On this Day 23 October. A Peek Into Our Sailing History

by Richard Crockett

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

Robin Lee Graham continues to be in the news, and so he should too. And also taking up lots of news space is the Rio Race – with 1969 news of fund-raising for a Durban entry, and news in 1992 of new yachts being launched for the Rio Race.

French sailor Alain Gautier took line honours into Cape Town on the BOC Challenge.

There’s Hobie news from the Hottentots Holland Beach Sailing Club, while “on this day” in 1993 ‘Endeavour’ smashed the record for the first leg of the Whitbread Race into Punta del Este.

1967. “Here is A Man” said a Daily News op-ed column, referring to Robin Lee Graham. This is a very good read. To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1967 10 23 b

1967. “Sailed Round the World – Solo – At 16″. Lee Graham, one of the youngest yachtsmen to sail alone round the world, arrived in Durban on Saturday. To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1967 10 23

1969. “Rio Race Fund-raising Campaign ‘Going Well’”. The choice of the Royal Natal Yacht Club for the Rio race – a 43′ van der Stadt designed yacht. To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1969 10 23a

1990. “Gautier Sails In”. French solo sailor Alain Gautier took line honours today in the first leg of the BOC Challenge around-the-world yacht race, but a time penalty could see victory go to one of two close rivals.  To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 10 23 393

1992. “New Yachts Launched”. New yachts worth an estimated R15-million which have been designed specifically to sail in the Rothmans Cape to Rio yacht race in January will be launched in Cape Town next month.  To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1992 10 23 427 40

1992. “HHBSC Sailors Fare Well in Points Regatta”. The wind played along beautifully last weekend for the Hottentots Holland Beach Sailing Club who hosted the second Hobie Points Regatta of the season. To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1992 10 23 427 44

1993. “Endeavour Smashes Record”. ‘New Zealand Endeavour’ won the first leg of the Whitbread Cup round the world race into Punta de Este and knocked a day and a half off the record for the route from Southampton. To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1993 10 23 208

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.

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