28 December 2024

Where it began...

The race was conceived by former Captain of the RMS St Helena, Captain David Roberts, after he watched the Cape to Rio fleet sail through Duncan Dock to Table Bay from the Royal Cape Yacht Club in January 1996. He was quoted on the occasion of the first race for The Governor’s Cup later that year:

What could be more romantic and exciting than watching this colourful fleet sail out to the start, impatient for the gun to sound so they could be off and racing for their exotic destination. All this, staged in the amphitheatre of Table Bay with its majestic mountain. Truly inspirational. Well, on this occasion it proved to be, because in the hour that I stood on the bridge-wing of my ship, safely tied up alongside Duncan Dock, the idea began to form of just such a race, but this time to the Island of St Helena.

By 11th January, when the RMS St Helena arrived at Jamestown, he had formed a firm idea of how the event might be organised, which he outlined to then Governor David Smallman. As a sailor himself Governor Smallman was enthusiastic and suggested that, given that there was an Admiral’s Cup yacht race, then perhaps we might call the Cape to St Helena race ‘The Governor’s Cup Race’.

A presentation was made to the Committee and interested members of the Royal Cape Yacht Club in June that year and the Governor’s Discretionary Fund was able to finance the purchase of the trophy. Later, Governor Smallman was able to arrange that Steve Tshwete, the South African Government Minister for Sport, attend an official reception and lunch on the Sun Deck on the RMS, and Steve Tshwete started that first race out in Table Bay by sounding the ship’s siren.

2024 Entries

Entry #8 – Mwera

Entry no. 8 :   Mwera  – Ashley Verhulp St. Helena Race 2024 – Mwera Double handed duo Lieutenant Bowie, Corporal Ziggy Stardust, recently ordaned as ...
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Entry #7 – Magic Dragon

Entry no. 7 :   Magic Dragon  – Rod Halling St. Helena Race 2024 – Magic Dragon When the Halling family realised that they would be ...
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Entry #6 – Fryd

Entry no. 6 :   Fryd –  Skipper Jarl Spandow St. Helena Race 2024 – Fryd Fryd, Norwegian for ‘delight’, is a NAJAD 405P (40.5 foot) ...
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Entry #5 – Magnus

Entry no. 5 :   Magnus –  Skipper Evert Groenewald St. Helena Race 2024 – Magnus Magnus was previously Majimoto II and I bought her from ...
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Entry #4 – Flica

Entry no. 4 :   Flica  – Rijk Kuttel St. Helena Race 2024 – Flica Flica is a J99, designed in the USA and built in ...
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Entry #3 – Atalanta

Entry no. 3 :   Atalanta – Heye Daun & Gerry Hegie St. Helena Race 2024 – Atalanta As the new owner of Atalanta, I am ...
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