Allspice Yachting sets sail for 2023 Ocean Globe Race led by skipper Rufus Brand
by Allspice Yachting 28 May 2023 02:19 PDT
Sterna at the start of the 2023 Cape 2 Rio Race (Sterna's qualifier for the OGR) © Michelle Kock
Adventure sailing company, Allspice Yachting, is excited to announce that Rufus Brand will be the skipper of their yacht, Sterna, for the upcoming Ocean Globe Race (OGR). With years of experience under his belt, Rufus is expected to lead the team to great success.
Half of the Allspice Yachting team recently set sail from the Caribbean making their way to the Ocean Globe Race start via the Azores. Onboard, for the first time, is South African born and raised sailor, Rufus Brand. He crewed on his first Atlantic crossing at the tender age of 18, and since then, has become a seasoned sailor, having professionally skippered and crewed on various sailing vessels around the world. Rufus' extensive experience includes working on a 38ft steel monohull to a 139ft tall ship.
When asked what it means to him to participate in the Ocean Globe Race, Rufus said, "To achieve your goals and dreams, you have no other choice than to step far outside of your comfort zone and into the adventure." Rufus hopes to expand on his interest in offshore racing and to accomplish his dream of circumnavigation by joining Allspice Yachting's OGR campaign.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rufus, a capable and resourceful skipper, to our OGR campaign" Gerrit Louw, Allspice Yachting's managing director and OGR entrant said. "Rufus' experience and passion for sailing make him the perfect fit for our team. He is an excellent sailor and we are confident in his ability to lead the diverse international team onboard Sterna safely and successfully around the world in the Ocean Globe Race."
Allspice Yachting is an entrant in the Ocean Globe Race, a global round-the-world sail race set to start on 10 September 2023 in Southampton. The competition requires crews of 6 or more sailors to sail 30,000 nautical miles around the world, using only the navigational equipment that was available in 1973, the same year as the inaugural Whitbread Race.
Allspice Yachting is the only South African entrant and will be competing in the Adventure Class. The OGR is the sister event of the Golden Globe Race that South African Kirsten Neuschäfer recently triumphantly won. As they eagerly anticipate the commencement of the Ocean Globe Race in September 2023, the team behind the company is working tirelessly to ensure that everything is in place for the crew and onboard Sterna, to complete this daunting challenge.
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