The RCYC Academy

By Lindani Mchunu

This is the story of the RCYC Academy, a story of an institution that was meant to change the lives of the less fortunate, and yet ended up changing the lives of the fortunate too. It is impossible to speak about the academy without speaking about myself and the many individuals with whom I would collaborate to create something that would later fi nd itself the subject matter of a Disney documentary. It is always the assumption with philanthropy that aid, development and the upliftment of benefi ciaries fl ow only in one direction. Nothing could be further from the truth. The benefactor is also transformed. Those humans who have, from time to time, been fortunate enough to be able to help humankind or the less fortunate, have often thought that the help is fl owing in one direction. As we all know, our ocean fi eld is blue, vast and expansive and, at times, unforgiving yet inviting.

Beginnings

I started working for the Academy in 2017. Joe Heywood fi rst took me there. I was introduced to him by Bruce Tedder who found me through a mutual friend all the way in Les Sables-d’Olonne. I was in this small town in the South of France because I helped deliver a Lagoon catamaran to the BVI. On this trip we stopped off at the Cape Verde Islands, where I reconnected with old friends as I had spent some time there from 2014 to 2016. I met Joe and we hit it off immediately. This bond would help us in the future when we did not see eye to eye. Joe was taking over from the outgoing chairman of the academy, Tony Strutt. The incumbent commodore of RCYC at the time, Vitor Medina, had boundless passion and energy for the academy, and was a man I would look up to as a father fi gure in times to come. I arrived in Cape Town in 2017, a worn-out sailor still looking for his place in the wind. Little did I know that the academy would prove to be the gust that would take me to heights unimagined. Vitor and I took a liking to each other straight way. I liked his sincerity, and he loved my passion. I also met someone else at the academy who would leave an indelible mark on me, Howard Richman. He provided me with my fi rst lodgings in Cape Town for almost a whole year. When I joined the academy, the mandate was clear: increase the subscriber base, make it sustainable by raising funding and create a programme that would open up opportunities for the benefi ciaries. Here is a confession. Before I was involved in the academy, I always thought that poverty was the greatest motivator of success. I thought that given the opportunity and resources, underprivileged people would always grab an opportunity and make use of it. I was mistaken; there is much more context to people than just privilege, or the lack of it. Sailing in Table Bay is an adventure on its own. To be out there in a 40-knot wind is to feel alive and terrifi ed all at once, and I have seen that terror in some of the academy kids’ eyes. In one instance, we were caught with a torn main sail in serious wind on Always Well. If you know

Always Well, you’ll know that she cannot point upwind at all. When the wind picks up, so does the shouting onboard. One of the reasons is that, in the howling southeaster, you can hardly hear the person next to you. Another is the terror of it all and, lastly, it’s the excitement of feeling alive. This was the distinguishing factor of our academy. The study and training were not in a classroom, and the teacher was not human. The teacher was the wind and the ocean. There is something to be said about being taught something new on a medium that refuses to remain the same. I cannot imagine what it must do to a mind to encounter the ocean for the first time on a sailing boat in a howling southeaster. It must jolt it in such a way that fear is overridden by sheer awe.

Year one

The first year of the academy was an eventful one. Not very long into our programme, we found ourselves on CNN’s Inside Africa. Our story seemed unlikely to outsiders. How could a ‘Royal Cape Yacht Club’ integrate itself with youth from the Cape Flats? Not only was this place seen as a bastion of colonialism, it was also not known for being youth orientated. The average age was way over 50, the demographic was 1% people of colour and another not-too-impressive percentage reflected the female membership. This was a place that had a male-only bar well into the 2000s. If you walked into the Club, you would not believe that such a programme would have any chance of prospering by any stretch of the imagination. It was, and possibly remains, an intimidating experience, for example, for a young girl from Khayelitsha to walk into the Club, let alone feel comfortable. Sometimes, unfavourable conditions produce favourable odds. I met Momelezi Funani with a group of students that were my first intake from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). As part of their experiential learning programme, CPUT had enrolled 19 students across all their campuses to do an eight-week sailing programme. Momelezi stood out for me because he was one of the few students who came back from the water smiling that evening after a rather tough day of sailing. The Portugal Day Race of 2017 had big swells and nasty winds, it was cold, and it was raining. Yet Momelezi was smiling. On his last day on the programme, he approached me and asked whether he could intern at the academy as part of his final-year practical for his Sport Management Science Diploma. I was pulling alone at the time and needed the admin assistance. We interviewed him and hired him as an intern. Mo and I would spend the next three years of our lives together. Both of us lived in Observatory and walked home together almost every day. We discussed what the academy would become on those walks home. Every day we

were obsessed about uplifting our people and introducing sailing to every township in South Africa. With Joe Heywood as the academy chairman and our unofficial big brother, things were moving in the right direction. It was also during this time that I would meet Ian Slatem, a man who taught me how to lead from behind. Little did I know that through his passing, I would meet his girlfriend, a lady I still talk about, and one with whom I would go on to do some amazing things.

New heights

Ian took me and the academy kids up Table Mountain for the very first time. I had always had this uncomfortable feeling about Table Mountain, believing it was such a far-away dream for kids from the Cape Flats, something they saw from a distance but knew they would never summit. Ian, thank you. You were instrumental in changing that. After the CNN interview, the academy began gaining some traction. Bruce Tedder, a silent mentor of sorts, was keeping a close eye on my journey and before I knew it, he introduced me to Vanessa Davidson who, at the time, was working for an organisation based in Port Elizabeth called the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI). I believe this was when things reached a turning point. Vanessa introduced me to Sam Venter, who was the media liaison for SAIMI. Sam came to interview me about the academy and the next thing I knew, I was speaking to Yvette de Klerk, who ran the National Cadet Programme. Yvette and I sat outside the deck at the Club and she told me about the programme she was running at various maritime institutions across the country. There was fascination from both sides. Then the idea that would marry us for the next two years was born. Yvette was facing issues with her programme: the cadets were dropping out, and it seemed they were doing so mostly during their sea-time practicals. It immediately dawned on me, they lacked the grassroots introduction to being out on small vessels at sea, and nothing could give them that experience better than sailing. The idea was proposed to the committee, and everyone loved it. This would lead me to meeting Sibu Sizatu. Joe Heywood, our chairman had already identified that I was better suited on land, and we needed to find someone who would take over the on-water training. It was all very much aligned, because the previous year Sibu and Asenathi Jim had approached me and asked me whether I would need assistance with the programme, to which I said definitely!

Support for growth

SAIMI agreed to fund four skippers’ tickets and instructor courses. Sibu would bring with him Athenkosi Vena, Ace, Renaldo and Sebata Gayeka. One of the challenges of the academy was instructing youth from the townships, especially black African youth, in English. Most of the skippers I found in the previous academy run by Harry were white youth. Upon my arrival, I asked them what some of the challenges were that they faced when teaching the kids. They told me the language barrier was very difficult. I knew then in that first conversation that we had to find instructors who were Xhosa speaking. Sibu and the Masiphumelele guys would be the perfect fit. Alex Mamacos from the Good Hope Sailing Academy was instrumental in training and tutoring our future instructors. Her contribution was invaluable to creating a pool of qualified skippers. By mid-2018 the academy was preparing for a Lipton campaign in Durban. A year before, I had taken a road trip to Durban with my first batch of academy students, which would define my time at the Club. It set the tone in a way – the academy was not going to be smooth sailing, but we were always going to reach our destination. It was during this time that I took a hiatus of sorts from the academy. I found myself having to reassess and regroup. In my absence, Jennifer Burger arrived on the scene to help a burgeoning institution. A former commodore, John Levin, also joined the academy as a committee member and would stay with us until he became president of the Club a few years later. Neil Gregory joined as vice-commodore, followed by Dave Garrard as Club treasurer.

Along came TETA

On my return to the academy, I had a very strong committee, and we were well represented on the general committee of the Club. Yvette was leaving SAIMI and invited me to her farewell function. Yvette, it would seem, would have one last gift for me: she introduced me to Malcolm Alexander from the Transport Education Training Authority (TETA). With Jennifer at my side and a strong committee guiding the ship, it was clear that anything was possible. It was during the latter part of 2018 that Jennifer, Momelezi and I would work on a proposal and sailing programme for submission to TETA. It was a long and arduous process (very admin heavy), but we already had experience with submitting reports to SAIMI. After months of back and forth with Malcolm, we finally submitted our proposal late in 2018. It would only be in 2019, a few days before my birthday, that we would find out that the academy had been awarded R2.2 million by TETA to train 30 students! By this time, we had tailor-made a programme that not only included sailing, but also encompassed a swimming programme, firefighting, medical first aid, safety at sea and many other ancillary courses that gave our students a foot in the door in terms of employment in the maritime sector at large. We recognised the fact that we were more than just a sailing school, we were a stepping stone into the maritime sector. The TETA programme allowed us to have a structured programme with measurable outcomes over a defined period. 2019 would be the year we found our wings and the year we finally got to use our donated vessel Arch Angel. It would be the year we made our first attempt at a Rio campaign and it would be the year we expanded our pool of skippers. In the words of one of our committee members, ‘this was the year we grew arms and legs’. The collaboration with TETA would prove to be the partnership we always needed.

Challenges beyond our control

2020 arrived with a bang in the form of Covid-19. The academy came to a standstill, but it was during this time that we learnt what it means to improvise. Once again, we huddled together and thought of interesting ways to continue the programme remotely. We partnered with a member at the Club and offered some of the sailing materials online. I reached out to an old friend in Palma, Phil Wade, and through his philanthropic work, he was able to raise funding for tablets so our sailors could stay connected and login into the online programme remotely.

It was also during this time that I had to sit in a room full of young kids from orphanages and townships and tell them that we had lost some of our funding and we were unable to keep them in the programme. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I had tears in my eyes. I understood the unequal scales of life very well that day. 2020 was a year of many contrasts: on the one hand we saw despair everywhere and, on the other, we saw human resilience and empathy. What was incredible on the part of TETA is that they continued to pay our skippers even though they were at home. They were still committed to seeing the programme through beyond Covid-19 and remained loyal to our cause.

Moving on

Momelezi left the academy to start his own business in the boatmaintenance sector. It was a sad parting of ways, yet it was a natural progression. The academy was never meant to keep anyone. When I arrived, Daniel Agulhas was part and parcel of the academy, but during my tenure he left and went into boat-building and deliveries. There were so many youths that came and went. Siyanda Vato was with us for a short spell, helping us with the refurbishment of Arch Angel. Even our chairman, Joe Heywood, left us before we started the TETA project, and Howard Richman took over. Each person brings with them a new approach. It was through Howard that we established ties with the Emaqgabini Education Foundation operating out of Khayelitsha. The organisation was run by Cindy Mkaza and her husband, Linda. They found a group of young girls, Yonela Mkaza, Azile Arosi and Yonele Temela, who were keen to try sailing. These ladies went on to have great experiences abroad too: Yonela and Azile went to Spain through our collaboration with Marine Inspirations, run by Phil Wade. And Yonela went to Massachusetts, Maine, with Danial Agulhas on a summer sailing camp. I have always viewed the academy as a transit point. I have always thought of it as a place where people find purpose, see opportunity, regroup themselves and then go after their dreams. It was also during 2020 that an idea hatched that we should build an Academy Centre, a big one that could house all the facilities we needed under one roof. Jennifer and I found three companies to design the structure and submit renderings to our committee. Everyone loved the idea and it was only a matter of finding the funding. I remember it like yesterday. We applied to the National Lotteries Commission three times, and we were declined three times on technicalities. It was crushing each time. It was something we needed since we were also simultaneously trying to conclude a deal with CPUT to train their students over a five-year period, for close to R10 million. The centre was going to cost us about R2.3 million. It was a dream that just never materialised at the time, but I believe it is one that will one day become a reality. It is inevitable; it is the next level.

Getting back to business

As 2021 drew to a close, we found ourselves once again chasing a new TETA contract. Coming out of Covid-19, the whole process was drawn out. What took three months before, took almost a whole year this time. Yet in November of 2021, the academy was once more awarded a contract by TETA for R3.2 million for another two years! I remember the moment so well. Sibu and I were in our office. I had been anxious for months. The academy was not in great shape. We had gone back to being sponsored mainly by the Club, the numbers had been trimmed down considerably, and we were operating on what we called Academy 101. We were no longer offering all the ancillary courses and we had moth-balled three of our vessels. I was experiencing a mini-depression; it was unreal to see an academy that, at one point, had close to 100 students a week, decline in numbers to a mere 12 on just one day of the week.

Alexforbes ArchAngel crew: Seated, from left to right: Azile Arosi, Sibusiso Sizatu (Skipper), Daniel Agulhas. Standing, from left to right: Thando Mntambo, Justin Peters, Tshepo Renaldo Mohale

Making an impact

The academy’s success had not left the Club untouched. During 2020 and 2021, I was brought into the Transformation and Futures Committee of the Club, the steering committee that was solely responsible for the transformation of the Club’s demographic makeup. I worked closely with Toni Mainprize and Lynette Finlay to put together a transformation plan and strategy for the Club. It was an exciting and challenging time for me. A lot has been written about transformation and diversity inclusion programmes. I am no authority on the subject, and nor do I care to be. All I know is the following. I find it hard to understand why people, who do not understand what others, who are different from them, want and need in a space where they are not represented. Why do we have to wrack our brains trying to figure out what will make women happy in male-dominated spaces, or why do we have to figure out what will attract people of colour and keep them? This is the trouble right here. Why do men sit in a room and discuss what women need and want, in the absence of women, and if they are present, they are not leading the conversation? Why do white people sit in a room and discuss what people of colour need and want, in the absence of black people? And, when they are in the room, they are not leading the conversation, nor do they have the authority to self-determine. This is what I found to be strange about transformation work. There are not enough people in the room, and when there are one or two, they do not have the authority to lead the conversation. It becomes a debate, and this is very confusing. My brother-in-law came to an awards evening once and witnessed Vitor hand me a Royal Cape jacket as a way of recognising my contribution to the academy as the then manager. He asked me about the academy and what we were trying to do, and I told him, basically, we are bringing kids from impoverished backgrounds to a privileged space to try and share that privilege in the hope that it will open doors for them. Of course, it was more than that for me. For me, it was and will always be the following. If you have ever been to townships, the one thing you will notice and never miss is how densely populated they are. People are living on top of one another. The next thing you will notice is the lack of play areas for kids – kids are normally playing in the road, which invariably means more kids getting knocked down by cars. Then you notice the poverty and, if you are unlucky, you encounter the violence and crime. Such a place cannot be conducive to mental health and early childhood development. Such a space cannot be fertile ground for a free-thinking and intelligent mind. Such a place cannot produce or motivate success or stimulate dreams and imagination. When I discovered sailing, I discovered unclaimed land, or water if you will. A place where one can go and be free, for free. A place where the horizon is endless and the room to imagine is as expansive as the universe. A place where you will not hear a single bullet, a place where you can move in any direction without being told to know your place. A place where even the colour of your skin had no meaning. This is the place where I imagined youth from the township could re-imagine themselves. This is where I imagined they could go and have enough room to play, without any fear of reproach. This is what the academy was all about for me, an opportunity to dream… In early January 2022 the academy was documented over five days by a film crew commissioned by Disney. The short film of the academy will be premiered later this year. It was so surreal being part of that experience, yet it also felt just. Something so many people poured their hearts into deserves to be documented. As I write this article, the academy has just received a sponsorship from Alexforbes to send a team to Rio in 2023. I am no longer a part of the academy. Yet what is certain, is that it has only just begun doing what it does best: touching everyone who encounters it. As my father said: ‘What you touch, touches you back, Lindani.’

Dreams do come true

The dream a young girl called Azile Arosi spoke about in the Disney documentary has come true. Hailing from Masiphumelele, Khayelitsha, Grassy Park and Athlone in Cape Town are six sailors who will sail to Rio in the 2023 Cape to Rio Race. The Alexforbes Arch Angel crew comprises skipper Sibusiso Sizatu (30), first mate Daniel Agulhas (29), Renaldo Tshepo Mohale (29), Thando Mntambo (23), Azile Arosi (22) and Justin Peters (21). Skipper Sibusiso Sizatu says: ‘Going to Rio with the academy sailors has been my dream. I have no words to describe how I feel about participating in the race … It’s just an amazing feeling. It broke my heart that we were unable to participate in the last race as we had promised our students. But I always hoped that one day our dream will be fulfilled … Yes, there were times when I thought that this was never going to happen, but our team did not give up hope. We trained, persevered and continued preparing even though our path to Rio was not clear. I am amazed by the things that we have achieved just by being present and keeping our heads up despite the challenges faced. Together, with the generous support of Alexforbes, we are about to make history as the RCYC Sailing Academy.’