Final Call for Stormhoek Social Spirit Nominations

As the Clipper Race teams begin to arrive into Marina da Gloria to celebrate the completion of Race 1 across the Atlantic Ocean and the Equator, this is a final reminder that the nomination window for the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award will close on Saturday.

The response to the award, which will be given at the Official Prize Giving scheduled for 2 October in Rio de Janeiro, has been immense. The Stormhoek Social Spirit Award is the brainchild of Bernard and Sue Fontannaz. Sue was a crew member on board Invest Africa in the 2013-14 race edition and sailed from Rio to her native Cape Town, South Africa. The award is of great importance to Sue and her husband, who owns our Official Wine Partner Stormhoek Wines, because they have first-hand experience of the race from both a crew and supporter perspective.

The award is for friends, family and crew members of the race to put forward reasons why the crew they are following have displayed the best team (and social) spirit throughout that individual race. The reason the award is being run through Facebook is because social media is such a vital way for people to connect throughout the race.

Bernard said: “It’s wonderful to see the response to the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award. It really highlights that the Clipper Race is so much more than sailing, when you see the spirit behind the race. I think it’s set the foundation for the awards going forward, as the supporters are getting behind the crew and showing generosity of spirit by not just voting for their own teams. It’s great for them to be part of the action too.”

If you have yet to nominate your team for the award, log on to Facebook, ‘like’ the Stormhoek Wines page and write a comment on the post about the award to tell us who you think should win it. You can also share the post with friends and family so they can get behind the race and your team. By liking the page, you will also be kept up to date on any promotions and events being held by Stormhoek Wines throughout the Clipper Race.