Sailboat Racing in Cape Town South Africa
- May 27
- 3 min read
Our daughter, Aria has been living in Cape Town, South Africa for the past few years. Her job allows her to work just about anywhere that has internet connection. She's been fortunate to travel to several places within the United States and several countries including Mexico, Colorado, Portugal, Egypt, Morocco, Spain and now South Africa.
A few years ago, Aria met a gentleman by the name of Henry when she first landed in Cape Town, SA. Henry's family owns the sailboat business that Aria and her friends chartered at the time for a day trip and they became quick friends. Henry added Aria and her boyfriend, Nic to a group of friends that he calls the "Sailing Club", which is a mix of South Africans and expats.
Henry had offered a crew competency course that Aria and Nic and two other friends participated in. Henry taught the four of them the basics of sailing and the different positions or roles while on the boat. Aria described as somewhat difficult but fun. She said you might be on the main sail at one time, trimming the sails another, or even one of two people pulling and releasing of ropes for tacks and jibs. The captain stays at the helm reading the wind and navigating, calling the tacks and jibs. She said sometimes there's also a navigator who might set the course for them but usually the captain does that himself. She said the helm responsibility is crucial and somewhat demanding, and she prefers trimming the sails. She loves that Nic can read the winds well and that it seems to come naturally to him.
I was not familiar with sailing or understood the nomenclature of the art, so I did a little internet research. For those unfamiliar with sailing, here's an illustration I found on https://improvesailing.com that might help:
Now that they have some experience, Henry brings in Nic and Aria as part of the crew on occasion when they bring paying tourists for sails. Henry's family owns three sailboats now - The Isabella, Moonshadow and a new boat named Warrior that are part of his families' business.
In addition to the sailboat charters, Henry's family is also opening a cafe in Cape Town, partnering with a Russian friend of theirs. The family recently and occasionally have tasting dinners with friends and family to test out and introduce new menu items they're considering introducing. Aria and Nic enjoy these opportunities to try out new foods - some of the tastings consists of 10 different courses!
As far as the sailboat races, they're mostly for fun, but sometimes for money. There's an iconic Cape to Rio Yacht race that started in 1971 with a South Atlantic trophy made of 18ct gold and sterling silver.
Usually, Henry and his crew in the Sailing Club participate in local Cape Town Wednesday night races just for fun.
Here are some more pictures from Aria and a couple of videos of one of the races. The sailboats pictured average 30-40 feet long and come within a few feet of one another, particularly when making the turns. Aria describes it as "chaotic" but so fun.
I hope you enjoyed this post and learning a little bit about sailing. It seems to be beautiful and competitive and absolutely exciting in my eyes.
I Love Watching The Sailboats When We Go To Lake Nockamixan. It's Probably Fun To Be On One Too.
How great a life your daughter is experiencing. Plus thanks for the sailboat leeso
I've never been on a sailboat this large but had a great experience with several "sunfish" sailing vessels. Very responsive and faster than you could imagine. Tons of fun.
I've always been fascinated how sailboats can sail against the wind. Looks like such a neat hobby.
Loved this post! Nothing better than a good sailboat race accompanied by strong winds and a dedicated crew! Aria is having the time of her life that most people only dream of.