The Clipper Round-the-World Race just passed through San Francisco in the midst of the latest iteration of the 44,000 mile race. We’ve felt a strong connection to the race over the past for several reasons; this is their fourth trip around the planet with a stop in our home sailing waters of San Francisco, the last few times the boats have all been signed up and sailing for Summer Sailstice usually in the North Atlantic and it’s an all amateur effort of stupendous proportions.
The all-amateur concept continuously shatters the myth of human limitations in sailing with a high proportion of the crew who’ve never even sailed prior to racing around the world. Additionally, it has done a tremendous job mixing cultures, countries and people through their global sailing challenge.
Invest Africa
This year I met Nqoba Maswazi who sailed aboard Invest Africa as one of the many native South Africans who had a chance to do a leg, in his case from Qingdao, China to San Francisco. While most of the local South Africans who are sailing aboard have never sailed and, in fact, some had never seen the ocean, Nqoba (you’ll have to ask him how to say that!) has actually done quite a bit of sailing out of Durban, raced the 600 mile Vasco da Gama race with the Royal Natal Yacht Club and teaches sailing at SailAfrica.org.
Aboard 'Invest Africa' with Nqoba Mswazi.
While here Nqoba connected with the America’s Cup when community outreach organizer, Kelly Cowden, offered him some Oracle America's Cup gear and this statement, "Please let this Oracle Team USA gear be a reminder that many other younger sailors such as yourself have set out for greatness in sailing, and have achieved it. Just as it is one of our missions of the America's Cup to grow the sport of sailing, we hope you take your enthusiasm back to your community to do the same. Inspiring youth to take to the open waters is an amazing and unique gift that you can share. On behalf of America's Cup, I wish you the very best of luck as you pursue your goals."
The America’s Cup brought an enormous amount of attention to sailing but it’s events such as the Clipper Race and people like Nqoba who can make it a reality. Obviously they’re two very different games but it’s fantastic to have an event such as the Clipper Race to demonstrate the opportunity sailing offers to so many. Yes, you too could close up the computer, turn of the smart phone, push back from your desk, sign up and sail around the world with the Clipper Race – or just do a leg or two.
Overall it is the diversity in both people and boats that makes sailing so interesting. The foiling America’s Cup boats and their crews were awesome to watch but just one piece in the global tapestry that makes up sailing. The cloth from which sailors are woven goes from cotton to carbon and the boats and people vary spectacularly.
It is the Clipper Round-the-World race’s effort to inspire people and, as they say it is, Ordinary people doing extraordinary things! And sailing’s always done that with the Polynesians populating the South Pacific, Columbus sailing across the Atlantic and Joshua Slocum’s singlehanded circumnavigation of the planet. These are all examples of pushing human boundaries.
And the founder, Sir Robin Knox Johnson, started pushing boundaries when he became the first person to sail singlehanded, non-stop around the world. When you get down to the docks of the Clipper Race you see many more boundaries being pushed – as a business it’s a colossal undertaking. Can you imagine owning, operating and maintaining a fleet of 12 one-design, 72 foot, ocean racers crewed by amateurs on a race around the world? we’d imagine if you submitted that business plan to some Silicon Valley venture capitalists you’d be laughed out of the room. But it’s lasted lots longer than many venture backed enterprises staffed with the ‘smartest guys in the room’.
And Nqoba? He’s already back in South Africa after his 5,000 mile sail across the Pacific. He’s teaching sailing and dreaming of his next chance to cross oceans with the Clipper Race. And, it’s Summer Sailstice’s dream to connect all these people in a global celebration of sailing. Hop on board!
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'Invest Africa' and 11 other Clipper Boats should be just about finishing in Derry Londonderry on Summer Sailstice.
Want to join the next Clipper Race? Stop in and say hi when you're in San Francisco.
All Photos Ellen Hoke Photography
The boats sailed out of San Francisco Bay on Saturday, April 19th on another 5,000+ mile leg to New York via the Panama Canal and Jamaica.
We were invited aboard 'Switzerland' by line supplier Marlow for an afternoon sail aboard Switzerland. There's a lot of line aboard a fleet of 12 72' sailboats!
As we write (4/25/14) 'Switzerland' skipper Vicki Ellis (the only woman skipper) is vying for the lead on the leg to Panama and stands in 5th place overall. You can check out the 'leaderboard' here.
