South African sailor Vuyisile Jaca is one of a handful of finalists (and the only South African) who could win the prestigious Sailor of the Year title!
Global (27 October 2024) — South African sailor Vuyisile Jaca has been nominated for the prestigious Rolex Sailor of the Year Awards; the sole South African to make the list of finalists!
It’s a big moment for South Africa in the world of sailing but an even bigger one in the world of barrier-breaking and history-shaking.
At only 25, Vuyisile has enjoyed a serious fleet of achievements. She is the first black African woman to have circumnavigated the globe and one of only a few people who have successfully rounded the Cape Horn.
As a member and ambassador of the Maiden Factor team (with whom she competed in the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race), Vuyisile is a South African force of inspiration.
The history she has made in the world of sailing serves up immense inspiration for other young women to be encouraged to tackle similar adventures even if your life begins on rocky waters.
Vuyisile became orphaned at 14 years old when she lost her father (her mother had passed on when Vuyisile was just 7). A young Vuyisile then had to move from her village to live with family in a KwaZulu-Natal township where she would attend a new school that offered her a life-changing opportunity—the chance to study nautical science.
Here, Vuyisile got a glimpse into a world her future self would come to know inside out, and by her final year of school, she attended the charity Sail Africa on a weekly basis.
The deal was done, and Vuyisile was hooked; having found a new passion. With determination, she approached Sail Africa for opportunities to sail, despite not knowing how to swim. Needless to say, that was soon to become a challenge of the past.
Now, she’s swimming with the big fish and boasts the title herself. South Africa couldn’t be more proud of our potential sailor of the year, and we’re all holding thumbs that she takes the title home. You can vote for her here. (The voting block is at the bottom of the screen on the right).