Pre-Race Training in Tanzania

The Ngalawas are mighty vessels but even the most qualified and experienced sailors will need to familiarise themselves with their unique brilliance.

The simple and gloriously low-tech design hasn't changed for a very long time but remember these boats were designed for short local shops and fishing. You're taking them an a long-distance endurance race so you must take pre-race training as seriously as it deserves.

You must make sure everyone on your team arrives in time to take part in both days in full. Check the Key Dates before you book your travel and allow enough time to travel in Tanzania from Dar es Salaam to the start line. 

Practical

The Race Crew will introduce you to your Ngalawas and give you a briefing before getting you straight out on the water. The most qualified people in the world will be there to help you train and learn - veterans of the Ngalawa Cup... Having done the race themselves they're ideally placed to give you the information and training you need before you set off. 

The exact curriculum can change but this is the likely breakdown of your practical pre-race sailing sessions: 

 

Day 1: Basic sailing instruction close to shore

Taking the basics you've learned into practice for the first time with your team mates. Familiarising yourselves with the Ngalawa as a vessel and the individual character of the boat you've been assigned. They are handmade so every boat is slightly different. You'll spend as much of the day as possible on the water in close proximity to the Race Crew and Ngalawa Cup Veterans. 

 

Day 2:  Day 2: downwind sailing, capsize and MOB drill

As well as consolidating what you learned on Day 1 we'll take you through some specifics including downwind sailing training, how to recover from a capsize and of course the man overboard drill, along with a few other specific drills to make sure you've been paying attention. 

Theory Classes

We'll run evening theory training on dry land on both days of pre-race training. Across the two sessions we'll cover:

• Racecourse Briefing & the Checkpoints
• Race rules (and the penalties for breaking them)
• Navigation & using the provided charts and your GPS devices
• Communication and emergency protocol and using the trackers
• Basic points of sail and rigging; how to tack and gybe
• What to do when you capsize;
• How to rescue your Ngalawa when you’re stranded 
• Ngalawa basic repairs