News

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 …

By Richard Crockett Many of those reading this headline will immediately think of the Mirror dinghy which, without wanting to put any noses out of joint, is probably the most well-known kit boat ever! It’s also one that many a family have built together and launched a lifetime of sailing pleasure. This feature, from the January 1966 issue of SA Yachting magazine, opens like this: “Too often with boat – as with marriage – price is the thing that scares …

By Richard Crockett One way to end the week, or give followers something to read over the weekend, is with “Club Notes” which are a variety of reports from Clubs and sailing organisations country-wide. And as always there is something for everyone. A special piece today is a personality piece about Bert Taylor, a sailing judge in Durban. He tells this delightful story: “Judging is not completely without hazard . either. It was during a big regatta in 1939. In …

By Richard Crockett It’s interest to read just how many people were circumnavigating in the mid-fifties, and the different types of yachts they chose. Today we feature some of those who reached Durban at the beginning of the 1965 Indian Ocean cruising season. Written by Bianca Lavies, the feature opens like this: “South Africa, happily sits across the round-the-world route taken by deep-sea yachtsmen. Every year we are pleased to be able to welcome these tried and proved cruising men, …

By Richard Crockett Today there are 9 pages of Club Notes to read, enjoy, COMMENT on and SHARE, plus 3 pages of SA Yachting’s famous “people pics”. The Headlines Today Are: • The Cape Scene by Peter Oldroyd • Worcester Regatta • Worcester Regatta – People Pics • Durban Season Opens – People Pics • Glendee Yacht Club • Henley Midmar Yacht Club • Durban Doings by Bianca Lavies • Boskop Dam – People Pics • Bluff Yacht Club • …