First Lim woman in Clipper race

Charlotte Maila from Dennilton on Sunday embarked on a life-changing experience as the first female selected to sail across the Pacific Ocean in leg six of the famous Clipper 2015/16 Round the World Yacht Race.
She has already left Qingdao in China to race nearly 6 000 nautical miles across the notorious North Pacific Ocean to Seattle in the USA, spending more than a month at sea. Having never been on board a boat before joining the race, Maila is one of eight young South Africans aged 18 to 23 chosen to take part in the world’s longest ocean race as part of the Sapinda Rainbow Foundation.
Maila, in a recent press release from the Clipper Race media office was quoted to have said she was excited to join fellow crew members. “I am looking forward to learning and working with people from different backgrounds, cultures and religions,” she said.
Charlotte has joined the IchorCoal entry, one of only 12 ocean racing yachts racing across the longest and most challenging leg of the race. Teams are expected to face tough conditions with towering waves, howling winds, and high speed surfs on the world’s largest and deepest ocean in 12 feet long clippers.
The ambassadors were shortlisted to take part in the race from nearly 200 applicants by the Sapinda Rainbow Foundation and come from a wide range of backgrounds across South Africa. The opportunity, funded by the foundation, aims to provide personal development skills to the ambassadors that they can give back into their communities and use to inspire others. They will be supported by mentors beyond their Clipper Race experience to help them pursue their career goals.
Each ambassador is taking part in a leg of the race and this year the Sapinda Rainbow Foundation crew members will help to raise awareness and funding for innovative research into the long term effects of HIV treatment by the Ndlovu Care Group in Limpopo.
“I think this experience will have a big impact on me and my community. I think it will show that you can achieve anything if you take one opportunity at a time. I want to show people that you must face challenges for you to grow, you have to fail before you succeed.”

Photo: Supplied – Charlotte Maila from Dennilton just before the start of a 6 000 nautical mile journey from Qingda, China as part of the sixth leg of the Clipper 2015/16 Round the World Yacht Race.

RC Myburgh
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