Words from Team SA about the Race...

"My highlight was climbing the mast. It was so great for me, because while I was climbing, I felt I could overcome everything and I could achieve everything only if I worked hard on it!"
Belinda Mabilwana, 21, Langa

"When you are up there on the mast, you feel you are on top of the world!" Daphné Jacobs, 17, Ocean View

"This trip has been so much more than I ever imagined, the experience on the open sea has surpassed my wildest imagination. A feeling of freedom, of utopia, of real paradise!" Sarah Enticott, 22, Constantia

"It is a very liberating thing, a very exciting and emotional privilege that I can be here, it's really cool!" Bettina Kabutz, 26, Bantry Bay

Our sincerest thanks to all who made this initiative possible! In particular the team thanks:
Sailtraining International, UK; At Sea Sail Training, Netherlands; MSC Foundation for Youth; Kathy Ackerman Robins and David Robins/ The Ackerman Family Foundation; Gill Jensen; Ian Gelderblom; Sanna Räisänen and friends; Tanja Vollperg; Jeremy Bagshaw/Penny Pinchers; Sarum Engineering; Manex Marine; Design Ahead Productions

Please join the team for the "Homecoming Celebration" on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 at False Bay College, Westlake Campus! For more information contact Anja: cwet.volunteer@gmail.com

Team SA is back from the Tall Ships' Race 2007

On Tuesday at 21.27pm - the KLM plane has landed: the girls Belinda, Daphné and Sarah-Leigh arrived at the Cape Town airport. There was a huge welcome committee to greet the girls - familiy, friends and the members of Cape Windjammers Education Trust as well as Izivunguvungu MSC-Foundation for youth. All were very happy to see each other and many hugs and kisses were exchanged.


Next weekend there will be a follow-up workshop for the team SA. In this workshop the girls will report back from the race and tell us and the back up team what they have experienced. Watch this space to read what they have to say! The next important date, which you have diarize is the 4th September. This will be your opportunity to meet the team and to hear and see it all yourself - the team will give a report back to the public about the race and their experience. There will be lots of pictures to see and lots of stories to be told. The event will be on the premises of the False Bay College/Boat Building Academy. Watch this space for more details or contact Anja at cwet.volunteer@gmail.com.

Team South Africa in Helsinki and Kotka

On Thursday around 5pm Sarah, Belinda and Daphne arrived to Helsinki airport where Bettina was to meet them. I met them all at the bus station and carrying the luggage through the city we made it to the hotel!!

On Thursday we wandered around the city a bit and had a lovely dinner in a little Chinese restaurant and then it was time for bed. 11pm and still light outside, the girls could not believe it.

Friday morning we took a stroll around the Kauppatori market where we were amused by the Finnish fur hats and circus woman with cats and a poodle and also bought some little souvenirs. After that headed to the bus station to get our luggage and buy some lunch before it was time for our bus to Kotka!!

When we arrived to sunny Kotka there was someone to meet us at the bus station and we got a lift to the harbour where the magnificent sight of hundreds of mast was waiting. Europe was still open for public for another hour so we left the bags on boards and went to have a look of the world biggest tall ship, the Russian ship Sedov, impressive. 5pm we could board on Europa. After all the signing in there was little bit of time to practise the gumboot dance and chat before the dinner was ready and it was my time to leave back to Helsinki. I wish I would have a place on Europa too, it looked like there was really nice crew and the girls will have an awesome adventure ahead!!

After all the planning and preparation it was great to see the team South Africa on board of Europa in Kotka.I’ve been so glad to be part of all this. All the best for their journey on Baltic ocean!!

Sanna, CWET volunteer 2006