Sailing Magazine
In January 2011 I started the “from the archives – a blast from the past” series in SAILING Mag as we had been re-organising our filing system and reference library.
By way of change and providing something fresh and different, I will reproduce them here – so please ENJOY, SHARE and COMMENT.
Please read the original offering at the link provided, and then the responses below.
READ IT HERE: 2011 01 – SAILING Magazine – S&A – OCR-2
All comments to: editor@sailing.co.za
Reader Responses
I am surprised that no one has sent me any feedback on the 505 picture. 505 sailors are known as some of the fastest around, but their silence suggests they have slowed down somewhat! It was 1980 when the pic was taken; not that long ago – or was it? Maybe these guys need a serious nudge, so if you know an ‘old’ 505 sailor, please push him, or her, to dredge up a response!
Response from Yvonne and Gus Heinze
Pic 1 (Finns on Car Roof)
I received your article, via e-mail from my brother, Raimund Heinze, in Cape Town. What a most interesting e-mail! I did not know where to start with a reply but thanks to my wife, Yvonne, here is all the info. ‘The whole nine yards’, as my brother would put it.
Firstly, the photo. It was taken at Aeolians, Vaal Dam, in September 1967, and just for the record the name is not Hook but Hoole. No offence taken!
All of us, that’s Ken and his brother Paddy and myself continued sailing Finns for some time.
Pretoria Postals Sailing Club was started as an ‘off shoot’ of the Post Office Social Club and I was the first ‘Associate Member’. The original Foundation members were Dennis Lown, Dick Mitchell, Alan Lawrence, Ian Ramsay and Jack Larkin, and when I joined I was given Membership No. 6.
I was on the Committee of Pretoria Postals Sailing Club (later to become Pretoria Sailing Club) from inception, and became Commodore in 1986, a post that I held until I was transferred to Cape Town in May 1972. My wife and I were both made Hon. Life Members of PSC, at this time.
I was transferred back to Randburg from 1 January 1973 and stopped sailing Finns in that year.
I would mention that the first Finn that I owned was no. SA 20, a wooden hull which I bought from fellow sailor Claude Tasmer (I trust the spelling is correct) and then went on to fibreglass boats, one of which I bought from Jack Tindall, a South African Airways Boeing Pilot.
Both my wife and I were invited to the 50th Anniversary dinner of PSC, with Barbara and Ken Hoole, and met a number of sailing friends of long standing, John Barrie, Neil Menzies, and Wendy and John Geekie.
After living in St Winifreds, on the South Coast of Natal for the last 24 years, we have returned to the Highveld and will continue to visit Pretoria Sailing Club.
Response from Sandy Ord
Pic 2 (Don and Patricia Ord with trophies)
I was delighted to see the article with the picture of my beloved parents in ‘From the
Archives’.
Sadly, the obituary to our old friend and mentor, John Sully, was in the same edition. Johnny and Don were great friends, as we also became.
Regarding the article, I cannot comment on the three Finn sailors, but do remember travelling around the country with one FD on the roof of our car and one on the trailer. Also I recall once, an ERYC club member, Tony (whose name I have forgotten), had rigged up a carrier for his Spearhead on his MG TC for the annual pilgrimage to LM in July.
The picture of Don and Patricia (Tish) is one that I well remember. We still have a copy in our collection. I would say that 1969 was the year.
The sharpie was Circe, No 157, a beautiful boat – ‘Sully’ blue deck and gleaming varnished hull. It was previously owned by John Sully.
Tish was Don’s centrehand in the club racing on Cinderella Dam for all the years he raced Sharpies, but at National events he had ‘stronger’ male crew. You mentioned that the picture was taken by Norman Gray, who was the forward hand for many of those years.
The trophy info seems correct and these trophies stood proud in our entrance hall at home.
Certainly I do remember Don having won all those in that year – the Robert Pyott trophy for three consecutive years, the Nationals at ?? in 1958, Hermanus 1959 and Bethlehem 1960. It was some years before that record was broken. (I will remember one day who by; he was from ZVYC and an old competitor of Don’s!).
I do not have any idea where these trophy’s are today, except for the mounted cannon, which I have on my desk, and the Robert Pyott miniatures on my mantlepiece.
Don was very much involved with South African sailing for at least three decades, including being Olympic sailing team manager in 1960 (and in 1964 when we did not get to the Games), SAYRA President, and SAORT Trustee. He won several National titles up until 1980 when he died.
Thank you for including Don and Tish in your article, please excuse the odd ? marks, but being a senior now, I hope it will be forgiven.
Pic 2. Response from Terry Gilman – Emdon Trophy)
The inaugural contest for this trophy, which was presented by Alfred A. Emdon of the East Rand Yacht Club, was held at Zwartkops in 1940.
Any registered Goodricke 16-footer or scratch class yacht could compete for the trophy, the award of which is decided over six races, with the best five to count on the South African Yacht Racing Association point system.
