pringiers. This year Pringiers expects tough competition from Nico van Wieringen’s modified L26 Blue Tango II as well as the currently-dominant Lavranos-designed Royal Flush, skippered by Denis Cochrane. Ben Buys’s Dudley Dix-designed Mini TransAt iCandy is also likely to be a major threat. The club is also expecting competitive entries from Theewater Sports Club and False Bay Yacht Club.
The regatta consists of multiple short-course races as well as a medium distance event. On Saturday (29 July), the club will show the South Africa versus Argentina rugby match as well as hosting a regatta party with folk band Die Kaalkop Waarheid, ahead of the release of their new album.. For more information on the Shane’s Gaul Regatta and sailing at GBYC, contact the club at gbyc@gbyc.co.za.
