Clipper Race: Six South African nationals set to sail into Cape Town after South Atlantic Challenge
by Clipper Race 1 Nov 07:36 PDT
Conditions faced on Stage 3: The Musto South Atlantic Challenge © Clipper Race
The Clipper Race fleet has had its second taste of the Atlantic and is on course for its next finish port of the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
One of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet, the unique Clipper Race sees ten teams of non-professional sailors battle extreme conditions as they race more than 40,000 nautical miles around the globe in a true test of fortitude and determination.
Having already made stops in Puerto Sherry, Spain and Punta del Este, Uruguay, Stage 3: Musto South Atlantic Challenge will see over 3,500 nautical miles of racing between the South American port and the fleet's stop in Cape Town, South Africa.
And what a race it has been, with the teams experiencing exhilarating downwind sailing, relentless waves, and cold, fast conditions as they surf towards Africa, in what has been described as "a race that has been nothing short of phenomenal" by Race Director Dale Smyth.
With few opportunities for respite and limited tactical options, this leg is all about strategy, endurance, and resilience. However, for the six South African nationals on board the fleet, it's got the added pride of a homecoming.
Sailing home, the long way, is 46-year-old Marcus Dayton, a Customer Relations Manager from Cape Town. Marcus set sail with Team London Business School from Portsmouth, UK on 31 August and when he arrives at his hometown will have more 10,000nm of sailing under his belt, having spent over 50 days at sea. Talking on departure from Uruguay, Marcus said: "Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. My team arrived in Uruguay in first place, and we plan on doing the same thing again.
"On the way here, we were working on our top speeds, and we hit almost 25 knots downwind, which is super exciting with the spray coming up in front of the boat. This time, we're going to try and get 30knots, that would be a dream come true.
"These boats are not cruising boats. You are continually fighting the boat, managing sail plans, trying to trim and get the boat sailing as quickly as possible, but at the same time thinking about getting on course, and not deviating too much. It's a challenge, but it's super, super exciting."
"As a team, we will definitely be hiking up Table Mountain and have a group photo looking out over the city bowl. We've got a trip to a wine farm planned in Constantia Valley, and I'm also taking them to my neck of the woods, away from the busy city and to one of the best breweries in town, Aegir Project."
The South Africans taking part in Stage 3: The Musto South Atlantic Challenge are:
- Marcus Dayton, 46, Customer Relations Manager | Cape Town | Legs 1&2 | Team London Business School
- Samuel Fourie, 20, Student | Pretoria | Circumnavigator | Team Warrant
- Matthew Hayes, 27, Design Engineer |Living in the UK | Legs 2&6 | Team Power of Seattle Sports
- Jakes van Strijp, 62, Attorney |Emelo | Leg 2 | Team Warrant
- Babra Ann van Strijp, 34, Business Development Manager | Sandton | Leg 2 | Team Warrant
- Nina Faure Beaulieu, 28, Marine Scientist | Cape Town | Leg 2 | Team Power of Seattle Sports
Capetonian Nina Faure Beaulieu, stepped on board her team yacht, Power of Seattle Sports, in Uruguay and the complete sailing novice will arrive home having taken on her first ocean crossing. Speaking on Race Start day, she said: "I'm quite nervous. I think when I arrive and see Table Mountain, and feeling the accomplishment of an ocean crossing, it will just feel incredible.
Nina shares the experience with her Mum, Nathalie, who is competing alongside her on the same team. Optimistic of her team's performance, she adds: "I think we are going to do pretty well! We are a strong team, and we have performed well on the first two stages. I'm confident!"
Stage 3 of the Clipper Race is certainly one for thrill seekers, with the South Atlantic serving up big swells and trade winds that can see boat speeds exceed 20 knots as teams surf their way down big waves. The spinnaker will feature heavily during this race, and teams who have already honed their spinnaker handling skills have great potential to climb the leaderboard.
There's often a lot of jostling for positions during Leg 2, and despite thousands of miles of racing, there have been plenty of photo finishes on the line in South Africa, keeping the energy and the action flowing from start to finish. And this race edition looking to be no exception. Armchair fans can watch the latest action as it unfolds over on the Live Race Tracker.
The fleet is due to arrive into port at the V&A Waterfront from 4 November, with opportunities to meet the fleet and its Race Crew on 11 and 12 November. More information here.
On departure from Punta del Este, the standings were:
1. GOSH // 30 points
2. Scotland // 18 points
3. London Business School // 17 points
4. Power of Seattle Sports // 15 points
5. Qingdao // 13 points
6. Washington, DC // 12 points
7. Tongyeong // 11 points
8. Yacht Club Punta del Este // 8 points
9. UNICEF // 5 points
10. Warrant // 3 points