Meet the winners of the Tall Ships’ Race 2008!

You probably gathered that Christian Radich has been the winner of the Leg 2 of the race from Bergen to Den Helder! Congratulations once again to captain and crew!

Even better news that Christian Radich also is the winner of the overall race, including Leg 1 from Liverpool to Maloy! This ship is really fast and also has an excellent crew knowing how to make maximum use of its many sails so to make the ship fly over the ocean!

The beauty of the Tall Ship's Race is that it has many different categories to win, which are not only based on the speed of the ship. For an overview of all winners in all categories click here.

The biggest trophy to win as part of the Tall Ship's Race is the Sail Training International Friendship Trophy. This trophy is awarded to the ship which, in the opinion of the captains and crews of all the ships taking part in the Tall Ship's Races 2008 series, has done most to promote international friendship and understanding. This year it was won by the only Arabian Tall Ship to participate in the Tall Ships' Race SHABAB OMAN! Congratulations! (see also log entry of 21.08.08)

Christian Radich - in a similar category - has won the Vicki Scott Memorial Award, which is awarded to the captain of the ship with the greatest number of nationalities on board - there have been 13 on the Christian Radich.

The experience of working together across national, cultural and language boundaries is indeed a unique one - even though South Africans are quite used to the many cultures and languages in their own country. On the last day of the race, after having said good bye to all Christian Radich crew members and already on the way home Sakhekile reflected on this topic. Read his log book entry...

23.08.2008: This is an entry to the journal made at Schipol International Airport, Amsterdam @ approximately 23.22 late night Friday.
Where should I start? I mean the day has been very though and stressful. Before the whole race started we were all anxious about being in a different environment. And for me and Valley it was our first time ever. So it was more than exiting and from the way we were acting everyone could see this - we were at every single preparation meeting and were very keen to go through each and every step of the project. Fortunately we achieved our first goal, which was to get to the Tall Ships Race, that means to qualify and fulfill all the requirements. And there were a lot of hurdles to take.
And the other goals were to get on a Tall Ship and sail away across the wild, wide European Seas, create relationships and discover many realities when it comes to us mankind. Before it slips my mind, let me mention this: yesterday afternoon we (the Christian Radich crew) won one another of the most important awards of the Tall Ships' Race competitions. This award is given to the ship with the most nationalities on one vessel working together, learning and having fun. At the beginning I said the day was though and stressing and I bet I didn't say anything about that, I just went on to tell you what we have gotten up to. After all that being at the same spot (on the ship), and sharing with one another, sharing our backgrounds, or experiences and bits and pieces of our personalities, we made a lot discoveries. One discovery that stood out for me was the fact that we as humans we are more similar than different. What usally creates the distance and differences are the tangible things, which were all made by mankind - they were not created by nature and the gods above!! Now after having all that fun, learning and teaching, we have to say good bye. We cannot tell the future, we can only predict. Who knows if we will able to shake each other hands again.

Sakhe the Profakt - signing out
" we can never go nowhere, unless we share with each other" - 2PAC, Thug-Life