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The very best of this inter-club challenge was kept until last as the top two Clubs tied on points after the 9th race, leaving the final race on the 6-mile windward-leeward course as the decider. The wind was from the NW and blowing about 10 knots. The defending champions, Hermanus Yacht Club (HYC) were up against the challenger of record being the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC). These two had slugged it out closely throughout the previous nine races, almost …

Two races, one in light winds, the second in a good breeze, have turned the City of Cape Town Lipton Challenge Cup leader board on its head, and will ensure that the three potential races scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) will be a shoot-out, with the best team lifting the Lipton Cup in victory. But it was not only the wind that turned the contest on its head as two protests were lodged, and three boats disqualified, one being the Royal …

Champagne sailing is what today was all about in the Lipton Challenge Cup contest sponsored by the City of Cape Town on Table Bay – with great tactical sailing too. It was nerve-wracking out there today especially in the first race as the wind took forever to settle and steady. With just 6-8 knots from the north/north west, it was a race full of decision making, sound tactics and boat speed. From the start gun the fleet spread quickly with …

With a light southerly wind maxing between 8 & 10 knots on flat water in what most pundits would call a perfect day for yacht racing, things were very tough for all competitors. The most consistent results were put in by the defending champions from the Hermanus Yacht Club who grabbed the 72nd Lipton Challenge Cup contest (sponsored by the City of Cape Town) by the cups ornate handles, sending a message to all teams that they are the ones …

By Richard Crockett As there was no racing yesterday due to strong winds, I am unable to share the racing report with you, so instead have posed the question in the above heading. A “grand slam” is scored when a competitor wins every single race in a series – something that is quite rare, and a feat becoming more and more difficult I would think as fleets simply get more competitive, and more races are sailed. In the founding era …

By Richard Crockett Racing in the 72nd Lipton Cup contest starts today on Table Bay with the first race scheduled for 11h00. So what is everyone racing for? To answer that one first needs to understand how the Lipton Cup was obtained for competition in this country, and how important the Deed of Gift is in terms of the competition. I firmly believe that no one can talk with any authority on this contest without having read the Deed of …

by Richard Crockett Tomorrow the 72nd Lipton Cup contest commences on Table Bay, and only a fool would bet on the likely result come next Saturday. The contest is tight and highly competitive with the winner coming from the team that does not blink under pressure and which can consistently count good positions. With no discard permitted, there is absolutely no room for error, with every single result counting, whether good, bad or indifferent. This year’s fleet is one less …

By Richard Crockett When the 72nd Lipton Cup contest commences on Tuesday (25th August) the 353rd race in the history of this fascinating contest will start. Over many years I have been collecting data on this contest and now have an almost complete spreadsheet by race, and with all the winning crew since the very first contest in 1911. This enables me to pull the statistics I share today, and they read like this: 49. The quality of the competing …

by Richard Crockett Today I will wrap up the 30 Square Metre era of the Lipton Cup, but before doing that I will briefly cover the final contest in 1973 which was held on Table Bay. At the Mayor’s Reception during the previous contest in Durban it was sportingly announced that the leading Cape boat would name this year’s Lipton Cup waters. Not unexpectedly ‘Tarpon’ (SBYC) nominated Table Bay, from 9 – 13 April. The wind gods were on the …

by Richard Crockett The fleet was back to seven again as ‘Sunmaid’ and ‘Rapid’ dropped out and ‘Mariquita’ (FBYC) once again joined the contest. This contest is remembered for the “grand slam” scored by David Cox, the Commodore of the Point Yacht, sailing ‘Tintomara’. The last “grand slam” having been that of Wilfred Hancock and ‘Mariquita’ in 1966, as well as with ‘Sunmaid’ in 1958. These two Durban skippers were the only ones to have grand-slammed in a five race …

by Richard Crockett The very valuable assistance of the Navy is often mentioned in dispatches pertaining to the Lipton Cup. In recognition of their services the City of Durban awarded the local naval base S.A.S. lnkonkoni the “Freedom of the City”. What a grand gesture. Reporting on the event then was Bianca Lavies who lamented the fact that they do not let women, reporters or photographers, on their guardships! The name of Wilfred Hancock has, for several previous Lipton contests …

by Richard Crockett The fleet swelled to a record nine yachts, with ‘Sunmaid’, ‘Yvette’ and ‘Tarpon’ not being entered despite being previous winners. Two new yachts came into the fray – being ‘Mariquita’ and ‘Tintomara’, with ‘Avocet’ and ‘Rapid’ returning for another shot at lifting the Lipton Cup. ‘Mariquita’ was a Arvid Laurin design, built in 1958, making her the newest in the fleet. ‘Tintomara’ was a Harry Becker design and built in 1955. Besides new boats, there were new …

by Richard Crockett In 1958 Rapid and Chiquita made way for ‘Sun Rose’ and ‘Sea Swallow’, with the fleet size remaining at eight, as it was in the previous contest. This was ‘Sun Rose’s’ first foray into the Lipton Cup contests. A Knud Reimers design, she was built in 1950. A massive change to the contest was the addition of two additional races at the request of competitors, making five races in all, the first time there had ever been …

by Richard Crockett Another new yacht, ‘Trickson II’, was added to the contest, making a fleet of eight. She was new to her owner, Harold Kohler, and was an unknown quantity as she had only been raced once in this country. She was an Arvid Laurin design, built in 1944. This series of races will probably go down as the most unfavourable to competitors as two days before the scheduled start the boats were unable to sail because of the …

by Richard Crockett Again seven yachts competed in the 11th contest with ‘Rapid’ making her first appearance, and ‘Sea Swallow’ dropping out. ‘Rapid’ was designed by Harry Becker and built in 1938. The Merthley Boating Club (MBC) from Natal was competing for the first time, with Ronald Elsdon-Dew as the skipper of ‘Avocet’ which made a return to the contest. ‘Rapid’ had been imported from Sweden by Leon Policansky, and was the longest of her class to be built. Determining …