Historical

Above. With some of the silverware – Basil Lindhorst and lvor Jamison, of ‘Parergon Ill’ and (centre) the winning skipper, Fred Smithers. Below. Active’s crew fill the bottom picture, left to right. Gordon Phillips, Stompie McDonald, from PE , John Bayliss, Bill Perry, skipper Jack Nosworthy, John Dalgleish, Basil Joyce, Gordon Burn Wood and joint owner, Monie Salamon.By Richard Crockett The 1961 January/February issue of SA Yachting magazine has this to say about the race from Simonstown to Mossel Bay. …

by Richard Crockett In 2004 I was fortunate enough to tour the Beneteau factories in France. Their dedicated wood shop, for want of a better description, was massive, although my abiding memory was the fact that huge trees would arrive at one end and depart at the other as wooden components for their vessels. The logs were generally made into very thin veneers from which the components were manufactured. Which is why I am sharing today’s photo essay as the …

by Richard Crockett The author of several books on sailing, Lawrence Green today shares his thoughts on boat building in South Africa from the November/December 1960 issue of SA Yachting magazine. “Shipbuilding is not such a recent industry in South Africa as you might imagine. lt flourished in Jan Riebeeck’s time, and started much earlier. Shipwrecked crews of long ago were resourceful men. They knew full well that no one would come to their rescue, so they put together new …

By Richard Crockett How many have thought about using their dinghy as a cruising vessel for exploring new waters? Well Peter Adams and Dave Grantham did just this, as the subhead in the November/December 1960 issue of SA Yachting indicated: “Two men in a small dinghy, a GP14, have fun during a sailing and camping jaunt on the swelling waters of Southern Africa’s newest cruising grounds. This is how the introduction read: “The idea of a sailing cruise up the …

by Richard Crockett Earlier this year I scanned some negatives of a sliding seat canoe, so was delighted to have found today’s editorial, entitled “Effervescent Sailing” all about these super-slippery speedsters. The features says “By far the oldest of the many small boat classes in the world, sailing canoes were first raced in England early in the 1870s. At first the craft were adaptations of the paddling “Rob Roy” canoes, but they have developed until they are highly·specialised sailing machines …

by Richard Crockett “Beauty, and strength is more than skin deep in this tough cruiser for Algoa Bay – designed to keep the sea in the wildest weather.” Well if that teaser does not get you wanting to read more, nothing will! This is what her author, Noel Redfern wrote: “I know off-shore cruising men in Cape Town think their South-Easters are murderous, but I feel our Westerlies – which blow more or less straight up and down our coast …

by Richard Crockett I am always fascinated in the results from regattas of yore as many of the competitors names were those of people who shaped the future of our sport, or who were simply the best exponents in the class they chose to compete in – and were the “who’s who” of our sport. The 1960 SAYRA Nationals at Bethlehem in the Free State were no exception, as the report reveals. It opened with these words: “When you think …

by Richard Crockett I have chosen to share today’s editorial from the January/February issue of SA Yachting of 1960 for the very simple reason that I like the words chosen to describe what was then a “modern catboat”. “A buxom wench – two beams wide, but light-footed” were the words that caught my attention. Her name was ‘Hebe’. These words teased one to read further: “Capsizing is too frequent in modern racing machines, so amateur designer Charles Beresford went in …

by Richard Crockett There was such varied news in this section that I felt it appropriate to share these page from the January/February issue of SA Yachting magazine from 1960. “The growing Union-wide interest in boating was clearly reflected in the growth of Durban’s four yacht clubs last year. “At the beginning of the season the Point Yacht Club reported more than 1,100 members, 900 senior and 200 juniors – an increase of 400 ; the Bluff Yacht Club had …

By Richard Crockett I am often asked which South African yacht was the first to sail around the world and complete a circumnavigation. It was Gerry Trobridge’s ‘White Seal’ and not, as some believe, ‘Cariad’ or even Stan Jefferies ‘Corsair’. The January/FEBRUARY issue of SA Yachting magazine in 1960 said this: “Gerry Trobridge, of Johannesburg, sailed his 15-ton 36 ft. ketch, ‘White Seal’, back into Durban Bay on November 25 to end round-the-world Odyssey that began from the same port …

by Richard Crockett Those who have spent a lot of time at sea may well have experienced “the ultimate wave”, a “rogue wave” or even a “freak wave” – call them what you like as they are all pretty similar and are best avoided! Frank Robb penned today’s feature in the 1959 November/December issue of SA Yachting, and while so much more is known about them today thanks to dedicated studies and even satellites, they are still a fact of …

by Richard Crockett South Africans Bobby Bongers with Geoff Myburgh as crew finished 12th, and Geoff Paterson whose crew I am not sure about, also competed in this regatta at Whitstable, Kent. Geoff Paterson wrote the report for SA Yachting magazine, and reported as follows: “The impression gained from what we saw of the helmsmen at Whitstable was that Capio in those condition – that is, a steady light 5 to l0-knot breeze, with fairly big uncomfortable slop running out …

By Richard Crockett Such was the depth of sailing talent back in the late ‘50s that trials were held to select the South African Olympic sailing team. Today the World and regional rankings are considered combined with a little luck and interference. “Maturity won the day after a week’s keen sailing for the Olympic dinghy trials on the water of the Mossel Bay Yacht Club early in September. And although it is probably small consolation to that justly ambitious group …

By Richard Crockett I have always been in awe of ‘Cariad’ as she is simply a very beautiful and graceful yacht. So I always take every opportunity to share images of her. In the 1959 July/August issue of SA Yachting the death of Mr A. W. Flitton, was announced. He had of course owned ‘Cariad, and circumnavigated twice in her. Flitton was business man, a sailing administrator involved in SAYRA affairs, the Commodore of Transvaal Yacht Club, and a Sharpie …

By Richard Crockett Two interesting designs are mentioned in dispatches today, the prime one being a sistership to ‘Galloper’ which was designed for a Durban man by FBR Brown of London for offshore racing and cruising. As an aside, isn’t ‘Galloper’ a wonderful name for a yacht? In the designers words she was intended as a normal, well-built yacht meant to go reasonably fast in all conditions. The recommended specification included teak planking on Rock Elm steamed frames; teak for …