Historical

by Richard Crockett Here are 8 pages of Club Notes and 11 photos to start the week with, all from the July 1966 issue of SA Yachting magazine. The Headlines Today Are: Sails on the Highveld by Peter Brown Midmar Festival Regatta – Page of “People Pics” Durban Doings by Bianca Lavies Blue Peter to Set Sail Durban’s First RCOD Launched Off-Shore Race – Won By Anuanua Judge Overboard University Wants A Fireball Glendee Yacht Club Midmar Festival Regatta READ …

By Richard Crockett So many old salts from days of yore speak very fondly of the Spearhead, so it’s a pleasure to be able to share this re-assessment of the boat today. “Almost without exception, when a design is commissioned, it is done so with a host of restrictions which invariably lead to a compromise. Sail-boat design is full of compromises, speed for stability, more sail for more power, which in turn results in a change in the underwater sections. …

By Richard Crockett Publishers back in the day had a nasty habit of turning feature articles over to pages near the back instead of finishing them in consecutive pages. As a result today’s headline is a little misleading as there are three features. Aussie Cup Challengers – written by Don Ord. While I was in Sydney, through the kind effort of Max Whitnall and Jim Hardy, the new 505 world champions I was introduced to Warwick Hood, who is the …

by Richard Crockett Not only are there 8 pages of Club Notes today, but also 2 pages of “People Pics” and 12 individual pics – so lots to read about and look at. The Headlines Today Are: Zululand Interclub Regatta Zululand Yacht Club – Page of “People Pics” Henley Midmar… In From Bombay… ‘Suhaili’ Dock in Durban Pocket Cruiser – Lello’s 26-footer Shaw for Gold Cup Pics of Winners Rhodesian Junior – Plus Results Imperial Yacht Club Pic – Seen …

by Richard Crockett These “Club Notes” pages certainly reveal the rich sailing heritage of the boats, people, clubs and regattas from yesteryear. As always the page of “people pics” during the PYC Enterprise Week depict many names and families – many I remember from my early sailing days. These Are Today’s Headlines: • Durban Doings by Bianca Lavies • Durban Easter Regatta & Natal Champs • Enterprise Week – Report & Page of People Pics • Urania Wins • Sails …

By Richard Crockett I do enjoy the reports on multi-class regattas, and while this was ostensibly the FD Winter champs, the Finns, Sprogs, Spearheads, Tempos and Fireballs, Sharpies, Extras and Andies were also out in force. And those sailing them read like a “Who’s Who” of South African yachties from yesteryear. The report in the May 1966 issue of SA Yachting magazine opened with these paragraphs: “The hard-fought, keenly-sailed Flying Dutchmen Winter Championships, held during the Easter week-end on the …

By Richard Crockett The last two issues of SA Yachting magazine have been filled to capacity with powerboat and waterski news, and very little yachting, hence two Club Notes in succession. In the magazines defence though, it’s sub-title is “Waterskiing Power & Sail”. Today I have shared the cover of the April issue as it has, as the caption says, “a Spearhead jills daintily along at Florida Lake’, a gentle pic to ease in the weekend. I wonder what Florida …

by Richard Crockett Who would not be attracted to a photo of three cannons, the feature image for today. The cannons being referred to were brass cannons used by the Transvaal Yacht Club to start races, and were described as probably the largest and most powerful cannons used by any club in South Africa. Do they still exist at the club, or have they gone “missing” and become souvenirs or worse still scrap metal? Hopefully an alert follower of this …

by Richard Crockett Space is a perennial problem to all editors and publishers, with this issue of SA Yachting magazine apologising for truncating the Class News for this very reason, yet still there is a goodly variety of news. Under the “Easterling” headline is the story of a round-the-worlder who fashioned a neat jury-rudder extension made out of his old dining-room table”. The Headlines Today Are: • Glinane Finn Week • Glendee Yacht Club • Easterling • Sundowner • Redhouse …

By Richard Crockett Saldanha Bay was the venue for the 1966 SAYRA Nationals, a stretch of water that was fast becoming a firm favourite of the Cape venues. This championship became known as one of the most hotly-fought Nationals and also one which did immeasurable good in promoting the sport. Peter Brown, author of this report said: “Time was a few years ago when the results in each class were easily predictable. This changed this year with any of ten …

by Richard Crockett Every time I share pages about ‘Stormvogel’ the response from around the world is massive as so many people experienced here in so many different ways. Today Kees Bruynzeel tells the story about her line honours win in the 1965 Sydney to Hobart race. These are his opening words: “‘Stormvogel’ slides over the finishing line in Hobart. A gun is fired, claxons roar, a big crowd cheers. “For us the race is over, a fight of more …

By Richard Crockett The last time I shared info on the round-the-worlders and ocean passage-makers, the response was very gratifying, so there’s more today about this eclectic band of sailors who have swopped life ashore for a life at sea. Again it’s written by Bianca Lavies, a prolific writer and photographer who covered the Durban boating scene. There’s news of a 35-foot Lodestar trimaran, ‘Zulane’, from Knysna which completed the passage from Knysna to Durban. Of most significance though is …

By Richard Crockett There are 10 pages of Club Notes today, all crammed full of interesting news from yesteryear, with the page of “people pics” showing one of a young Jane Hayes (now Hudson) having won the Sprog Weekend with her skipper Brian Vickers. Jane Hayes was the Island Sailing Club’s “Yachtswoman of the Year”. Headlines Today Are: • Durban Doings by Bianca Lavies • Henley Midmar Yacht Club • The Sprog Weekend – Page of People Pics • Dawn …

By Richard Crockett Today I am able to share two completely different features – the first being by John Teale who muses on South Africa’s chances – and the second being the Italian one-of-a-kind trials. “The point in this bit of re-evaluation is to stir the imaginations again of South Africans who may be hiver-hovering over taking the plunge and entering a team of three in some future Admiral’s Cup series …” said Teale of the Admiral’s Cup feature. The …

by Richard Crockett The name Arthur Holgate regularly crops up when researching the rich sailing heritage in our country. And why not as he was not just a remarkable man who accomplished everything he set out to achieve, but was also a consummate seaman. In 1965 he built ‘Lorraine’ and launched her late that year, with the January 1966 issue of SA Yachting magazine saying this about her, and also the man: “To many yachtsmen and professional seamen all round …