On This Day – 16 March. 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.

1985. “Veilig Terug Na Seilvaart”. Veilig, uit en tuis – en vasbeslote om weer aan die volgende Kaap na Uruguay seiljagwedvaart deel te neem. Dit som die gevoelens op van mnr. Attie Botha, die enigste Pretorianer wat die uitmergelende wedvaart aangedurf het.
TRANSLATION: “Safe Back After Sailing”. Safe, out and home – and determined to take part in the next Cape to Uruguay yacht race again. It sums up the feelings of Mr. Attie Botha, the only Pretorian to have faced the gruelling race.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:   1985 03 16 323 2

1990. “Sponsorship for Cape to Lisbon Yacht Race”. The Dias yacht race from Cape Town to Lisbon is to be sponsored by the newly-commercialised South African Harbours, now known as Portnet.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 03 16 002

1990. “Abromowitz Boosts SA’s Challenge”. Ace Cape Town yachtsman Dave Abromowitz will boost the South African challenge in the Portnet Bartholomeu Dias race from Cape Town to Lisbon this month.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 03 16 006

1991. “Ian Martin Builds A ‘Flyer’”. There are two scores the Cape has to settle with Natal this year; the return of the rugby Currie Cup and South Africa’s most prestigious ocean racing prize, the Hepburn Trophy for the 1 600 mile·Crystic Beachcomber Crossing.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1991 03 16 108

1991. “NSRI Enters Yacht Race for 1st Time”. The National Sea Rescue Institute is soon to compete for the first time in a deep-sea yacht race.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1991 03 16 23

1994. “Flying Brits Cruise On”. The World Fireball Championships continued off Durban yesterday.
Nothing and no one, it would appear, can come close to stopping ‘Flying Brits’ Ian Pinnel and Daniel Cripps, who yesterday notched up yet another win in the Durban Unlimited Fireball World Championships.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1994 03 16 320

1998. “Sailing Officials Are A Joke”. It appears my comments about the South African team sailing in the ISAF world championships in Dubai were construed by some, and in particular the chairman of the SA Yacht Racing Association, as being negative.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1998 03 16 674

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