On This Day – 7 May. 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.

1990. “Navy Have the Right Brew”. The grand old navy racer, Anchor Yeast Voortrekker, was the fourth boat to finish the first leg of the Portnet Dias Yacht race when she sailed into Ponta Delgado in the Azores shortly after 4.30 am South African time yesterday.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1990 05 07 985

1991. “City Sailor First to Cross Atlantic Solo in Open Boat”. Cape Town sailor Anthony Steward has become the first person to cross the Atlantic singlehanded in an open boat.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1991 05 07 130

1991. “Martin, Reed to Team up”. Months of anguish and frustration ended yesterday when solo yachtsman John Martin flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg en route to Newport in the US, where he will join Bertie Reed in the gruelling transatlantic race to England.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1991 05 07 407 23

1992. “Psychological Warfare Hots up”. The ·America’s Cup finals are still three days away but the psychological war between the U.S. defender and Italian challenger was well under way yesterday.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1992 05 07 152

1995. “J J Beats the World’s Seas”. South African solo yachtsman Jean-Jacques Provoyeur completed his first circumnavigation of the globe this week to take fifth place in Class 1 of the BOC singlehanded challenge.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1995 05 07 324

1995. “There’s No Way They Can Keep Down Big Bad Dennis”. Like it or not, Big Bad Dennis Conner is back in the America’s Cup finals. The skipper who once angered an entire nation, and who is simultaneously praised and panned even in his hometown, has pulled off another miracle comeback and is attempting to win the America’s Cup for the fifth time in 21 years.
To read the full report, Click on the following LINK:  1995 05 07 325

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

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