No racing today - wind over upper limit of 23kts

by Team Shosholoza Media on 2 May 2007
The huge spectator crowds in the Port America's Cup enjoying the May Day holiday were disappointed today when for the first time racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup was postponed because of too much wind in the Mediterranean waters off Valencia, Spain.

Racing is started within the parameters of 7 and 23 knots - a decision reached between the 11 challenging teams and the race committee - and while lack of winds forced postponement of racing at the start of the event it was the other way around today with the Spanish port city being buffeted by 20 - 25 knot westerly winds gusting up to 30 knots this afternoon.

Even so Team Shosholoza left the dock fired up and confident to take on America's heavy weight entry BMW ORACLE Racing today after an inspiring send-off from 81 year old Rivonia trialist Andrew Mlangeni, who served 26 years of a life sentence on Robben Island with former president Nelson Mandela.

'Go out into the sea and given them a thrashing,' Mlangeni urged the South Africans as he does daily as the team leaves the dock. .

'Since I arrived in Valencia on 19 April I have been watching how you and the entire administration have been working and I have found you to be a disciplined, dedicated and hard working team and that's why you have been so successful in everything you do.

'You gave me a wonderful send-off by beating the German Team yesterday and hopefully you will do so again and again with the teams you are still going to race. I don't think that Captain Sarno will find another team like you in the immediate future. You are winners all the way!' said Mr Mlangeni who left Valencia today.

Mlangeni has been a member of the influential parliamentary Sports and Recreation Portfolio Committee since 1994 and has been an enthusiastic supporter of Team Shosholoza since 1995 when he travelled to Trapani, Sicily, for the Louis Vuitton Acts 8 and 9.

In the 10 days since he has been in Valencia this year he has never misses a match whether watching the team out at sea or on shore.

'South Africans didn’t know very much about sailing and it is something new for me too. But I have quickly become one of your most passionate supporters. On the island we were cut off from the entire world. We didn’t know about anything beyond the prison walls. It is really a great pleasure and an honour to come here to Spain and see this impressive set up built specially for the 32 edition of the America’s Cup - and especially to watch the first team from the African continent participating at this level.

'Three years ago I didn’t even know about this team and yet here they are competing with the best in one of the world’s most hi-tech sports. My wish is that the whole of South Africa could be here to support them - not only morally but financially. I will be appealing to both corporate and parastatals in South Africa to assist them. They are putting South Africa on the world map in a very novel way,' said Mr Mlangeni.

When asked if, during his years on Robben Island, he could ever have imagined being at an America's Cup event, he said: 'No, it never crossed my mind. At the time we were sacrificing our lives for the freedom of the next generation, we weren't thinking of ourselves. Now that it has happened, we are so very grateful to be able to enjoy so much of what life offers us.'

Team Shosholoza crew members are constantly moved by Mr Mlangeni's warmth, humility and larger than life personality. 'It makes it hard to imagine what he has been through,' said one of the crew.

Mr Mlangeni was charged under the notorious Sabotage and Suppression of Communism Act along with Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Govan Mbeki and other prominent members of the African National Congress in the Rivonia Trial. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 1964. He was one of the few leaders to be transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town with Mr Mandela in the 1980's.