South African sailor Kirsten Neuschäfer has made history becoming the first woman to win a solo, round-the-world yacht race on Thursday, 27 April 2023.
The Gqeberha-based sailor won the 2022 Golden Globe Race, after crossing the finish line off Les Sables-d’Olonne in France, following 235 days of racing.
#GGR2022 Kirsten Neuschäfer (39) – "MINNEHAHA" officially became the first woman to win a round the world race by the three great capes, including solo & fully crewed races, non-stop or with stops, & the first South African sailor to win a round-the-world event! BRAVO pic.twitter.com/o2ZFajQSoX
— Golden Globe Race 2022 (@ggr2022) April 27, 2023
After setting off on the epic 48 000km journey in September last year, the 39-year-old’s journey also included a dramatic mid-ocean rescue when one of her fellow competitors needed urgent assistance, as their boat sank.
Neuschäfer was awarded a 35-hour time compensation and a 30-litre fuel allowance by the Golden Globe Race organisers during the race.
The 2022-2023 edition proved to be the one of the toughest races yet, starting out with 16 skippers but only 2 of them managing to finish, without making a stopover.
Speaking on the dock following her win: “This is amazing, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.
“I didn’t know if I’d win it. I was convinced I’d finish it, but after the Doldrums I thought that’s finished [the chance of winning] for me. I was quite overwhelmed [to learn I’d won] I thought I was going to come in 3rd after Simon [Curwen] and Abhilash [Tomy].”
On being the first woman ever to win a solo around the world race, she said: “I’m very happy, but I entered as a sailor and being a woman is just secondary.”
Photo 1 Caption: South African sailor Kirsten Neuschäfer has made history becoming the first woman to win a solo, round-the-world yacht race on Thursday, 27 April 2023. Photo: Golden Globe Race 2022 (Twitter)
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