(L-R) Daniel Skriker (21), Nicholas Chapman (21), Mika Wessels (18), Joshua Jackson (16), Matthew Williams (16), Ewan Blamire (16), Max Elsworth (17), Dominic Holling (15)
SCOUTS South Africa will be entering the 2020 edition of the Cape2Rio offshore sailing race with an entire youth crew. The crew of two young adult leaders aged 21 and five Scouts between the ages of 15 and 18, will be competing in the race on JML Rotary Scout. They will leave Cape Town on the 4th of January 2020 and the race crew are expected to fly home in the week of 2 February 2020.
JML Rotary Scout is a Tosca 36’ cruising yacht owned and operated by SCOUT South Africa. She has completed in three previous editions of Cape2Rio in 2000, 2014 and 2017. In addition to this she has competed in the Governor’s Cup Race to St. Helena numerous times. The yacht feeds into the Scouting methods of adventure and learning by doing. This is ultimately a means to achieve our aims of developing character, training in citizenship and developing the spiritual, social, intellectual and physical qualities of young people.
Cape2Rio is an iconic ocean race, covering some 3600 nautical miles across the South Atlantic from Cape Town, South Africa to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a gruelling test of character and seamanship skills. We will be the youngest team to compete in this edition of the race and one of the youngest to ever compete in the history of the race which started in 1971.
Our entire youth team consists of two co-skippers, both aged 21 with the crew of six being Scouts between the ages of 15 and 18. Everyone on the team began their Scouting journeys at the age of 11. They started learning how to sail on dinghies and have been trained in seamanship skills such as pioneering, first aid, navigation and cooking. Most importantly, through the Scouting programme, they have not only learnt practical skills but have been able to actively practice teamwork and leadership.
The combination of having participated in the Sea Scout programme from a young age and competing in Cape2Rio gives the young crew the experience and potential to enter the maritime industry as a career.
More information or queries: contact Rotary Scout – jmlrotaryscout@gmail.com or Daniel Skriker – daniel.skriker@scouts.org.za.
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