On This Day – 31 March. 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. “From H.K. Junks to South African Yachts”. A chance meeting on the sea-front at the San Miguel Brewery only six years ago was the starting point of a voyage which has led a 29-year-old ex-Hongkong Police Inspector to being selected by South Africa to sail Voortrekker in this year’s single-handed Transatlantic Race.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1968 03 31 076_Redacted

1990. “Hanno Plans Long Route for Victory”. The preparations, the provisioning, the panic are over. Today, when the crack skippers and their crews head out of Table Bay and face the open sea in the Portnet Dias yacht race from Cape Town to Lisbon, it will be a time for prayers – prayers for the right wind at the right time, for the skill to negotiate 6000 gruelling nautical miles.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 03 31 070

1990. “Nautical – But Nice – Recipes”. Having landed the job of cook on ace skipper Dave Abromowitz’s yacht Walon, a strong contender for honours in the Portnet Dias race which comes under starter’s orders this afternoon, Mark Carter-Johnson, “a young 28”, has frantically been perfecting THE brown loaf.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 03 31 071

1990. “Rats! A Tail That’s Lasted 20 Years”. One wonders who is the skipper of the Abromowitz household.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 03 31 081

1992. “Solo Sailor Hits Hiccup Off Australia”. Solo yachtsman Anthony Steward has had his first setback on the last leg of his epic round-the-world voyage after striking a sandbank on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1992 03 31 119

2004. “Yacht Club Sails Off with Hartbeespoort Access”. The Transvaal Yacht Club has regained the use of part of the Hartbeespoort dam foreshore.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  2004 03 31 758

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 10 000 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