The Governors Cup is a National event that takes place every two years.  The race is from Cape Town to St Helena Island, which is 1700 nautical miles away.

I was selected to represent the Girl Guides on board the 39 foot yacht ‘Rotary Scout’.

I spent many weekends doing maintenance and sail training before the event, including a very rough and tough sail around Cape Point during a gale force South Easter.

We left on the 31 November, one of the warmest days.  All the boats got off to a good start except for us.  We seemed to lose most of our speed as we crossed the start line.  Half an hour into the race, a press boat came along side us. All you could see was a bright light shining on us, and many small flashes.

The first two days I had motion sickness, along with half of the crew.  We spent 12 days out in the middle of nowhere!  The days were long but the nights were short.  The skies are quite a sight. I must admit.  If you wanted to do your Astronomy Badge, I would recommend the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

About five days into the trip our spinnaker ( which is the big bagged sail ) tore when we were taking it down due to heavy winds.  Everyone started to panic as that was our main source of speed.  Our co-skipper, Haydon, taped it and then put it up again.  After a while, the tape came off.  The question then was who could sew?  I was the last person they asked as I was busy packing sails down below.  I sat on the foredeck for 3 hours sewing the sail as no-one else knew what to do.  This was thanks to my dad, who showed me what to do, when one of his sails tore.  The sewing held to the end of the race.  Our boat clocked the most miles in one day when we put up the genniker. ( which is just smaller than the spinnaker )  This sail also tore and couldn’t be fixed. 

You must be wondering what we got up to on a 39 foot boat with 8 crew members               ( of which 2 are girls ) for 12 days.  Well, most of the time we were either steering the boat, lying in the sun, catching up on sleep or changing sails.  On one day we changed sails four times in two hours.

As the sun was setting one evening, the kicker strap broke, setting the boom free and us losing control of the yacht.  It was all hands on deck as we heeled over and lay flat on our port side with seawater pouring into the cockpit.  The drama was only for half an hour but our bodies remained shocked throughout the night.

On a lighter note we often had fights which consisted of shaving cream, orange peels, water and, on one evening, custard.

Each day the crew showered by attaching a life harness to a long rope and being towed behind the yacht.  We set the echo sounder to determine if there were any big fish or sharks near us!

We were also taught navigation, global position fixing and route planning.  When in the middle of the ocean you have to have faith that you will find the tiny island of St Helena.

About 3 hours from the island, dolphins surrounded us, and when night fell we could see the lights of the island.  We crossed the line at 04h22 am and the celebrations started.

We could only go ashore at 09h00 but the time flew!!  We cleaned the yacht and packed our things ready for land.  We got onto land and were met by the Scouters and DiMeek, a press reporter.  Kirsty and I got on to our hands and knees and kissed the floor!!  While DiMeek, was taking photo’s.

Our first evening we went up to the local school and played soccer against the St Helenians followed by a delicious barbeque.

For the next 9 days on the island we participated in the island raft race which forms part of the yearly festival and went snorkeling and diving over the shipwreck by the moorings.

We were taken on a tour of the island by boat and by bus. We saw Napoleons house and grave and climbed the famous Jacob’s ladder, which is 700 steps high.

At the yacht prize giving we received a participants award and a big applaus as we were the youngest crew to compete, our average age being 17 years.

The yacht was shipped back to Cape Town on the RMS St Helena.  We travelled back onboard, celebrating Christmas at sea.  This was quite an experience.  There were many activities organised for each day, like cricket, 10 pin bowling to name a few.

The sailing experience was not over, as two weeks later we had to sail ‘Rotary Scout’ from Cape Town back to her moorings in Simons Town.

Guiding offers so many challenges and opportunities, and it is up to each one of us to grab them when they approach us.

In closing, I would like to thank the brotherhood of Scouting, the Girl Guide family, JARR marine for there sponsorship and support and last but not least my family for giving me the opportunity to go out into the big world and experience things for myself!

Without these special people that helped me to get there, I would not have had this experience of a life time!!!!    

Scouts in the Western Cape, and in fact any Scouts from anywhere in South Africa or overseas have the use of a 36ft Tosca sloop called Rotary Scout. It is moored at the False Bay Yacht club at Simonstown. 

The yacht is skippered by Neville Coxon, Peter Bosch and Paul Addington. The hull was donated by Rotary and the boat was fitted out mainly, by Neville Coxon who was the Assistant Area Commissioner for Water Activities at the time.

Scouts may go out by arrangement with Neville Coxon or Peter Bosch. A Patrol Leader or Scouter should liaise with either Neville or Peter.