MH Performance Sailing: Dawn of a new sailing era - Durban and beyond

Side by side, MH Performance Sailing teams Element skippered by Nicolene Henkeman and Velocity skippered by Anna Correa head up to the top mark on day five of the MSC Week hosted by Point YC. MH Performance Sailing was launched on the eve of the regatta © Chirs Clark

Bowman, pictured competing in last year's MSC Week, Nqoba Mswazi is seen in his happy place flying the spinnaker on Orion B2G2 © Robyn Ambler

Pictured in his beloved home port, Nqoba Mswazi is pictured shortly after his success in the MSC Week competing with his newly lanched MH Performance Sailing team © Ntokozo Msiya

While a fleet of yachts were hotly contesting the coveted MSC Week title offshore of Durban, the bigger story behind the sailing scenes was unfolding as a competitor with a humble vision was getting to witness his dream become a reality.

Nqoba Mswazi was back in his beloved hometown of Durban to participate in his ninth MSC Week hosted by Point Yacht Club, guiding and igniting passion in his young crew members. Based in the Med working as a first mate on a super yacht, the sailor's annual pilgrimage home now coincides with the MSC Week.

This year, on the eve of the 49th running of the MSC Week, Mswazi invited a handful of people to an informal launch where he stood beaming with pride on the lawns at Royal Natal Yacht Club and announced the opening of his MH Performance Sailing.

In his stable, two beautifully cared for L26s yachts. Velocity which he purchased last year, and his most recent acquisition, Element - the former Point Yacht Club's Lipton Cup Challenger that has been in storage since its last Lipton campaign. Both yachts were going to make their debut flying the MH Performance Sailing flag in the MSC Week.

No stranger to big sailing events, Mswazi - nicknamed 'The Machine' grew up in uMgababa and was one of the first kids through the Sail Africa Foundation, Clipper Round the World sailor, Craig Millar's legacy project. Mswazi has represented Royal Natal Yacht Club at the prestigious Lipton Cup, competed in the Vasco da Gama Ocean race, the Round Creole Race with his mentor, Sean Jones and he has also competed in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

18 years since he first began sailing, Nqoba Mswazi has come full circle and is generously giving back to his community that he so strongly believes in. 'The sport of sailing has given me so much. It has opened so many doors I never dreamed possible. I am hoping that through the MH Performance Sailing, I will be able to give back and open some doors for a few others that share my love for this amazing sport!'

Spending time on the water with his team racing on Element in the L26 Nationals, Mswazi said, MSC Week was amazing even though there was a lot of pressure on us but I'm proud of the guys I selected, and we proved that anything is possible if you believe in it.'

'Racing on the final day most certainly was the standout race for me. We were sitting on top of the leaderboard, but equal on points with our toughest competitor, Rainhard Lenz on Grayhard. We had to go out there and sail the race of our lives to win. We pushed the boat like never before, in a breeze that all but evapourated, the conditions were extremely challenging.'

Next week he will be returning back to the Med after his mid year escape. 'I am needing to head back to work to make some money so that I can spend it on the new boats, as well as keeping MH Performance Sailing running. I am leaving it in good hands with my right-hand lady, Nicolene Henkeman who will ensure the teams continue racing through the upcoming summer season.'

But for now, Mswazi and team Element are revelling in the fact that they are the 2025 L26 National Champions, winning by the slimmest of margins. The first of hopefully many titles to be awarded to MH Performance Sailing.