Sibusiso Sizatu sails with his crew offshore Cape Town in preparation for the Cape2Rio race. Picture: Rodger Bosch/AFP
In a voyage that made history, the first complete crew from the Royal Cape Yacht Club Sailing Academy hailing from marginalised communities has crossed the finish line of the 50th Cape2Rio yacht race, after a thrilling battle to gain third position.
The dreams of five young South Africans came true on Thursday as their boat, the Alexander Forbes ArchAngel, arrived in Rio de Janeiro after 24 days and a 3 300 nautical mile ocean crossing from Cape Town to Guana bara Bay.
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Skipper Sibusiso Sizatu, 30, first mate Daniel Agulhas, 29, Renaldo Tshepo Mohale, 29, Azile Arosi, 22, and Justin Peters, 21, departed on 2 January, with the backdrop of the historic Robben Island reminding them of Nelson Mandela’s words: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
The final hours of Alexander Forbes ArchAngel’s race saw the boat neck and neck with their closest competitor, Argonaut, eventually beating them by 23 minutes.
“This is the achievement of our lives. So many years, so many obstacles, yet we kept moving forward. Thank you to my crew, the Royal Cape Yacht Club Academy, our sponsor Alexander Forbes and our supporters. Your support drove us,” said Sizatu.
“Crossing the meridian was a moment we won’t forget, as well as the last 16 hours, where we were all hands on deck racing for a podium position.”
Born into disadvantaged communities, the crew have broken stereotypes of race and class and demonstrated it is possible for people from diverse backgrounds to participate in sports such as yachting, previously accessible only to the privileged few.
Sizatu said in the future, he hoped to see an all-female crew from the academy doing a race of similar stature.
Viresh Maharaj, Alexander Forbes executive, said the team had made the country proud. “Sibu and his crew are an example to all of us that with the right support, determination and grit, dreams can and do come true.”
The Alexander Forbes ArchAngel crew have made history in the golden anniversary of the iconic race in which 16 teams lined up at the start, from South Africa, Brazil, India, Italy and the US.
READ MORE: From herder to sailor: Sibusiso Sizatu leads local team in Cape2Rio
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