Youths from Royal Cape Yacht Club Academy enters challenging Cape2Rio Race 2023
by The Royal Cape Yacht Club 1 Jun 2021 08:46 UTC
2 January 2023
RCYC Academy crew © RCYC
After many months of preparation and consideration, the Royal Cape Yacht Club and Iate Club do Rio de Janeiro are proud to announce the receipt of an entry that will be crewed by graduates of the Royal Cape Yacht Club's in-house Sailing Academy.
Formally established in 2012, the motivating factor of the RCYC Academy was to give marginalized communities access to the waters of Table Bay.
Some of the Academy's former graduates participated in the 2000 Cape2Rio Race on MTN Challenger and went on to represent South Africa at the 2007 Americas Cup in Valencia as part of Team Shosholoza.
The RCYC Academy is proud of its ongoing efforts to introduce sailing to kids across the diversity of South Africa's population. The Academy crew will sail on board "Gryphon" a Simonis 40-footer led by Skipper Sibusiso Sizatu.
The current crew list includes Olympic Sailor, Asenathi Jim and a talented group of sailors in Joweal Klaase, Thando Mntambo, Azile Arosi and Daniel Agulhas. Three reserves, Justine Peters, Lebogang January and Ovayo Myira are in place and this list may grow.
The Campaign Manager is Academy Director Lindani Mchunu, RSA representative on the World Sailing Trust, supported by long time Cape2Rio stalwart Bruce Tedder.
All the funding, marketing and PR of the Campaign will be in collaboration with the Valid Dreams Foundation, spearheaded by Mandisa Ngcobo as PR Manager of our Cape2Rio 2023 campaign.
"Valid Dreams Foundation is a non-profit organisation that is committed to creating social capital for talented dreamers in the African continent. We focus on identifying talent with a high growth potential that we can develop, add value and enable to realise their dreams and maximise opportunities in the world. We are committed to empowering the youth"- Mandisa Ngcobo.
Listen to Commodore Neil Gregory and Lindani Mchunu discussing the RCYC Academy's entry to the iconic Cape2Rio race, and how it came about.