Ballito’s Thomas Funke wins Western Cape Dinghy Championships | North Coast Courier

Ballito sailor Thomas Funke claimed victory at the Western Cape Dinghy Championships last week, overcoming tough conditions alongside his brother Peter.

Hosted by Saldanha Bay Yacht Club from April 2-6, the regatta was open to a wide range of classes, including 29er, 420, Mirror, Dabchick Association South Africa, ILCA, Sonnet, 505 and Optimist, drawing South Africa’s best sailors.

Representing Durban’s Point Yacht Club, Thomas (44) teamed up with Peter (41), who travelled from Johannesburg to compete in the 505 class – a high-performance, two-person trapeze dinghy renowned worldwide for its speed, technical demands and fiercely competitive racing.

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Strong winds and testing courses provided a challenge, but the Funke brothers handled the conditions expertly, winning five of the 10 races with 18 points.

The latest triumph adds to an already glittering sailing career for the Funke brothers. Sailing together for 25 years, they have competed in 10 world championships and 23 national championships, winning 12 national titles. Their best world championship result was an eighth-place finish in 2015.

Their path to victory was not without drama. A breakage in the opening race prevented them from finishing, but the brothers managed to repair the damage on the water and mount an impressive comeback in the remaining races.

The victory saw them edge out Royal Cape Yacht Club pair David Rae and Sean van Rensburg on a tiebreaker.

“It was great to return and be able to win against former world champions, and reclaim the title we last won in 2019,” said Thomas.

The championships also marked an important milestone for the next generation of the Funke family. Thomas’ sons, Gust (13) and Kai (10), completed their first WCDC, finishing 10th and 18th in their respective fleets.

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Gust sailed in the Dabchick class and was challenged by the depth of talent on display.

“The competition was very strong, but it was good fun to race against the Capetonians,” he said.

Kai, who competed in the Optimist class, relished the return to Atlantic conditions.

“I really enjoyed sailing in the Cape again. Conditions were good, but the waves were annoying,” he added.