Invest Africa

Invest Africa is sponsored by a fast-growing networking organisation in growing African markets. Invest Africa’s managing partner is Rob Hersov, who is also holds the same position at Partner of Sapinda UK, which is supporting eight young South Africans to develop their leadership skills in the Clipper race to take back to their communities. The Sapinda Rainbow Project is also working with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) during the race to raise money for a children’s hospital in South Africa.

Already the crew have learnt about leadership and winning from their skipper, British yachtsman, Rich Gould. He has trained crew taking part in the Clipper Race since the 2009-10 edition and skippered Invest Africa to win the opening leg of this edition from the UK to Brest in France, going on to place third in the leg from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town, South Africa.

Sylvia Chahonyo, a 38-year-old investment banker and crew member, is the first Kenyan to take part in the race and has no previous sailing experience. She has unofficially been hands on with helping to organise the Sapinda Rainbow Project crew in coming to the UK for their training.

Also aboard are British/Russian lawyer, Natalia Shoutova (30), who finally made her dream of wanting to sail round the world a reality, and Englishwoman Anne Woodward, a 56 year-old whose husband was on the outstanding winner of the last edition of the race, Gold Coast Australia. 

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