SPAIN: YACHT RACING: America´s Cup Team Shosholoza proudly represents modern South Africa

Shosholoza, the first African challenger for the America's Cup in the contest's 156-year history, is hoping to present to the world the brand "Proudly South African". The team name, Shosholoza, is a word with roots deep in South African culture. It is a work song with a long history with mine workers, and others engaged in hard, physical labour. As a word, it is understood to mean, 'go forward' or 'make way'. A traditional song of the same name was for decades a favourite with South African miners. Speaking in Valencia, Spain, ahead of the event, the team's strategist Ian Ainslie said he was confident his team was well trained and in full command of a boat with great potential. "I think it is safe to say we are in the middle of the fleet at least and I think that we are ready to start looking at the top teams to see if we can win a few races off them as well. We feel really confident about this year," Anise said. The management of Shosholoza aimed at having as many South Africans in the sailing team as possible, including a number of graduates from the Izivunguvungu MSC Foundation for Youth sail training school, in Simonstown, just up the coast from Cape Town. Bowman Golden Mgedeza and and Pitman Solomon Dipeere are among the first black professional sailors in South Africa. Shosholoza's strategist Ian Anise agreed to train the young talented sailors ten years ago and says he is delighted to have them in the team. Graduates from Izivunguvungu are also gradually filling the ranks both in the sailing crew as well as the shore crew. Mgedeza believes that the mixed team of sailors in the team will encourage more young people to start sailing sports. "Things are better now in South Africa, but in the sailing industry and in the sailing fraternity for sure it will make things better, having more black people come to sailing. It's their chance now," he said. Mgedeza's next goal is to participate in the Volvo Ocean Race. Reinhardt "Rhino" Rauscher is one of the the youngest talents in the sailing crew. In December 2004 he read that Shosholoza was still in need of heavyweight grinders. He was granted a three-month trial and has remained with the team. Rauscher knows that his team represents the future of South Africa. "Everyone can see that we are working together. Apartheid lies in the past and we work together. We understand each other well. I think it is very good," he said. Ainslie recalls that few black South Africans were sailing in South Africa when he started to train Golden Mgedeza and Solomon Dipeere ten years ago. He believes that Shosholoza's popularity in South Africa will help to make a difference. "It is just another barrier being broken down. You know, that people can see, oh, maybe it is a sport I can do and it's something that is not totally foreign. For sure it's a contributing to breaking barriers down and transforming the country." Pitman Solomon Dipeere hopes to be an example for others to start sailing. "Unfortunately sailing is not very popular in South Africa, you know. Only I'd say in the last three years it has become more popular because of us. Obviously it is quite an honour to show the world what is possible and what is not." After a slow start the South Africans displayed an impressive development in 2005 and achieved a surprising fifth place in the fleet races of 2005. At the end of 2006 Shosholoza defended 9th position ahead of United Internet from Germany and Team China. Shosholoza has continuously made and tested modifications to their boat RSA 83 in an effort to ensure its competitiveness. The South Africans will also have the luxury of competing in the first boat launched for the 2007 event and thus have the most tested boat for the 32nd America's Cup.

ITN Source | April 3, 2007

Tags:. .talents. .talented. .maybe. .germany. .defended