by Richard Crockett Jack Gruter, a Jakaranda crewman wrote an editorial on his experiences competing in the first leg of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race. This was no traditional well planned campaign, rather a last-minute, perhaps even a last ditch attempt at getting the boat ready in the UK to race to Cape Town. “The crowning point of a journey that took us across the wide Atlantic from Portsmouth to Cape Town on the first leg of the …
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“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. Jakaranda & the Whitbread Race
by Richard Crockett Something I was not consciously aware of until Peter Koehorst sent me his scrap book of cuttings from the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973, was that ‘Jakaranda’ entered the race and completed the first leg to Cape Town before being withdrawn. I have not yet managed to ascertain the reasons for that decisions. However, Peter Koehorst was a crewman aboard, and John Goodwin the skipper. Other crew were Captain W Damarell, WO. M Avery, …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. 2000 Governor’s Cup
by Richard Crockett The more I dig into this event the more I realise that it needs to be fully documented and researched due to the many different guises under which it has been raced. The race in December 2000 appears to have been aimed at making it a family affair with the yachties in the family racing and the landlubbers travelling on the ‘RMS St Helena’ to the island where they would meet up and enjoy Christmas together. What …
Read More »“Talking Sailing”from My Archives. St Helena Race Perplexing!
By Richard Crockett In the CASA (Cruising Association of South Africa) news bulletin of March 1986 Bill Rabinowitz, the CASA scribe, wrote the following: Readers may well be a little perplexed: First there was the Southstar, then the Mariners’ Wharf Challenge and now the Stannic Southstar. Quite a little story could be written about the organisation of this race. He was absolutely correct, as researching info on this race is like trying to find hen’s teeth! Various sponsors names are …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. 2-Handed Southstar Race
by Richard Crockett The first Stannic Southstar race to St Helena Island and back in 1986 was a singlehanded affair, with the second race in 1989 being a two-handed race. Adding the extra crew added to the entry numbers, albeit marginally. Favourites going in to the race were Bertie Reed and Tony Abbott, both singlehanders from the previous race, and both sailing with and extra crew this time. However it was not the favourites who romped home for victory. The …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. The First Stannic Southstar Race
by Richard Crockett I was recently asked questions about the Southstar Race, a 3700nm singlehanded race in Miura’s from Cape Town to St Helena and back. It was generously sponsored by Stannic. The first race was in 1986, and was won by Bertie Reed, who called it “the toughest race I’ve ever sailed”. Reed predicted that the following race would see 15 – 20 boats on the start line. Sadly that level of support was never achieved and the race …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. ‘Titch’ & ‘Viking’ Tell Their Stories
by Richard Crockett On Tuesday and Wednesday I shared info on the Agulhas Race from Simonstown to Port Elizabeth, giving an overall report as published in SA Yachting Magazine, and first-hand accounts from THE owners/skippers of ‘Sewin’, ‘Zeeslang’ and ‘Corsair II’. Today sees this mini-series being wrapped up with extracts from Arthur Holgate’s ‘Titch’ and ‘Viking’ skippered by Fred Smithers. Holgate was always a man of very few words as he simply preferred to get out and do it rather …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. Corsair’s 1962 Race to Port Elizabeth
by Richard Crockett Following on from yesterday when I shared some general information on the 1962 Agulhas Race to Port Elizabeth and how the owner of the RCOD ‘Sewin’ praised her skipper Ted Kuttel for the performance of their little yacht. The ultimate winner of that race was the motor-sailer ‘Corsair’ skippered by Stan Jeffrey. His ketch was an unlikely winner being a heavy ketch-rigged motor-sailer, yet she was driven hard and was far more robust and able to be …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. 1962 Agulhas Race to Port Elizabeth
by Richard Crockett Ever since I dug out some really old reports on the Agulhas Race from my archives, I have been planning to share them. So here goes! The 1962 race, which started on Boxing Day, was to Port Elizabeth. It was into a stiff 25 – 30 knot South Easter, with a forecast gale on Agulhas. The report entitled “A Hard Gale-Studded Race” gives a brief outline of the race which took just under three days to complete …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. Boat Naming Ceremony
by Richard Crockett The author of this feature, written for the October 2002 issue of SAILING Magazine, was John Vigor. I knew Vigor when he was a newspaper journalist in Durban, writing a humorous daily column under the pseudonym of “The Idler”. He is a fine journalist and avid yachtie too, having cut his teeth in distance racing with David Cox aboard ‘Diana K’ in the 1971 Cape to Rio Race. He emigrated many years ago, sailing his 30-footer, together …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. 2001 West Coast Cruise
by Richard Crockett I have always advocated a good mix of racing and fun sailing to boost numbers on the water as not everyone is in to racing week in and week out without a sniff of a good result. Fun sailing can, and does, bring good participation – just look at the Mykonos Offshore Race last week, and the example I will use this morning of the West Coast Cruise of 2001 as I stumbled upon it while browsing …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” from my archives. Surviving the 48-hour storm
by Richard Crockett Yesterday I shared a feature article written by Frans Loots expressing his disappointment at not find a berth for the 1989 Cape to Uruguay Race and how he went about ensuring he was on the following race. That feature article struck a chord with many yesterday, so here is the sequel. The race was just one part of his adventure aboard the Petersen 33 he had secured for the race as he did the delivery passage back …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. Small Budget, BIG Adventure
by Richard Crockett With the recent Rio Race fast fading in memories, I thought it appropriate to share this editorial written by Frans Loots when he expressed his bitter disappointment at not being able to secure a berth on the 1979 race to Uruguay. He vowed to do the next race as skipper of his own entry. He tells a great story which should be a lesson for all, especially the aspiring young sailors out there wanting adventure and an …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. Heard of the Sonatina & Chickadee Dinghies?
By Richard Crockett The Koper family played a major role in shaping sailing in this country as it was Jack Koper who conceived the Dabchick, a dinghy still spoken about with passion today – well over 60 years after the first one was launched. Former Dabbie sailors like nothing better than talking about their Dabbie days, and sharing pics of themselves and their Dabbies from days of yore. Jack Koper designed the Dabchick, Tempo and Sonnet dinghies. In July 2002 …
Read More »“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. Windy & Wild Mykonos
by Richard Crockett I have absolutely no idea as to what the record is for the Mykonos Race to Saldanha Bay as this will take some lengthy research to find the answer. However, in 2001 Warrior took line honours in a time of 5 hours and 24 minutes. Will that mark be chased down today, as the race to Mykonos starts at 09h00? Only time will tell, and looking at the long-range forecast there will be wind, and probably not …
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