Sailing Magazine
by Richard Crockett
I am scanning and archiving press cuttings I have accumulated and which I guestimate run into tens of thousands! A daunting task which I believe to be necessary as for many years I have been concerned about the lack of interest Clubs, Classes and other sailing related organisations give to preserving their history.
This is my personal crusade to save the rich history of our sport, and to share it in the hope that you will enjoy reminiscing, and learning more.
To read the full reports, click on the LINK following the headline.
1985. “Pooh! Get Rid of Those Takkies”. A pair of evil·smelling takkies appears to be the only real threat facing the crew of the maxi yacht, Paper Pack Voortrekker II, as they prepare for the start of the 1985 South Atlantic Race to Punta del Este·in ‘Uruguay.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1985 01 06 433
1985. “It’s War on the Waves”. Enough computer software for a mini moon programme. Hi-tech takes to the high-seas next week in the most competitive South Atlantic race yet staged.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1985 01 06a 428
1985. “It All Depends Which Way the Wind Blows”. For maxi 3CR12, which took line honours for the crossing four years ago as Rampant 11, the first four days out of Cape Town will be critical.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1985 01 06b 428
1985. “This is One Handicap That’s Not Going to Stop Bertie”. Bertie Reed does not enter races to come second. He says he·will win the handicap section of the Cape-to-Uruguay race in the specially constructed Interflora Retrans.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1985 01 06c 428
1986. “Yachts Battle to the Finish in A Breakneck Race for Line Honours”. The last few nerve-shattering days in the fight to the second-leg finish of the Whitbread Round-the-World race, between the sister maxis Atlantic .Privateer and NZI Enterprise, were graphically recounted by Springbok yachtsman John Martin on his arrival in Cape Town yesterday from New Zealand.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1986 01 06 921
1987. “Rough Seas Force EL Yacht to Quit”. After three days at sea, four entrants – including East London’s Kempston Arrow – had retired early from the gruelling 447-nautical mile Anglo-Alpha Agulhas yacht race, regarded as the Comrades Marathon of ocean racing.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1987 01 06 798
1993. “Nothing Less Than Victory Will Satisfy Teuteberg”. “This is the biggest opportunity I have ever had. If we don’t get to Rio de Janeiro first, there will be no excuses. I can’t blame the boat.”
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1993 01 06 336
1993. “Yacht Survives Bid to Bar Her From Race”. A controversial catamaran entry to the Cape-to-Rio race survived a last-gasp bid to bar her from competing yesterday as race fever mounted in the city.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1993 01 06 343
1999. “SA’s Blanckenberg Sails Through to A Gold Medal”. South-easter helps Laser class champ. South African Gareth Blanckenberg secured the gold medal in the Laser class for boys in the 1998 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship as he stretched his lead over his closest rival by 17 points.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK: 1999 01 06 869
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 8500 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
