South African sailor Kirsten Neuschäfer has 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, crossing the finish line in France last night.
The Gqeberha sailor set off on the epic 48,000km solo round the-world challenge from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France on 4 September last year.
Her journey has included a dramatic mid-ocean rescue when one of her fellow competitors got into trouble and needed urgent assistance.
SA Sailing have hailed the efforts of Neuschäfer.
President of SA Sailing Michael Robinson heaped praise on Neuschäfer for her phenomenal achievement, saying:
“South Africa has had other sailing heroes like Bertie Reed and John Martin that 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 country’s 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.”
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.”
This is not the first massive solo adventure Neuschäfer has embarked on.
A few years ago Kirsten cycled around 15,000km down the African continent from Europe to South Africa on her own.
