Chatting to Durban Sailor Nqoba Mswazi

Known as ‘The Machine’ in the sailing community, young Nqoba Mswazi from Umgababa smiles while having breakfast after his weigh in.

"We made it!” grinned the charming sailor, gorgeous dimples beaming from his face. “We were a few kilograms under, hence I am allowed to eat!" said the relieved lad.

Nqoba and his team are currently competing in the biggest and most prestigious sailing event in the country; the Ola Lipton Challenge Cup hosted by the Royal Natal Yacht Club. This is the first time in over a decade that the race is being held in Durban.

"We are starting the regatta as the underdogs but this has been a great motivator. The boat is capable; it won the regatta last year, now it is up to the team. All we can do is try our best.” stated the level headed man.

Mswazi recently competed in the Colorpress Vasco da Gama in his first international ocean race from Maputo to Durban, “Early in my sailing career I competed in Reunion, my mentor Sean Jones and I competed in a class that we knew little about but learnt a lot. It was the F18 class, a big hobie cat, we came third last but my passion for sailing ignited there.”

They competed in the Round Creole Race which was competed racing around the island. “We had lots of breakages and were the only guys who had never sailed a Hobie 18 before but the fleet were great, friendly and helped us a lot.”

“My favourite memory of that trip would have to be the food! There is nothing like creole cuisine. I discovered all these new types of food, the Octopus Curry which everyone raved about was scary but I tried it. It was slimy and didn’t taste like much. But the sushi and crab – wow! One meal we had a pineapple sushi. It was a pineapple bunny, hollowed out with sushi inside, delicious.” He says glancing at his bacon and eggs in front of him.

“Sailing the Vasco last month was testing but was great. I did however score myself a nickname while on the water! One which I am eternally proud of! To the crew I am now known as Mandela, the reason for this, the first evening I had just finished my shift and was down below about to get a few hours’ sleep when we went through a bad gybe. I was summoned back on deck and rushed to the front of the boat. I can’t remember what happened but about twenty minutes later I woke up with a huge gash on my head. I had fallen through the hatch well trying to cut the kite, managing to get an impressive slice on the top of my head, similar to Nelson Mandela.”

The bowman, his position on the boat first started sailing in 2008, “Craig Millar came to our school, Rossburgh High to chat to us about his experience circumnavigating the world in the Clipper Round the World race. His stories stole my imagination and soon after I was enrolled in Sail Africa learning to sail.”

Proudly stating, ‘The Machine’ says, “The moment in my career that stands out for me, a shining moment in the last five years. It would have to be the first trophy I received; this was a realisation that I actually was extremely good.” The trophy that he talks of was awarded from South African Sailing KZN for being the Most Improved Sailor of the Year.

“I also have a silver medal from racing in this year’s L26 Provincials and a bronze one from the L26 Nationals, both sailing with his Lipton team racing on the yacht Orion B2G2” the first of many in this highly talented man’s fresh career.

Directly after taking on the crème-de-la-crème of South Africa’s sailors in the Ola Lipton Challenge Cup, Mswazi’s next challenge is taking on the Pacific in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race where he has been selected to crew from China to San Francisco.

We watch eagerly as Royal Natal Yacht Club’s Nqoba Mswazi makes waves in the world of sailing.