By Nangamso Mabindla
19 March 2008

IT'S another sporting weekend in Buffalo City this Easter, with the East London Yacht Club (ELYC) hosting the 2008 Dart National Sailing Championships, starting on Friday, 21 March.

Hosting the sailing competition will confirm the city's reputation as a sports tourism destination of choice. Earlier this year Buffalo City hosted the Specsavers Ironman 70.3 triathlon and the SAA Tennis Open.

A dart is a two-man, multihull, high performance 18 foot catamaran, based on one design concept worldwide. Speaking about how it landed the national event, yacht club Commodore Alan Lister said that East London had good facilities.

"This is the third time that the ELYC has been nominated to hold this prestigious event, due to the facilities and support we are able to offer sailors and their families. Offshore sailing conditions in East London are unique and a competitive and highly visible sailing fleet can be expected to take to the bay along the Esplanade."

He said that hosing the nationals of any sport, especially sailing, was very good for the city. "East London has always been known as the 'lost city' but ironically in our sport, we have the best [facilities] in the country. The Western Cape, Durban, Richards Bay cannot offer the facilities that we have available here in East London."

In 2005, the city hosted the Dart Worlds, with over 100 yachts participating. "Everyone could not believe the venue - swimming pools, beaches, game parks within 30 minutes of the city. To this day we get visits from overseas sailors who have heard of East London from that world event."

Turning his attention to this weekend's championships, Lister said 25 to 30 yachts were expected to participate.

"We could have attracted more boats had we had the financers to promote the event. However, we had to push hard to get the nationals here. We promote East London, we make the effort so that everybody leaves saying what a brilliant place East London is, and wants to come back."

Competitors will range from juniors, who are 10 to 12 years old, to seniors, who are over 60 years old. "We know of approximately 12 to 15 boats coming from Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal, Mossel Bay and Cape Town; 30 boats represent 60 people and with the support from families, we expect about 200 visitors," Lister added.

The Dart National Sailing Championships start at 2pm on Friday and racing will take place at sea between Orient Beach and Eastern Beach.