Young South African sailing crew makes history in Cape2Rio race

The first complete crew from the Royal Cape Yacht Club Sailing Academy, made up of young individuals from marginalized communities, has made history by crossing the finish line of the 50th Cape2Rio yacht race in third position.

Alex Forbes crew take podium position. Picture: Alex Forbes

The Alexforbes ArchAngel arrived in Rio de Janeiro after a 3300 nautical mile ocean journey from Cape Town to Guanabara Bay, which lasted 24 days. The crew, consisting of 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 a view of the historic Robben Island and Nelson Mandela’s inspiring words, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

The final hours of the race saw Alexforbes ArchAngel and their closest competitor, Argonaut, neck and neck, with the former eventually beating the latter by 23 minutes. Sizatu expressed his gratitude to his crew, sponsor, and supporters, saying, ‘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 Alexforbes and our supporters. When we were down at sea, your support drove us. This one is for you.’

The Alexforbes ArchAngel crew have broken the stereotypes of race and class and demonstrated that people from diverse backgrounds can participate in sports like yachting, which were previously only accessible to the privileged few. Sizatu hopes to see an all-female crew from the Academy participating in a similar race in the future to empower women in the sport.

Viresh Maharaj, Alexforbes Executive, stated that the crew 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. Congratulations to our five heroes – you overcame your personal circumstances and defied society’s expectations by going boldly into this race.’

Sixteen teams, including South Africa, Brazil, India, Italy, and the United States of America, took part in the iconic golden anniversary race, with three boats withdrawing during the challenging event. The overall race was won by Atalanta, with Ray of Light in second position.