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.