DURBAN SKI BOAT FESTIVAL 2013 (April 27th & 28th)
03 May 2013
Amazing weather and great expectations had everyone in high spirits at the start the Durban Skiboat Festival this year. By mid-Friday afternoon anglers started pouring into the Club to register and collect their “goodie” bags ahead of the briefing which took place in a very festive atmosphere in the huge marquee alongside.
This is one of the biggest and most popular events on the fishing calendar and the 429 boats waiting for the massed start off Vetchies” made for a spectacular sight in the early morning sunlight.
Though fishing was rather slow there were some good weights recorded among the Cuta (and species fish) in line for fantastic prizes – generously sponsored by several boating and outdoor companies (among others). These included the Cuta in 20th spot at 12.9kg caught by Brett Laxon right through to the biggest one of the weekend caught on the first day, a 28.3kg beauty.
To the envy of every other angler, winning youngster Patrick Bittberner (20), Johannesburg, took home the SeaCat 520 skiboat with twin 60HP two-stroke Yamaha motors, a Lowrance HDS-5x complete with transducer, 4 x rods and 4 x reels and One Year Complimentary insurance from Club Marine Insurance and other prizes – all worth R400 000. And he’s not parting with this boat – taking delivery on Thursday morning.
Patrick and his crew on “Double Trouble” had also backed themselves for a win and also scored a R10 000 cash prize. What a win!
1309 anglers gave everything to beat this big fish but the only one to come close Alistair Harris with his 23.1kg Cuta. Other catches in the prize stakes included a 12.2kg Cuta – won by top Junior Jon-Roy Ayliffe and Noleen Turner took the Top Lady prize with her 9.8kg Cuta.
Troy Gordon’s 9kg Queenfish won one of the Species prizes along with Gregan Nicholas’s 11.2kg Wahoo and Richard Randal’s 8kg Dorado – to mention a few.
Family and friends who’d enjoyed the beach in the brilliant weather all weekend - joined the happy prize winners for prize giving on Sunday evening. Fabulous lucky draw prizes eased the disappointment for some of the anglers – who were the happy recipients of an amazing variety of items from toolkits, to cell phones, fishing rods and reels and much more.
