Sailing Magazine
by Richard Crockett
For the second year the same protagonists competed for the honours, Herbie Spradbrow defending the Cup for the PYC in ‘Skebenga’, and Jimmy Van Niekerk being the defender in ‘Erica’ under the new Royal Cape Yacht Club burgee.
The first race, on the triangular course with legs of 5nm each was something of a drifter and won by over four minutes by ‘Skebenga’, who was said to have been faster to windward and pointed much higher than ‘Erica’, the latter at times on the first leg being 20 minutes behind, although she did pick up to be just 6 minutes back at the first buoy.
On the second leg she reduced the margin to 2 minutes and 15 seconds, and on the last one actually drew level and passed ‘Skebenga’ temporarily, ultimately finishing a poor second some 3 minutes and 48 seconds behind in what was for the most part a drifting match.
Post race opinion was that had ‘Erica’ sailed her own course on the last leg, instead of trying to get to weather of her rival, she could not have failed to win!
The second race was sailed in glorious weather, and while ‘Erica’ led by 41 seconds at the halfway mark, ‘Skebenga’ eventually overhauled them to win by 3 minutes and 30 seconds. The East African Standard newspaper from Mombasa reported that “‘Erica’s’ skipper adopted sailing tactics which proved disastrous for the success of his boat.”
The same newspaper also reported that as ‘Skebenga’ had won the cup, a proposal was made that the crews change boats for the final race. Fortunately this did not happen!
The third race on the quadrilateral course saw a 4 – 7 knot wind from the west. ‘Erica’ led by 36 seconds at the first buoy, but lost her advantage on the second leg, a beat, when ‘Skebenga’ took the lead in a freshening breeze. The wind picked up to 12 knots for the last beat, yet ‘Skebenga’ increased her distance ahead to finish 3 minutes 42 seconds ahead.
‘Erica’s’ skipper reported that “in her present condition ‘Erica’ can’t hope to beat ‘Skebenga’ as ‘Erica’ is handicapped by a sprung mast and her sails did not set too well”. Certainly not the essential ingredients for a race-winning yacht. But a report in the Cape Argus said that “generally speaking, the fault of the challenger was that she cannot go into the wind within points of ‘Skebenga’, especially when the breeze is light. On Saturday she sailed a circle – or rather two legs – when she might have borne down on the mark from the very start. She travelled faster than ‘Skebenga’, but covered too much ground.”
The same report also alluded to the fact that ‘Erica’, in that controversial final race the previous year, “was to windward but the position was neither time good for her, because she was so far wide of the mark.”
Just before Sir Thomas despatched Shamrock IV across the pond for the America’s Cup, the PYC sent him a telegram which read “‘Skebenga’, winner three races, sincerely wishes ‘Shamrock’ same success in America’s Cup race”.
Just 8 days after the final race of the 1914 Lipton Challenge Cup series war broke out in Europe, and races for the Cup were not raced again until 1922.
Final Results
1 Point Yacht Club – Herby Spradbrow Skebenga 1 1 1
2 Royal Cape Yacht Club – Jimmy van Niekerk Erica 2 2 2
Winning Crew of Skebenga: Herby Spradbrow; John Roberts; Charles Jewitt; Jimmy Burden; G Aitcheson.
READ THE CAPE TIMES REPORT HERE: 1914 07 17 – Cape Times – First race for Lipton cup – national archives_Redacted
