Kirsten Neuschäfer is a South African outdoor adventurer, a nature lover, and a passionate ocean navigator. As an example, some years ago, in her first great adventure, Kirsten cycled across Africa from north to south. Just a few weeks ago, on 27-april-2023, Kirsten became the first women to win the round the world solo sailing race “2022 Golden Globe Race”.
The Golden Globe Race (GGR) is a retro sailing race in which the entrants single-handedly circumnavigate around the globe, solo, nonstop by using boats designed prior to 1988 and celestial navigation, without the comfort or the aid of modern equipment. Probably, it is the hardest challenge that any ocean sailor can achieve.
It took 235 days, 5 hours, and 44 minutes to Kirsten, to complete her adventure and circumnavigate the globe by the three grate capes, on board her boat “Minnehaha”, a “Cape George 36” built in 1988. During the race, in the southern Indian Ocean, she rescued another sailor, Tapio Lehtinen, after his boat sank, in bad weather conditions.
Many thanks in advance to Kirsten for sharing her feelings and experience of this great accomplishment in this interview to “Navegantes Oceánicos”.
Interview to Kirsten
Kirsten, starting from the beginning, your first experiences at sea,
how did you become a fond of sailing?
The first sailing I did was as a child, on dinghies – and in fact on a dam, as I grew up inland in South Africa, and the closest sailing was on dams. However, we would go to the coast at least once a year for a family holiday, and I have been in love with the sea for as long as I can remember, and as a child already dreamed of sailing the vast oceans someday – as the sea to me is like the road to everywhere, and a great way to explore.
The Golden Globe Race is probably the hardest challenge for any sailor,
what motivates you to solo ocean sailing?
I have always enjoyed solo adventures – be it on land or sea. I like having to be completely independent, and having to take full responsibility for myself – for all the decisions I make and/or all the mistakes I make. I also enjoy being alone in nature. When I am alone in nature I do not feel “loneliness”, instead I feel “solitude” which makes me feel even closer to nature, and allows me to see an experience fully through my own eyes, without the influence of someone else.
One of the aspects that appealed most to me about the GGR was the fact that it is solo. If it had been a crewed or double-handed race it would not have interested me. I feel very comfortable at sea on my own, for at least 80 or 90 percent of the time. Sometimes there are times when it would be easier having a second pair of hands to solve a problem, but I like the challenge of having to think about how to find a solution with only my own two hands.
What are the qualities of your boat “Minnehaha” for Bluewater sailing?
How did you select a “Cape George 36” for the GGR?
The Cape George 36 has a reputation for being very stable and sea-worthy, but notably also for tracking very well, and holding course – which makes it ideal for solo sailing and steering only with a windvane. It has a very good ballast-weight ratio, which makes it stable, sea-worthy and comfortable. It is also heavy by design, which in my opinion makes it a good for long distance cruising, as it’s performance will not be affected as severely by putting more weight in it by loading food, tools and water, as a lightly designed boat might be affected.
In terms of racing, while it is heavy, it is longer on the waterline, than any of the other boats in the 2022 fleet, which makes it fast, and it has much sail area to make up for its displacement. It also has a nice, long bowsprit, which makes it ideal for gennaker and code 0 sails.
These are some of the characteristics that made me choose it for the race.
Kirsten, preparation is key for any challenge.
Can you describe the refit of your boat “Minnehaha” for the 2022 GGR?
Yes, I would say 80 percent is in the prep. We spent a year in refit – rebuilding the deck, replacing the entire rig, the through-hull fittings, plumbing and electrics, installing new bilge pumps, replacing the engine mounts and gearbox, replacing the propeller with a feathering propeller, putting external chainplates and making custom tangs for the mast… and much more.
It was a very thorough and extensive refit, with mainly only 2 of us working and I participated with as much as possible of the work myself, which is paramount to prep, so that you know which tools and spares to take and how to fix problems out at sea.
Kirsten, la preparación es clave en cualquier reto.
¿Puedes describir el refit de tu velero “Minnehaha” para la GGR 2022″?
Si, yo diría que la preparación es el 80 por ciento. El refit duró un año – saneando la cubierta, reemplazando la jarcia firme completa, los pasa-cascos, las tuberías y la electricidad, instalando bombas de achique nuevas, reemplazando los soportes del motor y de la reductora, sustituyendo la hélice por otra plegable, colocando refuerzos externos y piezas a medida para el mástil …. y mucho más.
Fue un refit muy extenso y completo, con solo dos personas trabajando y además yo participé realizando todo el trabajo que pude por mí misma, lo cual es fundamental como parte de la preparación, ya que de esta forma puedes conocer mejor las herramientas y repuestos necesarios que hay que llevar y como resolver problemas en la mar.
Kirsten, once the GGR starts, how is your daily rhythm or routine at sea?
Daily routine is based around celestial nav: setting the clock each morning according to the time signal from the SSB radio, taking a morning site which can give a near longitude, working out when noon will be for a noonsite and then taking the noon site.
Otherwise, having a healthy routine for meals, for checking the boat for maintenance issues, trimming sails, getting a siesta so that it is easier to be awake at times throughout the night too.
During more than 235 days at sea, many things have happened,
can you select the happiest moment for you? and the lowest?
One of the happiest moments was getting around Cape Horn, and speaking to the light house keeper on VHF radio and knowing I was in the lead at that point.
One of the lowest was being stuck in the doldrums on the way back up the Atlantic – not knowing how long I would be stuck there and knowing I was losing the lead ..
En más de 235 días en la mar, muchas cosas han sucedido,
¿puedes elegir cual ha sido para ti el momento más feliz? ¿Y el menos?
Uno de los momentos más felices fue doblando el Cabo de Hornos, y hablando con el farero por radio VHF, y enterándome de que iba en primer lugar en ese momento.
Uno de los momentos más difíciles fue cuando estaba rodeada por las calmas ecuatoriales (doldrums) en la subida de regreso del Atlántico – sin conocer cuanto tiempo estaría atrapada allí y sabiendo que estaba perdiendo el liderazgo en la regata.
Sailing in the roaring 40´s is the fiercest part of the challenge.
How did you prepare Minnehaha for it?
What measures did you take for the worst weather that you found?
We strengthened Minnehaha’s rig, deck etc. on refit, so I had good faith that the boat was strong. I had a good trysail and stormsail. I also had about 150m (or more) of rope and warp on board, which I could use to trail behind her in storm conditions, to help keep her stern to the seas and slowing her down from surfing big waves.
She could heave-too very well under trysail for occasions when the wind was against me – and on one occasion with some warning by weatherfax or race control, I could head north to the safe quadrant of an approaching storm.
Solo sailing, many sailors say that your best friend is the autopilot.
Which model did you use? what is you experience with it?
I used the hydrovane windvane, and I was not disappointed. I only had minor things breaking, for which hydrovane had provided spares, and other breakages one could easily fix with things as simple as zip ties and duct tape. That is the beauty of the hydrovane: it’s simplicity – and it works especially well with a long keel boat.
Some sailors, including myself, think that a boat has “a soul”, and a special relation, over time, is stablished between a person and its boat.
How do you feel about Minnehaha?
Minnehaha very much has a soul for me. We have experienced so much together, since the day I joined her in Newfoundland, sailed in freezing conditions to Prince Edward Island, did the long and hard refit, sailed 13 000 miles even before start of race.
I’ve never been so close and so grateful to a boat before, and I wouldn’t have wanted any other boat for this race. If I had success on this race, then that is also to a very large degree thanks to Minnehaha. We were a team!
Kirsten, you are a hero for many sailors,
What would you say to a person that is dreaming to become an ocean navigator, but fears to cast off?
The hardest step is the first step, and even during the voyage there will be hard times – but if you have prepared yourself and your boat well, and you really want to cast off and explore the oceans, it will be a truly fulfilling experience!
Push on through, through the hard times once out there, because the sea is forever changing – and what feels difficult or hard today, might seem like bliss tomorrow…
Thank you Kirsten Neuschäfer
Thank you very much Kirsten for this interview for “Navegantes Oceánicos”. All our admiration for you as a great person, adventurer and ocean sailor, congratulations for your win in GGR 2022, and we wish you “fair winds and following seas” in the future. Keep in touch!
Link to vídeos
You can wacth Kirsten´s GGR videos through the following links.
Follow Kirsten Neuschäfer
You can follow Kirsten Neuschäfer Facebook page in the following link.
Thank you GGR
Thank you Golden Globe Race organization for allowing us to share media related to Kirsten GGR in this article, and congratulations for such a great ocean sailing event.
Thanks as well to Sebatien Delasnerie. Gracias Sebastien !.
