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Wednesday, November 06, 2013

The start of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from Table Bay

At the Rickety Bridge sponsorship launch,

John asked Ralph Mothes, owner of the Cape Town Sailing Academy,

for a ride on his yacht, Chantecler,

to see the start of the Cape to Australia leg of the race

So Pam steered us away from the Royal Cape Yacht Club

with a fair wind filling the sails

out into Table Bay

Ralph supervised his students setting the sails

a happy group of crew and passengers

After a short sail round the bay, we returned to the Waterfront

where Ralph steered us round while

we watched the racers passing through the cut

into the Victoria Basin

and out

into the bay

Lynne watched from the shore

Invest Africa, as the host country boat, was last to leave the Waterfront

The yachts formed a line to parade across the bay to the start line

near Milnerton Beach

They jockeyed for position before the start

and set off with the gun, fired from a Navy strike craft

and sailed on a course round the bay,

with those who'd studied the form taking the route round Robben Island

to catch the South Easter

and Ralph turned us

to head for home

and Chantecler's berth at the RCYC

A very big "Thank You" to Ralph Mothes and the Cape Town Sailing Academy

A tasting at Beau Constantia

The tasting room with views down the Constantia Valley and across False Bay to the far mountains

You can taste inside or outside on one of the comfortable terraces or go downstairs to relax in the Spa

Looking across to wine farms Constantia Glen and Eagle's Nest

They have vines going up the mountain almost to the top. Just planted right at the top are new sauvignon blanc grapes

Clean lines, cool comfort in the well designed tasting room. Lynne with Chantel Ball, Sales Manager just about to start the tasting

The menu

The wine list. All the wines are made by Justin van Wyk

Pas de Nom (Without a name) a white blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Semillon with the depiction of their quite renowned viticulturist Oom Japie Bronn who in his time has planted quite a few vineyards in Constantia and at Cape Point Vineyards, He likes to keep a low profile.

Three workers below in the vineyard trimming and training the spring green vines

Our tasting of six wines with the Mexican canapé platter. Of note was the sweet and delicious dolce de Leche (condensed milk) cake on the right. Now they need a sweet wine to match it. We particularly liked the award winning Cecily 2013 Viognier (named after Pierre du Preez wife, who is a Getty), full of sweet peaches and cream and so ready for spicy food; the flagship Lucca 2011 Merlot Cab Franc (named after their daughter) red blend which is smooth on the palate with good fruit and amami notes with a good minerality on the end.; and the 2011 Aiden (named after their son) a blend of Malbec, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with its elegant classic palate with good red fruits, chalky tannins and marmite notes from the Malbec. This needs time. The newly released Sauvignon Blanc also shows great potential.