KNYSNA NEWS - Sailing action will return to the Knysna Yacht Club this weekend, with the Interclub Regatta set to be held following a relatively quiet festive season in terms of sailing.
The Interclub Regatta is a major highlight of KYC's annual calendar, and presents a great way for sailors from all over to kick their year off with a fun yet competitive race in the Knysna Estuary.
The Interclub Regatta sees a welcome return to racing for local sailors, who enjoyed a bit of respite during the festive season.
This doesn't mean the yacht club wasn't busy though, as it hosted various events during this time, including a talk by South African sailor Kirsten Neuschäfer, the winner of the 2023 Golden Globe race.
The Golden Globe is an incredible test of the human spirit, taking sailors on a solo, non-stop unassisted trip right around the world. As if this wasn't a daunting enough task already, they must do so in boats and with equipment straight out of the 1960s.
Skippers depart Les Sables d’Olonne, France, and then embark on a trip of a lifetime.
They travel roughly 30 000 miles in about eight months, navigating some of the most beautiful but also some of the most treacherous waters in the world.
Neuschäfer achieved her feat last year, crossing the finish line on 27 April 27 2023, in a 36-foot sailboat named Minnehaha after 235 days without stepping off her boat.
Kirsten Neuschäfer conducting one of her talks at the yacht club.
In doing so she became the first woman to win a circumnavigation race, crewed or solo, that involves navigating the three great capes at the bottom of the world – Africa's Cape of Good Hope, Australia's Cape Leeuwin, and South America's Cape Horn.
Much like the waters she traversed, Neuschäfer is truly a force to be reckoned with, and is an inspiration to sailors not only in South Africa but right around the world too.
She in turn offered to conduct a talk at Knysna Yacht Club on 11 and 12 December.
While she was initially only meant to do one talk, popular demand meant the yacht club simply had to ask her to do an additional night, to which she kindly obliged.
Her talks were met with great enthusiasm by the local crowds, who gawked at her tales of her time at sea.
It was a packed house for each night of Kirsten Neuschäfer's talks.
Those who attended Neuschäfer's talks will undoubtedly be hoping to incorporate some of the lessons she learnt and shared when they take to the waters of the Knysna Estuary for the Interclub Regatta this weekend.
Racing will start at 12:00 on Saturday 20 January, and will run through the afternoon until about 17:00. Thereafter, on the second day, racing will in all likelihood start at 11:00 and continue until about 15:00.
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