Austria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Romana Königsbrun, used a visit to Cape Town with her husband Gerald Schweighöfer to learn about The Ocean Race and the modern Imoca yachts from GUYOT environnement – Team Europe. Co-skipper Robert Stanjek gave her an insight into life on board and the conditions below deck of the black racing yacht.
With the routine move of the South African government from Pretoria to Cape Town at the beginning of the year, the ambassadors also stay for a few weeks in Cape Town. The ambassador, who is interested in sailing, used a free moment in her tight daily schedule for a visit to the Ocean Live Park, unceremoniously took off her shoes and climbed aboard the GUYOT environnement – Team Europe. As Romana Königsbrun reported, she has hobby sailing experience from the local Lake Neusiedl, the Adriatic coast off Croatia and the Turkish Aegean. She has been following The Ocean Race since the start in Alicante, with a special eye of course on Team Austrian Ocean Racing in the VO65 class.
The VO65s sailed the first leg of the race to Cape Verde and will re-enter the race on the sixth leg in Aarhus/Denmark. In Cape Town, the ambassador already had the opportunity to watch the GUYOT environnement – Team Europe cross the finish line. The view on board rounded off the Ocean Race experience and was a great experience: “I have great respect for the performance of the sailors on these yachts. The confinement on board is impressive – almost a little claustrophobic. Sailing around the world under these conditions is a great challenge,” said Romana Königsbrun.
