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- South African sailor Kirsten Neuschäfer made history after becoming the first woman to win the prestigious Golden Globe round-the-world race.
- Neuschäfer was the only female sailor to contest the race which required competitors to circumnavigate the globe without the use of modern technology.
- The 39-year-old had spent almost 235 days alone at sea.
South African sailor Kirsten Neuschäfer has made history after becoming the first woman to win a solo, round-the-world yacht race.
The Gqeberha-based sailor won the 2022 Golden Globe Race after crossing the finish line off Les Sables-d'Olonne in France on Thursday night (27 April).
After setting off on the epic 48 000km journey on 4 September last year, the 39-year-old had spent almost 235 days alone at sea.
Neuschäfer crossed the finish line around 10 hours behind competitor, Simon Curwen, but the British sailor was relegated to the Chichester class because he had been forced to make a land stop for repairs.
Neuschäfer's journey included a dramatic mid-ocean rescue when one of her fellow competitors got into trouble and needed urgent assistance.
Before setting off on the challenge, Neuschäfer explained: "I truly love adventure - it really is what drives me. And I love to undertake these adventures alone and know that I only have myself to rely on once I am out there, to know that I will have to dig deep within myself to find the strength that I need to overcome the inevitable obstacles.
"I love the unknown! It really is a way to get to know myself, and to know my own potential - very much an inner journey too."
According to SA Sailing, this was not the first massive solo adventure Neuschäfer had embarked on. A few years ago she cycled solo around 15 000km down the African continent from Europe to South Africa.
In a press statement, SA Sailing president Michael Robinson heaped praise on Neuschäfer.
"South Africa has had other sailing heroes like Bertie Reed and John Martin who have done the circumnavigation, but Kirsten is the first South African to do it non-stop and unassisted. How's that for a gender statement?
"We are so proud of Kirsten. She has made not only the countrys sailing community but the whole of South Africa proud and provided an exceptional example to both women and men of what's possible with incredibly hard work and determination," Robinson said.
