Saturday 9th August 2008: False Bay Yacht Club hosted their annual Dinghy Long-haul. We entered Draco [Active 15 # 001] flying the regatta rig. Greg and I weighed in at 185 kgs, probably the heaviest crew of all. We managed a convincing first overall and on handicap, against all comers.

This Easter weekend Greg & I sailed the prototype Active 15 [Draco] in the “O” class series of the WP championships.

It was a pity that more of the class owners were not able to make it this year; being the only Active 15 made it a little lonely, something to do with the fact that Easter was early; so with no one to compare notes on boat performance etc.

In spite of this we had a remarkable regatta.

?It floats! It sails!!? said my SMS to Doug on Tuesday the 4th of January.
Sunday the 2nd was just too windy for a launch at MAC so we packed our camping gear (in the boat) and headed off on our annual holiday in Sedgefield.

Shooting the Breeze: Reprinted Courtesy of Popular Mechanics

October 2004

Story and pictures by Sean Woods
IT'S 20 years since a two-person performance dinghy of the Active 15's calibre was conceived, designed and built in South Africa. Predictably, its arrival is spreading ripples of interest throughout the sailing community.

Hi All fellow Active 15 Sailors. Spring is here and the sailing season is about to get underway. MAC has published their spring sailing calender and hopefully we can get Friday afternoon training sail session sup and running again as from the first Friday in October. click read more for more info on the calender and newsletter!!!

Active 15 sailors on a J27? well it is the closest to a dinghy in a keelboat! The active 15 Sailors in question are Charles, Greg, and Trygve with additional Crew in the Form of Tyran, Waldo and Simon, competed in a wet wild and blustery round Robben Island pursuit race in a northwesterly gale. It was the same conditions that led to the postponment of the Bay to Bay Race.

Ahoy sailors - a group of enthusiastic sailors gathered at FBYC today Sunday 24 June for this new & adventurous sail race - however, the NSRI advised not putting to sea, due to the bad weather increasing in intensity. As safety is of paramount importance, when putting to sea, it was agreed by all to postpone the race to Sunday 1st July 2007

BAY TO BAY LONGHAUL
This event is aimed at the Dinghy classes as upposed to the Cats. The organisers indicate that the course is going to be something along the following: Simons Town to Roman Rock to Dixies to Fishoek and if posisble a rest stop in Kalk Bay Harbour, then Return race to Simonstown, or round a mark in Kalk Bay and straight back to Simonstown. Course will be confirmed on the day tho.

Safety Equipment required usal sailing gear plyus, cell phone in waterproof pouch if you have one, pencil flares (not mandatory but advisable). they will have the NSRI sheparding th event and potentially the Navy as well.

The event is scheduled for the 23 and with the 1st July as alternative date if weather is poor.

INTER-CLUB FUN REGATTA - THEEWATERS. 29 - 30 September 2007
All Classes. Plenty Camping. Galley Closed but Bar Open. Great Venue.
Further info: Peter Colbank on 082 651 7368 or pcolebank@telkomsa.net

Perhaps we can organise a contingent of Active's for this regatta.

This winter season there is the opportunity to sail in Simon’s Bay from the naval yard. This affords us the space to pace boats and prove out rig and trim settings, compare technique and boat handling, get those trapezing skills developed; and simply enjoy the space and moderate wind conditions offered by the bay at this time of the year.

Cruising for a Bruising! Article By Trygve Roberts
It’s been a while (OK, a VERY long time – 1999 to be exact) since I last helmed a dinghy and whilst I have hopped in and out of a variety of boats over the past thirty years, my speciality was the Mirror dinghy. The transition from Mirrors to an Active 15 is a bit like a Jack Rusell - Greyhound comparison, so it was with a fair amount of trepidation that I accepted an offer from Charles Crosby to steer his Active 15 in the recent Western Cape Dinghy Championships at Saldanha Bay.

Article written by Tryve Roberts for his J27 website copied here on his experiences on sailing an Active 15 for the first time!
This item doesn't really belong here on a J27 site, but in a bizarre sort of way, I guess it does - especially considering that I have become one with Smackwater Jack, dedicated to racing this boat, I find myself at odds when I helm a different design. Always I compare performance to the J27.

This happens in my subconscious on every test sail I do (evaluating boats for SAILING magazine). So how is it possible to compare a J27 to a 50 foot luxury cat?
It affects my perspective. It is my yardstick on boats.