Sailing Magazine
by Richard Crockett
To read the full reports, click on the LINK following the headline.
Remember ‘Cariad’? Well on this day in 1969 it was reported that her two year restoration was almost complete, and that she would head to the West Indies to do charter work.
And work of a different kind as this report tells how a world cruise for kids is just the thing to brighten up school.
I would have thought that nearly two months prior to the 1971 Cape to Rio race was too early to discuss “her route”, especially as ‘Mercury’ was newly launched?
But it was not too early to discuss the stiff competition looming for the 1989 Rothman’s Week.
And in 1992 an owner wishing to remain anonymous was preparing ‘Blue’ for the Rio Race.
Bertie Reed announced that he would be racing around the world for a fourth time, while Cape yacht clubs vied to stage the BOC Race finish.
Despite history showing that Durban offshore during the October to December period is NOT the time to host world championships due to the strong winds, the 505 and Flying Dutchman classes chose this time, and crews had to be rescued!
1969. “Two Years Hard Labour for A Dream”. After enduring bleak social lives on tiny incomes of R10 a week, five Durban yachting enthusiasts will soon be rewarded for two years of hard and unremitting labour. Next year they will take their world famous vessel, ‘Cariad’, to the West Indies to do charter work for an indefinite period.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1969 11 11 588 2
1969. “A World-Cruise – Just the Thing to Brighten Up ‘School’”. Getting tired of spending your week days at school, preparing for final examinations? Well, why don’t you end your school career cruising around the world in a luxury deep-sea yacht – writing exams through correspondence?
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1969 11 11 607 4
1970. “Northerly Route to Rio for ‘Mercury””. Natal’s ocean racing yacht, ‘Mercury’, will probably choose the longer, northerly route from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro in the international race in January, according to her skipper Bob Nuttall.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1970 11 11 310_Redacted
1989. “Stiff Competition Likely As Rothman’s Week Looms”. Exciting racing is on the cards with the Rothman’s Week Regatta in Table Bay around the corner to wake up local yachties.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1989 11 11 380 4
1992. “Luxury Yachts Get Ready for Race to Rio”. The luxurious R2,2m yacht ‘Blue’ is the largest of five Port Elizabeth yachts that will be racing from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil next year.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1992 11 11 430 7_Redacted
1993. “Biltong Bertie to Sail in His 4th Boc Yacht Race”. Legendary single-handed yachtsman Bertie Reed intends sailing in his fourth BOC Round-the-World Challenge next year – but Cape Town is under threat of losing the race as a stop-over to Durban and South Africa could lose the race altogether.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1993 11 11 221
1993. “Cape Yacht Clubs Vie to Stage Race Finish”. The first leg of the BOC Challenge round-the-world yacht race will definitely end in Cape Town next year, but whether Royal Cape or Hout Bay will be the host club will not be decided until the end of the month.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1993 11 11 226
2000. “Yachts Rescued in Heavy Seas As Winds Break Up Regatta Training?” The crew of several yachts training for the 505 and Flying Dutchman Championships had to be rescued when their boats capsized in heavy seas off Durban yesterday.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 2000 11 11 515
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.
