The Clipper Round The World yacht race tour recently made a stop at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront completing their second leg of race two.

As the “Official Wine Supplier” for the Clipper Race 13-14, Rickety Bridge was there to greet the crew with open arms. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who started the Clipper in 1995, said he was extremely excited to be associated with a brand with such pedigree and history. This is the only race in the world where the organisers supply the fleet of twelve with identical, 70-foot, stripped down racing yachts,  each sponsored by a brand, and manned with a fully-qualified skipper, employed to lead the crews safely around the globe.

one of the most fascinating facts that caught my attention was that the crew, who generally change from leg to leg, actually PAY to be onboard. Prices range from anything between 50 000 to almost 80 000 POUNDS per person, per leg (distance and time depending). When viewing the living conditions on these yachts you would observe just how limited space and privacy is. The welcoming smell of “old gym socks”  confined in the shoe box styled living quarters. Sleeping arrangements are built into the fibre glass walls like catacombs, 3 bunks on top of each other, with about a foot of corridor space separating the bunks on the opposite side.

I interviewed crewman, Adam Runcorn, who was about to join the Invest Africa team. I queried why he would put himself through such an arduous task for such a pricetag? He said that the best way to truly know oneself is to challenge oneself and that the best way to do that is by putting yourself in a challenging environment.

Owner of Rickety Bridge, Duncan Spence, was not only the official supplier of wine for the race, but had personally co-sponsored the Invest Africa yacht too. He had sponsored a yacht the previous year and clearly seems to have a passion for the sport and for the Clipper in particular. If you would like to enjoy the fine wines of Rickety Bridge, just like the crew and all involved with the race, then be sure to pay a visit to the boutique winery just off the R45 in Franschhoek.

For more details and updates on the actual race you can follow your team of choice by connecting to their website – www.clipperroundtheworld.com