Durban’s Nqoba ready for round the world yacht race

DURBAN yacht club, the Royal Natal Yacht Club, bids a fond farewell to young Nqoba Mswazi as he heads off to Qingdao in China to compete in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

The accomplished sailor who grew up in Umgababa flies out to the port of Qingdao on the east coast of China to join the fleet of 12 Clippers that are currently sailing around the world. Mswazi will be racing on one leg in the tenth race of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race that will take about four or five weeks to sail to San Francisco. He is one of the more experienced crew members on the yacht, Invest Africa.

Mswazi, a regular sailing personality nicknamed ‘The Machine’, competes in all of the local races offshore of Durban and has only sailed in two international races prior to his upcoming Pacific crossing. He competed in the Colorpress Vasco da Gama Race from Maputo to Durban last year and early on his sailing career he raced in the Round Creole Island Race in Reunion.

“The first international race I competed in in Reunion, my mentor Sean Jones and I competed in a class that we knew little about but learnt a lot. It was the F18 class, a big hobie cat, we came third last but my passion for sailing ignited there,” he said.

Asked what he is most nervous about for his upcoming adventure, he quickly states, “the cold!”

Having just turned 21, he celebrated this milestone in Portsmouth when he was there for his Clipper training. Mswazi certainly has a bright future ahead of him in the sport of sailing.

The Rear Commodore for the Royal Natal Yacht Club, Rob Samways, said: “We wish Nqoba well, he will grow in leaps and bounds with this opportunity. I personally am looking forward to his return as he will be crewing on our yacht Sticky Fingers in this year’s Vasco da Gama Race. His fresh experience will work wonders for us.”

The tough 5,800 nautical mile race begins on Sunday 16 March and is a monster of a leg. Once leaving the safety of the port, the clippers will be weaving around local fishing boats offshore of China battling with the renowned fog that hovers off the coastline of China. The cold winter conditions will challenge the fleets in the first week at sea as snow will be a regular feature on the decks.

Mswazi and his team will have to read the weather carefully as they cross the largest ocean in the world. Will they sail close to the rhumb line, the shortest route that you can sail and run the risk of light winds or head north for a colder but stronger ride east?

Invest Africa’s estimated arrival is around 15 April.

“I am looking forward to the privilege of sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. The sailors that I have spoken to have talked highly about the feeling that you get gliding underneath it, the magical sight of San Francisco coming into focus after weeks at sea,” Mswazi concluded.

For more info on the race, visit https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/ or visit the Royal Natal Yacht Club site www.rnyc.org.za