Izivungu rises to the occasion as they take first place in the Second Skins regatta

In a race against both the wind and determined opponents, these Masipumele High students proved their mettle, as they took the winning trophy in the recent Second Skins Sailing Regatta.  The Regatta, held annually at the Theewaters Dam, is not for sissies, with strong winds par for the course.

The team are part of the Izivungu sailing school which is based in Simonstown.  Their opponents on the day included SACS, Fish Hoek, Ocean View, Simons Town and  Zeekoevlei Sailing Club.

The Izivungu sailing school exists to introduce underprivileged kids to the wonderment of sailing, offering classes from beginners to professionals.  They also provide a hot meal and a safe place for the kids to do their homework.

Founder and Managing Director of Second Skins, Brett Trollip, introduced the regatta 11 years ago and it has since become an eagerly awaited and much loved event on the sailing calendar.  The boats of choice for this regatta are Stadt23s, which means that there are up to six team mates on the boat.  The word team comes into play as it is imperative that they work together well to guarantee a finish.

Local sportswear manufacturer, Second Skins, has recently launched a community development initiative to assist with empowering micro-enterprises.

The objective of the initiative is to empower home based industry on the Cape Flats through a support network from the company’s Lansdowne manufacturing facility.

Commenting on the initiative, Managing Director Brett Trollip said, “We have put together a programme that will help people earn an income while working from home – thus enabling them to continue performing their most important role – parenting.”