A classic blue-water ocean dash across the South Atlantic, the Cape to Rio began nearly 49 years ago.
The first race set off from Table Bay in 1971 and has always had a huge international interest, even from the start. It is a tactical race, demanding both seamanship and weather-savvy, being the longest continent-to-continent yacht race in the southern hemisphere. The use of different ports for the finish has seen the race distance vary between 3 400 and 4 500 nautical miles.
After leaving Cape Town, participants head north-west towards the island of Ilha Trindade, and south-west from there towards South America. As they near the coast, skippers need to decide whether to take the longer route with stronger winds, or a more direct route with the chance for lighter winds.
Even though it is best known as the Cape to Rio Race, the race has indeed headed mainly for Rio, but at times to other South American venues, including Punta del Este in Uruguay, and more recently Salvador, the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia. Cape Town has always been the starting point of the race since its inception.