Historical

by Richard Crockett Here’s a delightful feature on the formation of an all-girls sailing team at the Royal Cape Yacht Club way back in 2001. Here’s an extract from the feature: “Lipton arrived. We were the first all girls’ crew and because our average age was 17, we were also the youngest to compete in Lipton’s 87-year history. So we created quite a stir from day one. “There were 25 yachts competing, and each day we managed to secure a …

By Richard Crockett Earlier in the week I shared the report by Bob Fisher on the Jubilee Regatta, and today I will shared the preview of the event – not only because it gives a good overall history of the America’s Cup, but also because there are a few good pics too. Fisher open his report as follows: “When, in 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace, the schooner yacht ‘America’ arrived in Cowes and by …

By Richard Crockett “Memories are surely made of this” is the subhead for today’s feature which was written by Bob Fisher. “There will never be another regatta like it – the Jubilee Regatta had it all” he said. There were boats from all eras, including the Rudi Shaefer-commissioned replica of the schooner ‘America’, built in 1967; and particularly, there were the people from the Cup’s history and from the better sailing events of the past half century to make it …

By Richard Crockett The only reason I share today’s offering is that I simply love the images which accompany the feature. In days of yore ocean going yachts were big, bold and magnificent. They had tons of canvas too, and were for want of a better word simply splendid. ‘Windrose’ broke a 97-Year Drought when she beat the Transatlantic crossing time achieved way back in 1905 by the 57-metre (187-foot) schooner ‘Atlantic’ by 17 hours, 36 minutes, and 9 seconds. …

By Richard Crockett I do marvel at what my archives reveal from time to time. Today, staying with the 1997 J22 Worlds on Table Bay, SA Yachting magazine reveals that this was the very first keelboat World champs ever held in South Africa! Who knew that? The editorial reveals that the starts showed a lack of experience sailing in large fleets in South Africa. With dwindling numbers over several years now, there is merit for potential Lipton competitors to put …

By Richard Crockett The Lipton Cup trustees have made a tough decision to make the J22 the boat of choice with immediate effect – so in August this year there will be a J22 fleet on Table Bay contesting to see who lifts the old mug in victory. This was a tough, yet popular, call for the Lipton Trustees despite it being the only logical one as the choice of the ORC handicapping has simply not brought the cut-and-thrust and …

By Richard Crockett Now here’s an interesting piece with a smattering of humour which shows the other side of Cowes Week, or maybe it’s just the side of Cowes Week that few own up to! It was published without credit, and sadly, for the life of me, I cannot recall whom the author is! Maybe he or she, is a genuine “Saffer” – not that it matters, although the subhead says: “by a Rooinek marooned on the Isle of Wight!” …

By Richard Crockett Today’s feature is actually titled “Vigor’s Inter-denominational Boat Naming Ceremony”. It was written by yachtsman and author John Vigor who emigrated from Durban to the USA many, many years ago, with his wife and two kids aboard their Morgan 31. Vigor is a man of the sea who competed in the very first 1971 Cape to Rio race with David Cox aboard ‘Diana-K’. He was a newspaper man through and through, and eventually became a well respected …

By Nick Leggatt The last few sailing record features I have shared have been well received, so here’s another. This time it’s about another ‘Playstation’ record, and is written by Nick Leggatt who always pens a fascinating feature as he captures all the special moments so well. Leggatt sets the tone from the very first line: “Trim on staysail!” Click . . . click . . . click – the clutches for the two starboard coffee grinders were engaged along …

By Richard Crockett Here’s a wonderful light read written by Brian (Mugs) Hancock, which starts off with this quote: “The cure for everything is salt water – sweat, tears and the sea.” lsak Dineson He finishes the article like this: “It’s an addictive feeling, far from any of the physical aspects of sailing, but somehow a part of it. It’s the reason I love to sail. As Havelock Ellis once said. “The most beautiful of the arts. It is life …

By Richard Crockett Here’s a gentle way to ease you into the new week and have you dreaming of new sailing destinations. The feature is sub-titled “Or, what are you doing with your family next winter?” It’s about some “trailer-sailing Vaalies” sailing from Maputo to Ilha Da Inhaca as a wonderful opportunity to escape the Highveld winter, find their sealegs and cruising to and around the most southerly tropical reef in Africa. The flotilla consisted of one Holiday 23 ‘Aquafox’, …

By Richard Crockett In today’s offering, South African Nick Leggatt, is part of the ‘Playstation’ crew who broke the “route of discovery record” – sailing from Cadiz to San Salvador. Reading Leggatt’s editorial, this was no easy passage despite the record. And, having an average speed of 16,93 knots one may wonder what all the fuss is about as it’s a pedestrian speed in terms of what sailing vessels can achieve today! Crewing aboard these mammoth catamarans back in those …

By Richard Crockett Keeping to a similar theme from earlier this week, today I am able to share the ‘Mari Cha IV’ record. And of course there was a South African aboard too – this time it was Jan Dekker. At 140-foot in length it was probably no surprise that ‘Mari Cha IV’ became the fastest monohull in history when they shattered the West to East transatlantic speed record. Completing the 2,925 mile crossing in 6 days, 17 hours, 52 …

By Richard Crockett Who remembers the Sharpie? I reckon that only a handful of old salts from days of yore will remember them. Way back in 2004 John Fowler, emigrated from England and settled in Knysna. In England he sailed Sharpies, with the English ones being a bit different from the Sharpies we had here in South Africa. Ours were mostly Bermuda rigged, but the ones in Europe have the original gaff rig. The design is from the late 1800s when …

By Richard Crockett Today we read about yachts (can we really call them that?) doing 50 knots on foils and singlehanders racing around the world non-stop in a mere 64 days. It makes the record that ‘Cheyenne’ set in 2004 appear to be somewhat pedestrian! The opening paragraph of the report on her records reads as follows: “58 days 9 hours 32 minutes 45 sees after taking the start on February 7th, American skipper Steve Fossett and his international crew …