by Richard Crockett
To read the full reports, click on the LINK following the headline.
The weekend was filled with distractions other than sailing – and a very fine victory by the Boks. How humbling it was to see Siya raise the Web Ellis Trophy, and listen to him as journalists from around the world fired questions at him. What a great ambassador he is for our country – as well as being an inspirational captain.
International cruising folk again make the newspapers with tales of high adventure.
Ant Steward is once again in the news as he took Sue, his new wife, for a last sail before ‘NCS Challenger’ was shipped back to Reunion.
Redhouse Yacht Club hosted the senior fleet which was down on numbers due to exams.
Padda Kuttel and his crew aboard ‘Portatan’ were back in the news again, while a US Sailor said that a Trimaran could beat Dalling in the next single-handed transatlantic race. And then the thorny issue of rescue bills for sailors was aired in a letter to the Natal Mercury.
1967. “‘Rescue’ Bills for Sailors”. I was very interested to read about the bills facing the rescued sailor, Mr Simon Holmes a’Court.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1967 11 03 564
1968. “U.S. Sailor Mike Kane Says Trimaran Can Beat Dalling”. The American yachtsman, Mike Kane, has arrived in Cape Town with his trimaran ‘Carousin’, in which he believes he will beat Bruce Dalling in the 1972 single-handed transatlantic yacht race. His arrival has revived the controversy over multi-hull deep-sea sailing craft and their seaworthiness.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1968 11 03 281_Redacted
1985. “Broken Jury Mast Scuttles Cape-built Maxi’s Chances”. The Cape Town built maxi yacht ‘Portatan’ has retired from the first leg of the Whitbread Round the World Race after breaking a mast for the second time.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1985 11 03 330 6
1992. “Unusual wind was a breath of fresh air for RYC Fleet”. Sunday’s south-south-easterly wind was a breath of fresh air for the Redhouse Yacht Club’s senior fleet.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1992 11 04 428 9
1995. “High Seas Adventure by the Galleon”. Pirates, head-hunters, extortionists and storms are just part of the problems encountered by a yacht crew that is sailing the world ‘because it is cheaper than mooring in the south of France’.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1995 11 03 260
Comments and contributions are welcome. Email: editor@sailing.co.za
What is “On this Day” About?
I am busy archiving many boxes of press cuttings I have accumulated and which I guestimate run into tens of thousands! A daunting task which I believe to be necessary before ditching them as I have been concerned for many years about the lack of interest Clubs, Classes and other sailing related organisations give to preserving their history.
This is my personal crusade, and instead of simply archiving and keeping the contents away from prying eyes, I will share my spoils in the hope that you will enjoy reminiscing as much as I have, and continue to do as I wade through the labourious process of scanning each and every cutting in my archives.
As each scanned cutting will be searchable, I will be able to create presentation packs personally tailored to a persons exact requirements – ie. Rathmines Week, the NCS Regatta, the Rio Race, Mauritius Race, Vasco da Gama Race and more – or simply by the name of an individual (like Ant Steward and his open boat exploits) who want a record of his/her sailing career for the family archives.
I have already done this by scanning in excess of 4000 pages of material I have on ‘Voortrekker’ – from idle chatter, to concept, to the formation of what ultimately became the South African Ocean Racing Trust (SAORT), to the fruition of the 1968 OSTAR Race in which Bruce Dalling and ‘Voortrekker’ excelled – and even beyond that.
Comments and contributions are welcome. Email: editor@sailing.co.za
The possibilities are endless – so watch this space.