With 4 boats and 55 students to date, members of the RCYC Sailing Academy are very excited to be taking part in the annual regatta which Club Mykonos has perfected for 24 years. The children who were chosen to take part in this year's event are willing and competent youth, that are eager to tackle bigger racing yachts for regattas, like that of the Mykonos Offshore Regatta.
The Mykonos Offshore Regatta will take place on Friday 28 February, where over 80 yachts will take part in the annual race from the Table Bay harbour, all the way to Club Mykonos on the West Coast.
The second pursuit race will take place the day after, on Saturday 1 March, and will be a fun race where fast yachts get to pursue slower yachts all the way to finish line. This will be followed by dinner and a generous prize giving that leads into a big party. All guests at the resort are more than welcome to join in on the celebrations.
The community driven academy promotes sailing and racing for young sailors, and gives underprivileged youth, both girls and boys alike, basic sailor training skills and social skills. These kids are aged 12-22 years, and are trained for one year. Thereafter they are qualified to crew on bigger yachts, or can choose to stay in the RCYC programme.
"The job opportunities that come from this initiative are huge for these kids; it not only encourages the community but also allows for personal growth where education and character is concerned. There is nothing more valuable than teaching children skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. We are honoured to have the academy participate in our regatta this year and are rooting for them", commented marketing manager, Michelle Goldschmidt.
The initiative aims to add on at least 20 new students to their team each year, and have the older and experienced team members train the younger ones.
Sailing Academy Manager, Harry Brehm added, "Since this is the first time that our students attempt the distance from Cape Town to Club Mykonos, it is a very proud moment for me and the rest of the RCYC team. It is not easy to get 26 foot long yachts across a distance as such, and requires extreme patience and all the skills that they were taught at the academy."
"This year some of the students will be able to boat up on their own, and we are extremely proud of our boys and girls, and happy that the Mykonos Offshore provides a platform from which the students can excel", ended Brehm.
For more, go to http://rcyc.co.za/sailing-events/mykonos-offshore-2014
