On This Day – 15 June. A Newspaper History of Sailing

by Richard Crockett

From the overwhelming response I receive from these posts, from all over the world I may add, the interest is cranking up rapidly and I am being connected with some wonderful people thirsty for more. Thank you all who have made contact.

Should you wish to copy, forward or share material from here, PLEASE acknowledge the source as: Sourced From the SAILING Mag Archives & Historical Records.

To read the full reports, click on the LINK following each headline.

1968. “A Week Since Anyone Heard Dalling”. It is a week to-day since anyone heard from Voortrekker, South Africa’s·entry in the single-handed transatlantic yacht race.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1968 06 15 – OSTAR 766

1988. “Good Stuff From SA Sailors”. Springbok sailors John Martin and Bertie Reed continued sailing strongly in the Carlsberg Singlehanded Transatlantic Race yesterday – but Martin reported from Allied Bank (Voortrekker II) that new hazards, thick fog and ice bergs, lay ahead.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1988 06 15 12

1989. “Yachtsmen Take to Tri-sail At Weekend”. Sunday June 18 is the day that all yachtsmen look forward to because it gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their fitness.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1989 06 15 374 2

1990. “Transvaal Yachts Invade Durban”. A massive entry from the Transvaal is expected in Durban at the end of the month for the seventh Crystic Ocean Challenge.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 06 15 388 7

1991. “Vaal Sailors Set Sights on ‘Worlds’”. More than 100 yachts, many of them from the Transvaal, are expected to converge on Durban in the first week of July for the country’s top one-design regatta, Crystic Week.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1991 06 15 745

1993. Yacht Club Cuts Back on Pollution”. The committee of the Royal Cape Yacht Club has agreed to the installation of an air bubble barrier on a trial basis at the entrance of the small craft basin in an attempt to control “unacceptable” pollution levels.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1993 06 15 835

1996. “Good Results From Ainslie”. Ian Ainslie is putting in a strong set of results at this year’s Olympic Finn European Championships at Hospitalet Vandellos, Spain.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1996 06 15 588

1998. “French Yachtsman Feared Lost”. Welsh police confirmed late on Saturday that there was no longer any hope of finding French yachtsman Eric Tabarly alive and offered condolences to his family.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1998 06 15 928

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.

Should you wish to copy, forward or share material from here, PLEASE acknowledge the source as: Sourced From the SAILING Mag Archives & Historical Records.

From the overwhelming response I receive from these posts, from all over the world I may add, the interest is cranking up rapidly and I am being connected with some wonderful people thirsty for more. Thank you all who have made contact.

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 do, 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. Rothmans 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 10 000 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.

The possibilities are endless – so watch this space.

Comments and contributions are welcome. Email: editor@sailing.co.za