On This Day – 29 October. A Peek Into Our Sailing History

by Richard Crockett

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

There’s not much news today from the 5000 or more individual newspaper cuttings I have so far archived. But there’s lot’s more to come, so it’s simply a case of being patient.

There was talk of an exclusive club for solo sailors, and another bitter blow for Alan Bond or Australia’s America’s Cup fame.

Even more disturbing is the fact that a newspaper headline said this: “No invasion of whores for America’s Cup”. Strange as I thought this was all about sailing!

And there is news of the 1987 Western Cape Optimist Interschools – with some interesting names in the report. I wonder where some of these guys are now, and whether they continue to sail?

1986. “Exclusive Club for the Solo Sailors”. The arrival in Cape Town of yachtsmen taking part in the BOC solo round-the-world race has given impetus to plans to start what could become one of South Africa’s most exclusive clubs – an informal Singlehanders Association. I wonder if this Association ever got afloat? To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1986 10 29 165

1986. “Another Bitter Blow for Bond”. The Taskforce syndicate wound up the opening phase of its campaign to defend the America’s Cup for Australia by dealing another demoralising blow to Alan Bond’s hopes yesterday. To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1986 10 29 169

1986. “No Invasion of Whores for America’s Cup”. Perth is short of prostitutes and the call has gone out for local girls to swell the ranks! To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1986 10 29 170

1987. “School Sailors Show Their Form”. The Sacs A team won the interschools Optimist Challenge which was sailed at Imperial Yacht Club recently. To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1987 10 29 14

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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