Reaction wins the Governor’s Cup

Following a successful Governor’s Cup Yacht Race, winning entry, Reaction, was loaded on to the RMS St Helena for its return to Cape Town. Eight of the participating yachts, their crews and supporting friends and family enjoyed a five day relaxing cruise, filled with post-race parties.

The journey, from the island of St Helena back to Cape Town, South Africa was enjoyed onboard one of the last operating Royal Mail Ships, the St Helena. Commenting on the unique journey, Billy Leisegang, the Governor’s Cup principal race officer, said, “It certainly is quite a sight to see so many of the competing yachts stacked on to the RMS for the return journey to Cape Town!”

The Governor’s Cup Yacht Race is a bi-annual downwind 1,700 nautical mile ocean yacht race organised jointly by the St Helena Yacht Club and False Bay Yacht Club. This year’s race started from Simon’s Town, South Africa on Saturday 22^nd December 2012 with 20 boats and over 90 crew and supporters taking part in this unusual race to the island of St Helena; one of the world’s most remote islands.

This year’s winning entry was Thinus Groenwald’s Royal Cape One-Design, Reaction, who together with his three-strong crew completed the race in less than 12 days (11d, 23h, 43m, 43s); just enough to beat second place Indaba, a Stadt 34, on corrected time.

After a programme of activities which took place on St Helena, participating sailors and their yachts travelled from the island on the RMS St Helena, departing on 11^th January 2013 and arriving back in Cape Town on 16^th January 2013.

Further details on the race can be found at www.governorscup.co.za; or by visiting the Governor’s Cup Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/Governorscup2012?notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite.