Governor’s Cup Yacht Race preparations underway

by Polly Tyekiff on 7 Dec 2012 With just sixteen days to go before the Governor’s Cup Yacht Race gets underway, the build-up has already begun with St Helena Governor, Mark Capes, visiting False Bay Yacht Club, the starting point of the race, to collect the Governor’s Cup trophy ready to take back to St Helena to present to the winning team when the race finishes in January.

False Bay Yacht Club’s General Manager, Billy Leisegang presented the glass-cut race trophy to the Governor at a handing over ceremony, which took place in Jubilee Square in Simon’s Town last week (27th November).

Commenting during the trophy presentation, Governor Capes said, 'I’m very grateful to Colleen Liell-Cock, Chair of the Organising Committee, and Billy and his team at False Bay Yacht Club for their tremendous efforts to prepare for the race to St Helena and the great spirit of friendship they bring to all their dealings with their counterparts in St Helena.

'The Governor’s Cup Yacht Race is a demanding and exciting international sporting event, calling for excellent seamanship skills and not a small amount of courage to tackle over 1,700 miles of often unpredictable weather and seas, with fast downhill sailing.

'For everyone taking part in this race it will be, I’m absolutely sure, a tremendous personal experience and achievement. As the Governor’s Cup approaches, excitement is mounting in St Helena. There is a real buzz about the place in anticipation of the 19 teams coming to visit in early January. All participants will get a very warm welcome, and I wish everyone participating in the race kind seas and safe sailing.'

The Governor’s Cup Yacht Race is a downwind 1,700 nautical mile ocean yacht race organised jointly by the St Helena Yacht Club and False Bay Yacht Club, and starts from Simon’s Town, South Africa on Saturday 22nd December. With the entry deadline now closed, this year’s Governor’s Cup Race sees 19 boats entered with over 90 crew and supporters taking part in this unusual race to one of the world’s most remote and extraordinary islands.

The boats are overtaken en route by the Royal Mail Ship St Helena, which carries friends, relatives and the race management team, arriving prior to the first of the leading yachts, which are anticipated to cross the finish line around 31st December 2012. After a programme of activities taking place in St Helena, the majority of the participating sailors and their yachts are booked on to the RMS St Helena’s departure from the island on 11th January 2013, arriving back in Cape Town on 16th January – to enjoy a relaxing cruise home with many of the other crews and plenty of post race Governors Cup website