Sports Reporter
Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Peace Mabe has congratulated the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) Sailing Academy after its youth-crewed yacht, Alexforbes Angel Wings, won first place on handicap in the 2025 Cape2Rio Yacht Race.
The team – from Masiphumelele, Khayelitsha, Grassy Park, and Athlone — completed the 3300 nautical miles of transatlantic crossing in 19 days, overcoming technical challenges in the Atlantic Ocean to secure a result that drew national attention and boosted South Africa’s profile in elite offshore sailing.
“This victory is about far more than winning a race,” said Mabe on Sunday.
“It is about young sailors who were given the platform to apply their training in a real-world environment, make critical decisions in difficult conditions, and support one another when things did not go according to plan. The RCYC Sailing Academy, through this team, has shown the world what South African youth can achieve when talent is matched with structure, discipline and belief.”
The deputy minister said the Cape2Rio Yacht Race remained one of South Africa’s most prestigious offshore sporting events, requiring stamina, technical skill, psychological resilience and the ability to navigate unpredictable sea and weather systems over thousands of nautical miles.
Official race communications showed the crew held a strong advantage for much of the race and remained competitive after a boom failure during a gybe in the early hours of Saturday, January 10, while leading by about 25 hours. After an assessment, the team continued racing by re-hoisting the mainsail without a boom.
“What stands out about this achievement is not only the result, but the manner in which it was achieved,” said the deputy minister.
“It speaks to the maturity of a young crew that stayed focused, calm and strategic under pressure. This is a victory that belongs to the team, their coaches, their families, the RCYC Sailing Academy, and every South African who believes in the power of sport to transform lives.”
Quoting from the Constitution, Mabe said South Africa was founded on values that include “human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.”
“These are not abstract words in a document,” she said. “They are a national promise. And we honour that promise when young South Africans — regardless of background — are given fair access to opportunity, the support to grow, and the chance to excel, including in sporting spaces that shape their futures.”
“This is a victory for all South Africans and it deserves to be recognised as one of the year’s significant international sporting achievements,” she said.
“It is especially meaningful that this result comes from a youth crew that demonstrated courage, composure and collective responsibility in one of the world’s most unforgiving sporting environments.”
“The RCYC Sailing Academy has delivered a result that will inspire the next generation. Alexforbes Angel Wings are champions, and their story will encourage young South Africans to dream bigger, train harder, and believe that they belong on the world stage.”
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