Shalin Naidoo.
Image: Dwayne Senior
TWO young sailors, Shalin Naidoo and McKayla Marx, recently won the junior category of the Midmar Dam endurance challenge, showcasing their skills and teamwork in a six-hour race.
Shalin, 16, and McKayla, 14, claimed top honours in the 6-Hour Classic Fleet, sharing helming duties on an ILCA 4 dinghy in what was their first time sailing together as a team. The Henley Midmar Yacht Club hosted the endurance challenge.
For Shalin, a Grade 10 pupil at Durban High School, the win was the result of years of dedication to the sport.
“My family and I joined the Point Yacht Club after seeing them advertise sailing. My dad suggested that since I was interested in water sports, I should give sailing a try. I decided to try it out and quickly developed a passion for the sport.”
Shalin, of Manor Gardens, explained that the endurance race demanded physical and mental resilience.
“I have sailed the 9-Hour event for the past few years. The race is all about endurance and maintaining focus for long periods of time. It can become challenging, especially because the weather and wind conditions can change throughout the race."
His sailing journey began with formal training through Sail Africa, where he completed the full dinghy sailing course. He later progressed to youth sailing at Point Yacht Club and further honed his skills through training at Midlands Sailing School.
“Since then, I have competed in five Youth Nationals, three in the optimist class and two in the laser class. I have also competed in the J22 class, where I ranked first in KZN for juniors. At the J22 Nationals, my crew was the youngest in the fleet.”
Despite their individual experience, the Midmar race marked the first time Shalin and McKayla had teamed up in competition.
“My crew mate and I partnered for the first time for this race. We relied on the knowledge and experience we had gained through training and previous competitions to achieve the result we wanted,” he said.
Shalin Naidoo.
Image: Supplied
The pair entered the junior endurance event, which required careful planning and teamwork.
“Before the race, my teammate and I discussed our plan for the entire six hours. We made sure we were organised and prepared, and our plan worked out very well during the race.
“We both have different sailing techniques and styles, which helped us adapt during the race. These differences actually helped us improve our performance and complete more laps.”
Changing wind conditions added to the challenge on the water.
“When the wind started picking up, it became more difficult to manage the boat and maintain control. We stayed focused, pushed through the conditions and tried to complete as many laps as possible."
Shalin said he trusted his teammate completely during the race.
“Nothing really surprised me because I trusted my teammate with my boat and with the race. I was surprised and very happy. We both gave it our best effort, and we honestly did not expect to finish in that position.”
Reflecting on the race, he said the lighter wind early in the event helped the team build momentum.
“Racing at Midmar was good. We placed first in our division which I am chuffed with. The first two hours were fantastic as the wind was much lighter. We completed as many laps as we could, about 12 to 13. Then as the wind got heavier and we couldn’t manage. We called it a day.”
Shalin credited much of his progress in sailing to the support of his father.
“My father has been my biggest mentor and supporter. He prepares me for my competitions, and makes the time and financial sacrifices to keep me sailing."
The victory has further fuelled his ambitions in the sport.
“This result has motivated me to push even harder and continue working toward achieving my goals in sailing. My goal is to improve my rankings in KZN regattas and continue gaining experience in upcoming competitions."
He also encouraged other young sailors to persevere in the sport.
“Keep going and do not give up. The first one or two years will be the toughest, but if you push your limits and train hard, the results will eventually come,” he said.