On This Day – 29 July. 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. “Dalling – But No Voortrekker”. Bruce Dalling will make his symbolic return to Cape Town on Wednesday without Voortrekker, the 50-ft. ketch which he sailed to second position (first on handicap) in the recent single-handed transatlantic race from Plymouth to Newport.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1968 07 29 863

1968. “Lone Sailor Quits Voyage”. Paratrooper John Ridgeway has abandoned his attempt to be the first man to sail around the world non-stop and alone, newspapers in London reported yesterday.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1968 07 29 COMBINED575 52

1968. “SA Sailor Back From Finn Races”. Bruce McCurrach, the Durban yachtsman who was South Africa’s official entrant at the Finn Gold Cup championships last month returned from Europe at the weekend.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1968 07 29 – Pfotenhauer – 000171

1969. “World Sailor Robin Plans to Wed”. Round – world – yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnston is to marry attractive secretary Jennifer Charles – the girl whose father taught him music at school.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1969 07 29 – Pfotenhauer – 000016

1969. “Round-the-world Robin Meets His Daughter Today”. When Sara Knox-Johnston last saw here father, Robin, almost a year ago he was just another weekend sailor. Today she will see him again – two months after her sixth birthday and 12 days after he became the first round-the-world, non-stop solo yachtsman in his ketch Suhaili.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1969 07 29 – Pfotenhauer – 000115

1972. “The Second Trans-south Atlantic Ocean Race ”. The Second Trans-south Atlantic Ocean Race between the world’s two most beautiful ports – Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro – has again lured a wide cross-section of yachtsmen. indications are that the 1973 Cape-to-Rio race will have all the ingredients of an exciting international event.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1972 07 29 – Thirsty Bertie – 000020

1992. “Shipwrecked Sailor Fought Off Sharks”. Lone round-the-world yachtsman, Anthony Steward, yesterday described how his yacht capsized and how he fought off sharks and survived on a desert island for nine days on just coconut milk and paw-paws.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1992 07 29 148

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 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.

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