On This Day – 15 May. 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.

1990. “Dias Race Hots Up As Pacesetters Head for Lisbon”. Dave Abromowitz and his crew got it all together perfectly at the start of the final leg of the Portnet Bartolomeu Dias Cape Town to Lisbon yacht race yesterday.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 05 15 140_Redacted

1995. “Ecstatic Kiwis Celebrate”. Normally stuffy New Zealanders sang and danced from morning to night. Queen Elizabeth II’s representative compared it to Sir Edmund Hillary’s conquest of Mount Everest. And the winning yacht club ran out of Champagne.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1995 05 15 341

1995. “Kiwi Win Could Revitalise the America’s Cup”. New Zealand’s defence of the America’s Cup in 1999-2000 could revitalise yachting’s greatest prize.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1995 05 15 344

2006. “Honour in Defeat for Shosholoza”. In terms of their short America’s Cup history, this past weekend was one where it can be safely said Team Shosholoza went from buoys to men.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  2006 05 15 663

2008. “Regatta’s Rocky Start Overcome”. It seems that Royal Cape sailors have more than shifting winds to contend with as several logistical problems delayed the start of the VDO Viewline Table Bay Sailing Week, the Club’s premier multi-class regatta.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  2008 05 15 698

2009. “Steering Damage Delays Return of Ill-fated Yacht”. Sea Jade, the yacht owned by missing Cape Town yachtsman Nic Robinson, is limping to St Helena and the islanders are hoping it will arrive early today.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  2009 05 15 686

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

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