Sailors lost but found

Skipper Riaan Botha and his crew Japie Kryanauw surprised Lake Malawi International Marathon on Tuesdaywhen they missed the finish mark just 100 metres away and got lost for more than two hours.

Had they not missed the bay mark, the South Africans could have finished third in this 80-km third leg race of the six boat spinnaker class between Salima and Nkhotakota.

But they finished last as their Hobie Tiger boat sailed 20 kilometres from the targeted destination and docked at a village.

The locals were also in the dark about the direction. Lucky enough, rescue boats tracked them but they refused to be towed back to the shore in fear of being disqualified.

Under the guidance of the rescuers, the two finally crossed the finish line in 5:01:24 hours. They were given a rousing reception by fellow contestants as they finished the 80km from Salima to Nkhotakota.

When asked what happened for them to get lost when they had the Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment which determines locations on earth, Botha said: “We did not programme it properly.”

His Malawian employee Limbani Seteka, who has come along with him from South Africa, was concerned when reports indicated that the boat carrying his boat had gone astray.

“I was very worried because if he could not be located on the lake, it meant I could not go back to South Africa where I have been working for him for the past six years,” said Seteka.

However, all was well with skipper Mike Goodyear and his crew Kyle Bowman as they won the third leg of the spinnaker class race in 3:19:09 hours. Mcford Issa and his crew Matola Mwawa, indegenous Malawian sailors, did it in the non spinnaker class after crossing the finish line in 6:23:55hours.

The over-all winners of the competition in both classes will be determined after the final leg in Chintheche, Nkhata Bay on Friday.