Sailing Magazine
by Richard Crockett
To read the full reports, click on the LINK following each headline.
1946. “Yachting at Zwartkops”. Big Crowd Sees Keen Racing. Sealed Event to Faith. The largest crowd ever to witness yacht races at Zwartkops – estimated at about 1,500 – attended the Zwartkops Regatta yesterday afternoon to see the sealed handicap event open to all craft which was won by the Zeekoe Vlei dinghy, Faith.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1946 09 27 – dudley dix – stitched final – 3 pages
1985. “Surprise At Scratch Boat in Ocean Race”. The scratch boat for the Beachcomber Indian Ocean Crossing is the recently launched Cape Town-based Farr 38, Majimoto, skippered by Paul Mare.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1985 09 27 – 000246
1990. “Needed: Some Madness and A Strong Stomach”. Alan Simmonds ‘took the salute’ on the opening day of the False Bay Yacht Club sailing season at Simon’s Town. The observation that the weather is “nice and fresh” has, I have discovered, different connotations.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1990 09 27 392 26
1991. “Durban’s Moonpath in Titanic Struggle”. Durban yacht Moonpath and Cape Town’s Shandrani are locked in a titanic battle for handicap honours as the Crystic Beachcomber Crossing enters its seventh day.
Even though the 54 foot
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1991 09 27 752
1992. “Messenger Who Delivers the Goods on the High Seas”. Twenty years after taking part in the Cape-to-Rio yacht race, a messenger is gearing up to repeat the experience – even though he hasn’t seen a yacht or the sea since 1973.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1992 09 27 218
2000. “Dad Persuades Lasses to Crew”. Plattekloof yachtsman Ivar Kvale feels he is already a winner.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 2000 09 27 403
2005. “Air Search for Yacht Stopped”. The 10-day air search for the missing yacht Moquini has been called off after aircraft specially dispatched from Durban yesterday failed to make any sightings.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 2005 09 27 523
Comments, thoughts and contributions are welcome. Email: editor@sailing.co.za
About “On This Day”
It was towards the end of September last year, yes 2019, that I started “On This Day. A Newspaper History of Sailing.” So nearly a year has passed without a day being missed and without there being any newspaper news or pics available in my newspaper archives to share.
It all started while I was 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 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, and that of our sport.
This is my personal crusade, and instead of simply archiving and keeping the contents away from prying eyes, I share my spoils in the hope that you will enjoy reminiscing as much as I do.
As of the end of September the format will change as it’s simply not sustainable to continue for another full year on a similar basis. I have some 25 000 scanned newspaper cuttings, and have used the best so far – but as in life some variation and change is required. What those changes are I have not crystallised yet, and would enjoy feedback from followers of this Blog as to what they would like to see.
I have tons of material available – from every single issue of SA Yachting, Yachtsman RSA (newspaper – remember it?) and Sailing Inland & offshore Magazine. Between those publications – from October 1957 until June 2017 – a period spanning 60 years of coverage of the sport of sailing in this country – I have in my possession.
I am scanning every single issue of those 60 years – that’s 720 issues – and digitising them to get the fullest value possible from them. So far I have uncovered some incredible gems in their pages, and will share these as we go.
Plus I have a photographic archive of photographs in b/w negative format, colour negative, colour slide (transparency) and photographic prints I intend to scan, digitise and share with the sailing community at large.
But all this takes time – and is a slow process – so all I ask is for patience.
My plea thought – to all followers and everyone interested in the history of sailing in RSA, is to please assist me by sharing their personal archives, pics, press cuttings and whatever with me, so that I can scan them and share them. My promise is that I will treat them with the utmost care, and get them back to you safely.
To date, the response to “On This Day. A Newspaper History of Sailing” has been phenomenal, and it’s heartening to see how many people appreciate, LIKE and SHARE the material I have shared in the past year. And this is from ‘Saffers’ and others who have lived and sailed here, or have travelled internationally to sail here.
I am overwhelmed by the response – and thank all those who have personally 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.
As each scanned cutting and article is searchable, I am 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) – for those who want a record of his/her sailing career for the family archives.
I have already done this by scanning in excess of 18 000 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 as it all simply gets better every single day!
So sit back, grab a cup of your favourite brew, and enjoy what’s on offer today.
