WYC’s Michaela Robinson to chart epic journey for SA in Italy
- Tshepiso Mametela
Wits Yacht Club (WYC) vice-chairperson Michaela Robinson has been selected to represent South Africa at the upcoming global Marina Militare Nastro Rosa sailing event in Italy.
As a month-long celebration of the sport, the Nastro Rosa is held in eight stages at eight of the European country’s most splendid locations. The event is scheduled to be held from 27 August to 26 September.
Robinson, whose functional expertise ensured her the 2020 Wits Sportswoman of the Year crown, will navigate the open waters of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic alongside Siyanda Vato, her sailing partner for the two-person mixed competitions of the tour.
Sailing on a high-performance foiling keelboat called a Figaro 3, the pair are in line to fly South Africa's flag high at the 2021 EUROSAF Double Handed Mixed Offshore European Championship and 2021 Hempel Offshore World Championship.
“Being selected to represent one’s country is just about the highest honour an athlete can receive,” said Robinson, who is in the final year of an undergraduate accounting degree. “And being able to represent a country as unique and resilient as South Africa makes this all the more special.”
In a year where the Olympic Games are grabbing the spotlight as a global multisport event, Robinson said the sailing tour measures up as a worldwide spectacle for the open water sport. The duo will ensure the opportunity does not go to waste as they look to push themselves to the ultimate limit against some of the best sailors in the world.
“With sailing also an Olympic sport, it can seem that the proverbial playing field is a bit saturated. But this event is unlike any other.
“It is the intersection of human adventure and world-class competition. It is just you and your sailing partner in a round-the-clock pursuit of a competitive edge … We will push ourselves to our utmost limits to make sure this opportunity doesn’t go to waste,” added the 21-year-old.
Like in any sport, preparation will be a key part of Robinson and Vato’s global quest for success. The upcoming offshore race events comprise navigation from one stop location to another and will offer participants the ultimate test of their mental endurance, teamwork and perseverance.
A double world champion already, Robinson explained that the process of gearing up for the rigodurs of such a competition is varied with the playing field changing daily. “Preparation is always difficult [and] there are certain variables one can control,” she said.
“These are things like physical conditioning (fitness), preparation, etc., but that only gets you so far. A lot of the challenges you need to face as and when they come. The winner, at the end of the day, will be the person who can navigate through the challenges most effectively and efficiently.
“Siya and I will be sailing a boat we’ve never sailed before, in a place we’ve never sailed before and in a format we’ve never competed in. So, we’re what some would consider underdogs. That being said, we’re not going there to spectate, we’ll be there to compete. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some credible results followed,” added Robinson decisively.
The duo is funding the campaign privately with the help of their families but has also turned to crowdfunding for assistance. While Robinson is an accomplished sailor at a young age, Vato boasts a wealth of experience having competed in the 2020 Cape2Rio Yacht Race.
The 28-year-old also competes in the superyacht racing circuit in Europe. He is currently working on yachts and sailing professionally in South Africa after being introduced into high-level campaigns in South Africa and Europe in 2017. Vato also trained in Europe as a high-performance race navigator.
“The event is incredible; it is a two-person mixed gender yacht race where we sail all out for days on end. I feel extremely privileged to be sailing alongside Siya, he is an incredible sailor, and we make an even better team,” added Robinson.
“I am very excited to see how our campaign influences the sailing community and SA as a whole. We are two people from two different backgrounds, yet we still make an incredible team and our dreams are coming true.”
Back-a-buddy fundraiser link: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/michaela-robinson