News

By Richard Crockett I am starting the week with more Club News, this time from the April 1965 issue of SA Yachting magazine. And as usual, it’s full of sailing news, people, “happenings” and the obligatory pages of people pics the magazine was famous for. Covered Today Is: • Enterprise Week in Durban • Enterprises … Whalers … and Sandefjord – Photo Page • Kayalami on Safari • Fantasie is Unfortunate … • Dawn Passet on the Highveld • Natal …

By Richard Crockett Here’s something very different today – a feature on how to build your own starting cannon – a quarter scale model of a British quarter-pounder. Plus, as a bonus read, there is a enlightening feature on Beken of Cowes – the world famous yachting photographer. This is some blurb on the starting canon; “One of the oldest traditions of yacht racing is the starting gun. It is an effective tool for the job, but of course its …

By Richard Crockett There’s more Class News today with 8 pages of news, regattas, results and more to read. The Classes Covered Are: • Flying Dutchman Owners’ Association • Sprog Association. There is a full description of “Gorps Guzzle” and a copy of the Certificate accompanying the award. This is a fascinating read. • Finn Association • GP 14 Association • Enterprise Class • Andy Association • Ok Association • Tempo News From Europe READ IT ALL HERE: 1965 02 …

by Richard Crockett There are more Club Notes again today as the major part of this issue of SA Yachting is full of power boat news. Yes, SA Yachting’s sub-title was “waterskiing, power & sail”. But fear not, there’s tons of great material to read today in the class news, and as always two full pages of mini-photos covering people and events, including a report of Finn supremo Hans Fogh competing in the Durban Finn Glinane Week. These are the …

by Richard Crockett I have not shared “Class News” from SA Yachting magazine before, so today we turn a new page on the history of our sport and test how well this is digested. So please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE as this will indicate the value of this news. So there’s no teaser or opening blurb today, just a quick list of the classes covered in the 1965 issue of SA Yachting. • Sprog Association • Finn Association • Enterprise …

By Richard Crockett There’s maybe no better way to start the week, especially in a very stormy and wet Cape Town, than with a good long read of Club News – jam-packed with lot’s of great news from yesteryear. The feature opens with brief announcement from RCYC as follows: “Just before going to press we received news of the results of the ocean race organised by the Cruising Association of South Africa and Royal Cape Yacht Club. The course was …

By Richard Crockett Today we move into historical news from 1965 with a series of short reports on those brave enough in those days to have cast off from land to enjoy a life at sea. • Henry and Agnes Vink are back after their six-month trial trip among some of the islands in the Indian Ocean on board their 25-ft. Vertue Class sloop. • Walkabout Returns. A badly-leaking ketch arrived at the Durban yacht basin on November 12 – …

by Richard Crockett These multi-class regattas always attract a huge following, and as the 1964 event was at Allemanskraal, there should be additional interest as this was a relatively new venue for regattas. Plus there are 6 pages of reading! Bianca Lavies reported on the regatta and took the photos, saying this: “A magnificent stretch of water, with game along the shores, peacocks roaming round the rondavel s and an enormous tent down near the launching area was the scene …

by Richard Crockett The previous time I shared “Club Notes” was about a week ago, and as it received such a tremendous response I will again share this section from SA Yachting magazine – this time from the September/October issue of 1964. Once again there is lots to read, as each heading is crammed full of news and “happenings” from yesteryear. So without labouring the point, this is what there is today: • Yvonne on the highveld. (Can anyone tell …

By Richard Crockett SA Yachting magazine back in the day was always full of Class News, with today’s main feature being the first Sprog Week regatta. There are two bonus reads, with news on Zeekoe Vlei and also the FD Winter Champs and the Glinane Finn Week. The Sprog report, written by Dr Jack Goldsmith, was introduced like this: “The first Sprog Class Week was held in Durban from July 6 to 11 and was thoroughly enjoyable. Racing for the …

By Richard Crockett Stan Jeffrey was a cruising man through-and-through who enjoyed using ‘Corsair II’ at every available opportunity. Today I share the short story of the voyage ‘Corsair II’ made from Cape Town to the Mediterranean during April and May, and a brief recital of her six-week cruise in those waters. ‘Corsair II’ was designed to a specification not common to small ships intended for ocean voyaging. The requirement was for a motor-sailer with efficient performance both under sail …

By Richard Crockett I remember the word “kiting” from when I first started sailing on a Dabchick (fully crewed in those days!) as it was a term I recall being used to describe going very fast on a broad reach. It’s a term rarely used any more, and its meaning is not described in any of the several nautical dictionaries I have. So if anyone can give a definitive meaning to the term “kiting” – please COMMENT here and share …

By Richard Crockett Today I again share “Club Notes” from mid-1964 – and do so despite my stats showing that followers of this Blog prefer short single editorials as their historical read. Despite that knowledge, there are enough avid readers who enjoy reading about the old events and people who made up our sport in those days. Plus, many of the names mentioned today were heroes to some as they scaled great heights in the sport. These are today’s headlines: …

by Richard Crockett Jack Koper wrote today’s editorial for the 1964 May/June issue of SA Yachting magazine. He is of course the “Father” of the very strong Dabchick Class. The introduction to the feature read as follows: “Tempest, prototype of Jack Koper ‘s Tempo class of “super-chicks” has been having a workout in the Cape. It provides sizzling performance for two without the need for a trapeze. It is a handsome and cheap-to-build version of one of the oldest small …

By Richard Crockett It was not that long ago that ocean-going multihulls were, well, to be polite, looked at sideways! But today they are accepted as part of the sailing scene and have become the yacht of choice for many newcomers to the sport. More importantly, locally their acceptance has turned our South African “cottage boat building industry” into one that is highly ranked worldwide. Way back in the 1964 May/June issue of SA Yachting magazine, none other than John …