Saturday, 7th April 2007 at 11:03 am

Shosholoza off to a flyer

In a year boasting two World Cups - and with the first of those well underway - the America’s Cup hasn’t received quite as much attention as it’s deserved in South Africa. How to change that? Quite simple: go out on day one of fleet racing, and rack up a podium finish…

Shosholoza shouldn’t be anywhere near the top end of the America’s Cup results, having a fraction of the budget, nominal experience, and little of the infrastructure of yachting’s established teams. But Captain Salvatore Sarno’s infectious enthusiasm has spread through a team that has cheerfully defied its underdog status to catch the imagination of the European yachting public, and make a genuine dent on the order of the America’s Cup.

And with Archbishop Tutu on board as patron, Team Shosholoza began the fleet racing on Tuesday with a certain level of expectation - a level they promptly smashed through on day one. A second place finish was quite simply South Africa’s sporting result of the year to date, and suggests that a couple of genuine upsets in the match racing are very possible. The cricketers are set for some competition for attention in the coming weeks…