Oude Molen Cape Brandy Sponsors Epic Cape to Rio Rowing Expedition
Oude Molen Cape Brandy, one of South Africa’s oldest brandy distilleries has embarked on an epic journey with Braam Malherbe, one of SA’s most respected conservationists and extreme adventurers, as a sponsor of his Cape to Rio Rowing expedition, which left Cape Town for Brazil on Tuesday.
"Our legacy epitomizes striving for excellence, relentlessly pursuing one’s passions and challenging the conventional to always hit the mark."
Braam Malherbe and yachtsman Wayne Robertson set off in their row boat unassisted; to row 6,700 KM’s from Cape to Rio in a bid to highlight the importance of sustainable living and to inspire everyone to do ‘Do One Thing’ (#DOTChallenge) for the planet to ensure a sustainable future.
Originally scheduled to leave on the 1st of January 2017 with the Cape 2 Rio Yacht Race, the team faced unforeseen delays due to unfavourable weather conditions and personal setbacks with Clyde Barendsee pulling out of the expedition for personal reasons.
The team will row unassisted in a Southern Atlantic Crossing, which will take them 98 days to complete during which time they could be faced with challenging weather conditions and potential dangers and, in Malherbe’s own words, “will require our minds to be stronger than our bodies.”
He says that other than the obvious physical challenges they will face, the biggest dangers will include ships at night, underwater vessels, whales and storms.
“We feel passionate about supporting the team on their epic journey,” says, Jacques van der Merwe, brand manager at Edward Snell & Co. “We will be supporting the team over the duration of their rowing expedition until we can welcome them home on their return.”
He continues: “Part of their challenge is to generate awareness around sustainability issues and to encourage everyone to do one thing every day which will make a difference. The DOT Challenge app went live yesterday and will connect like-minded individuals across the globe.”
Van der Merwe says that Oude Molen Cape Brandy is a proud sponsor of the team’s DOT Challenge. “Our legacy epitomizes striving for excellence, relentlessly pursuing one’s passions and challenging the conventional to always hit the mark. Just like Braamand Wayne, the founding father of Oude Molen, René Santhagens, believed in being courageous and exploring new waters in his pursuit of excellence.”
“Braam and Wayne are aiming to leave a legacy, and we believe that Oude Molen’s contribution to this challenge will enable the brave adventurists to leave their mark on the world,” van der Merwe adds.
Other than sponsoring the rowing duo, the Oude Molen distillery is incorporating the DOT Challenge into its operations. “Environmentally, considering the water crisis, there has been a focus on re-using treated effluent water, and currently our gardens are being irrigated with treated effluent water,” he explains. “Another project is in process to refine effluent water even further, to be used as boiler feed water for steam generation. In addition, energy saving LED lights have replaced incandescent lighting and we are in the final stages of replacing coal, being burned in our boilers, with biomass briquettes.”
For more information visit www.oudemolen.co.za or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter/Instagram: @OudeMolenBrandy #DOTChallenge #CapetoRioRow
Those wanting to get involved can download the app by going to the www.dotchallenge.org website where you can also track their progress.
