On This Day – 24 April. A Newspaper History of Sailing

by Richard Crockett

From the overwhelming response I receive from these posts, from all over the world I may add, the interest is cranking up rapidly and I am being connected with some wonderful people thirsty for more. Thank you all who have made contact.

Should you wish to copy, forward or share material from here, PLEASE acknowledge the source as: Sourced From the SAILING Mag Archives & Historical Records.

To read the full reports, click on the LINK following each headline.

1985. “Exciting·line-up for Tomorrow’s Durban to EL Ocean Yacht Race”. With preparations for this year’s Wilbur Ellis Da Gama ocean yacht race from Durban to East London in the final stages, favourites for honours in the two-racing classes are emerging.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1985 04 24 324 8

1987. “Tactical Blunder Upsets Martin”. A tactical error has cost Cape Town sailor John Martin the final leg of the BOC Challenge round-the-world yacht race.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1987 04 24 344 5

1990. “Skipper Shows No Mercy in this Dash”. Dutch skipper Gerie Hegie in Natfish Touchwood regained his lead in the IMS handicap class of the Portnet Dias Cape Town to Lisbon race yesterday, just four days after having to make an emergency stop at Ascension Island.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 04 24 157

1990. “Table Bay Row Plans in Pipeline”. Plans to start races in rowing boats from Granger Bay to Robben Island – a relic of the past – are in the pipeline, and could begin as Table Bay’s new harbour development scheme comes into operation.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 04 24 386 21

1992. “EL-built Yacht to Compete in Cape-to-Rio”. A yacht built by an East London yachtsman, Mr Peter Roger-Lund, shortly before his death in a yachting accident off Durban in 1989 is to sail in the Cape-to-Rio event this year;
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1992 04 24 031_Redacted

1993. “South Africa’s -Flagship Takes on the World’s Best At Antigua Event”. South Africa’s yachting flagship, Broomstick, crewed by a team of crack South African yachtsmen, is representing the country at the meeting place of the world’s top yachts at the Antigua race week in the Caribbean which starts tomorrow.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1993 04 24 251_Redacted

1995. “American Women Win ‘Do-or-die’ Yacht Race”. The women of America 3 came through in a do-or-die race again on Saturday, and this time it counted.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1995 04 24 938

Comments and contributions are welcome. Email: editor@sailing.co.za

What is “On this Day” About?
I am busy archiving many boxes of press cuttings I have accumulated and which I guestimate run into tens of thousands! A daunting task which I believe to be necessary before ditching them as I have been concerned for many years about the lack of interest Clubs, Classes and other sailing related organisations give to preserving their history.

Should you wish to copy, forward or share material from here, PLEASE acknowledge the source as: Sourced From the SAILING Mag Archives & Historical Records.

From the overwhelming response I receive from these posts, from all over the world I may add, the interest is cranking up rapidly and I am being connected with some wonderful people thirsty for more. Thank you all who have made contact.

This is my personal crusade, and instead of simply archiving and keeping the contents away from prying eyes, I will share my spoils in the hope that you will enjoy reminiscing as much as I do, and continue to do as I wade through the labourious process of scanning each and every cutting in my archives.

As each scanned cutting will be searchable, I will be able to create presentation packs personally tailored to a persons exact requirements – ie. Rothmans Week, the NCS Regatta, the Rio Race, Mauritius Race, Vasco da Gama Race and more – or simply by the name of an individual (like Ant Steward and his open boat exploits) who want a record of his/her sailing career for the family archives.

I have already done this by scanning in excess of 10 000 pages of material I have on ‘Voortrekker’ – from idle chatter, to concept, to the formation of what ultimately became the South African Ocean Racing Trust (SAORT), to the fruition of the 1968 OSTAR Race in which Bruce Dalling and ‘Voortrekker’ excelled – and even beyond that.

The possibilities are endless – so watch this space.

Comments and contributions are welcome. Email: editor@sailing.co.za