Back in Spain

Shosholoza venture out on to the waters of Valencia

Shosholoza is back in Valencia. The South African America’s Cup Challenger was sailing for the first time, after a two month break from Spain. And taking over for the first time as the new skipper on board is Mark Sadler (30).

The Shosholoza Yacht RSA 83, built in 2005 to the new ACC-Version 5 rules, had a good training session. Boat-Captain Tim Kröger: “All the basics are on the right track so now we can concentrate on the details”.

The South Africans who have been back in Valencia for just a couple of days - straight from the hot summer of South Africa to the cool spring in Spain – have been working around the clock to prepare the boat for sailing.

“While we were away in South Africa the build team did a couple of small changes to the boat”, said sailing-manager Paul Standbridge. “We have serviced all the systems and re-installed the onboard-hydraulic-system. But most importantly we will be testing the new mast, which was built last November in the UK, as well as different sails”, added Standbridge. Shosholoza sailed the whole last year with a mast from the America’s Cup Defender Alinghi.

In the next couple of weeks, Shosholoza will be concentrating on match-racing with RSA 83 in the count down to the 11th of May start of the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 10. “Until then, we have a lot to do,” said Standbridge. “We are a young team and we go forward step by step.”

New skipper Mark Sadler, a winning dinghy and big boat skipper in South Africa, will also be facing the new challenge of leading the team for the first time. The 30year old Sadler is one of the youngest skippers in the America’s Cup and replaces Geoff Meek – who stepped down because of shoulder and knee problems. Also on board is the new capacity of team manager, coach and tactician/skipper Dee Smith.

Shosholoza, the first South African America’s Cup Challenger, were honoured with the SA Sports Award’s “Team of Year 2005” title in their home country on their return to South Africa at the end of last year.

In the final fleet racing Act of the America’s Cup racing season in Trapani/ Sicily last year the South African’s scooped an incredible 5th place. Their first match race victory in an America’s Cup event was against “Victory Challenge” in the Malmo Louis Vuitton Act in Sweden in August last year.