by Richard Crockett
To read the full reports, click on the LINK following the headline.
Bruce Dalling, ‘Voortrekker’ and the first Cape to Rio race continue to dominate the headlines – and all for good reason as these were exciting times. Thesen’s dockyard was reportedly working all weekend putting the finishing touches to ‘Voortrekker’. Another headline says “Designed For Speed”, another that ‘Sandefjord’ had entered the Cape to Rio race, while there were pics of ‘Jakaranda’ and ‘Applemist’ being unloaded from a ship.
The “Tavern of the Seas” lived up to it’s name when the Mayor of Cape Town made each of the 19 skippers in the BOC Challenge honorary citizens. What a great gesture.
An East London family returned home from a three years circumnavigation – with a handsome collection of flags.
The Clipper Race was about to leave Durban with Craig Millar at the helm of ‘Durban Clipper’, and Avanti Thaker and Lucia Shange both being part of the Clipper family and experience.
1970. “Designed for Speed”. Many boats in the Cape-to-Rio race represent the last word in the yacht designer’s skill. Built from the latest lightweight materials, they have been designed for sheer speed on the high seas – designed to capture every available ounce of windpower.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1970 11 13 315_Redacted
1970. “Sandefjord Entered for Rio Race”. South Africa’s famous world cruising yacht Sandefjord has been entered for the Cape to Rio ocean race – pushing up the total list of entries to 63.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1970 11 13 308
1970. “Ocean Racers of South Africa”. Some of the fastest ocean racing yachts in the world will be among the 62 entries for the Cape to Rio race which starts on January 16. See pics of two new yachts.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1970 11 13 312
1986. “BOC Sailors Made Honorary Citizens”. Cape Town has paid tribute to the competitors who completed the first leg of the BOC Challenge round-the-world race. The Mayor, Mr Leon Markovitz, made each of the 19 an honorary citizen.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1986 11 13 567_Redacted
2004. “EL’s Sailing Family Returns Home”. Three years after leaving this city’s shores to circumnavigate the globe the Gradwell family are back in town.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 2004 11 13 555
2005. “The Winner is Still in the Wind”. While few sailors relish tricky conditions at sea, this is exactly what Craig Millar, skipper of the ‘Durban Clipper’, is hoping for.
Plus there are sidebar pieces on Avanti Thaker and Lucia Shange.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 2005 11 13 602
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.