Affectionately known as “Lospoot”, Footloose was moved down to Port Owen from Gariep Dam by her current owner in 2017. Blokkies Loubser has since made many very enjoyable trips in her up and down the West Coast. While certainly not set up as a racing machine, the policy on “Lospoot” is that whenever there is another yacht in the vacinity, and it is sailing in the same direction, there is a race.

 
The crew consists of 3 retired “Gentlemen” and one not retired “Oke”. That statement says it all with regards the foredeck work.  I’m Blokkies Loubser, the owner of L34 Footloose. I played with windsurfers and a 16ft Spearhead while studying at PUK Vaalriver campus during the 80’s. Started sailing again for fun on the Vaaldam when we bought a H23 called Dignity in 2008. We then found Footloose on the Gariepdam in 2015 and sailed there during holidays until we moved Footloose to Port Owen in December 2017. Completed one Mykonos Race (damaged a furler on the previous attempt) and participated in 3 x West Coast Cruises. I also had the opportunity to crew on the delivery trip of “Ray of Light” from Rio to RCYC earlier this year. Looking forward to preparing Footloose for her first international race!!!

I’m Ross Holland, the non-retired “oke” on Footloose. I started sailing a “Duckling” sailing dinghy at age 12 (basically a bathtub with a mast and a mainsail), and then graduated to messing around in a Mirror dinghy (that I still own) at about 16, sailing mainly on Swartvlei near Sedgefield, and later in Hout Bay during university days. Started sailing keel boats in 2016 after signing up for a comp crew and day skipper course and upgraded to a Coastal and Yachtmaster ticket in 2021/2022. Purchased Flamingo, a Fortuna 37, in April 2017 and embarked on a gruelling 2-year restoration and refit. Flamingo has been sailed on the west coast since re-launch in April 2019, including one West Coast Cruise. The non-retired “oke” has also crewed on the Simonis 35 “Tam Tam” for the 2021 NVest Securities Sail-Boat Classic hosted by Buffalo River Yacht Club in East London, as well as the 2022 edition of the Vasco Da Gama Ocean Race.

I am Ian Mackintosh. I have been sailing for 50 years having started in dinghies at the age of 14. I have won several provincial and national championships and together with my brother represented South Africa at the World Mirror Championships in 1976. I began sailing keelboats on Vaaldam in the 1980’s and transitioned to coastal sailing (mostly cruising the KZN coast) in the early 90’s. I completed the Cape to Rio race in 2000 and settled on the west coast in 2013 sailing from Port Owen on his Holiday 23. I have successfully completed many cruises and races up and down the west coast as well as to Tristan da Cunha’s and Gough Island. I am the immediate past Commodore of POYC and hold a Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate.

I’m Derek Robinson, the skipper of Footloose for the Diamond Coast Race 2024. I was introduced to sailing by my wife, Sharyn in the early 70’s, and sailed at Boskop Dam ( North West Province ) until 2013. My first experience of sailing on the West Coast was in a Macgregor 26 taking part in the West Coast Cruise of 1997. We graduated to a Holiday 23 in 2001 and had the pleasure of sailing this amazing little boat anywhere on the coast between Bazaruta, Mozambique, and Port Owen, on the West Coast. My first experience of crossing an ocean only happened this year when I had the pleasure of crewing on Ray of Light on her return trip from Rio.