Sailing Magazine
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.
1959. “McCullagh’s Fine Win in Finn Class”. (Should be McCurrach!!). Titles change hands in yachting regatta.
The 1959 Durban Easter regatta of the Natal Yachting Association reached a thrilling climax yesterday when the final rounds of the class championship were sailed on the bay. A feature of the results was the victory of two young helmsmen, Bruce McCullagh and Neil Donkin, who beat the champions in the Finn and Sprog divisions respectively.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1959 06 30 media 656
1961. “Natal Finn Helmsman Triumphs Germany”. According to news reaching Durban, Bruce McCurrach, the Point Yacht Club and former and former Natal Finn champion helmsman, has won the Finn division at the Kiel Regatta in Germany, sailing against leading German and Scandinavian helmsmen.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1961 06 30 media 655
1968. “The Observer Transatlantic Race: the Winners and Record-Breakers”. The first three home – all record-breakers – in the Observer Singlehanded Transatlantic Race. Geoffrey Williams (centre), a cool young Cornishman, scored a brilliant victory under difficult weather conditions in his classically designed craft Sir Thomas Lipton. Bruce Dalling (right), the romantic South African, came second in his sturdy Voortrekker, followed closely by the highly expert American, Tom Follett (left), in his revolutionary sea-canoe, Cheers. Williams’s boat was designed by Robert Clark, who also designed Gypsy Moth III (in which Francis Chichester won the 1960 race) and the home built Opus, sailed by the Poole bank-manager Brian Cooke – who looks a possible winner of this year’s handicap prize.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1968 06 30 – OSTAR 798
1968. “Alec Rose Radios Wife: One Can of Beer Left”. After an anxious silence for 21 days, a message was received yesterday from the lone yachtsman Alec Rose. His Lively Lady, battered by storms for the past two weeks, is running before a Force 8 gale as he approaches the English Channel.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1968 06 30a COMBINED 578
1992. “Yacht Club’s Centenary Challenge”. Celebrating its centenary this year is Point Yacht Club, which is going all out for a win in this year’s Lipton Challenge Cup regatta at Hout Bay.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1992 06 30 421 33
1993. “Flurry of Activity As Regatta Fever Hits”. There’s a flurry of activity on the yacht mole this week in preparation for the premier ocean racing event on the calendar, The NCS Regatta.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1993 06 30 814
2003. “Yachtsman Relives Voyage of Terror”. Malcolm Myers, the Cape Town yachtsman reported missing at sea for weeks, finally motored into Table Bay harbour on Friday after a terrifying ordeal in the Atlantic, where he ran out of food and fuel, suffered from scurvy and weathered thundering storms with 15-metre swells and 71-knot winds.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 2003 06 30 025
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
