CAPETONIAN Kirsten Neuschäfer became the first woman and South African to win the Golden Globe Race, sailing around the world non-stop on a yacht.
Neuschäfer won the race, which ended on Thursday after 235 days alone at sea in a tiny fibreglass boat, crossing the finish line a day ahead of her closest rival.
The race, launched in 1968 with nine men starting and only one finishing, is known as the voyage of madmen. It is a roughly 8-month solo, non-stop, around the world race, where you carry all of your own provisions that you will need from the start to the finish of the race.
Participants are not allowed to use most modern electronics to find their position at sea, relying instead on celestial navigation.
Speaking at the post-race presentation, Neuschäfer said she was very happy to see all the people and the extraordinary atmosphere.
“Of all my adventures, I think that the arrival here with the crowd, the enthusiasm, was the most memorable.
“My boat was my companion. I talked to him a lot. I even got angry with her, but I love her very much.
“It's a fast, elegant boat, on which I worked a lot for a year,” she said.
“I had the will to win as soon as I registered for the race, and I made all my preparations accordingly. I wanted to win, not as a woman. I didn't want to be in a separate category but to compete on equal terms with all the skippers.
“I didn’t think about the long-term future but more about what I wanted to do in the near future. I want to go on long hikes in the wilderness with my dog for a few months," said Neuschäfer.
According to Chris Bertish, who is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, big wave surfer, Guinness SUP World Record holder, and conservationist, Neuschäfer is a fairly unknown woman sailor from South Africa, but this is all about to change.
“It’s one of the most amazing and inspiring stories and feats of any sporting icon in the last decade, and the fact that she is the first and only woman in the race, is from South Africa, and won it, makes it even more powerful, empowering, and impactful. We as South Africans need to get behind this South African hero and support and celebrate her victory as one of the truly iconic feats and expeditions it is," said Bertish.