Sailing Magazine
By Richard Crockett
The lead has changed with ‘Ocean Spirit’ now being the front-runner, yet the headlines continue to cover Bruce Dalling and his rudder issues on ‘Jakaranda’, as do they with ‘Stormkaap’ whose skipper Dave Abromowitz has put in to Port Nolloth for repairs. Dalling had a fleet of experts and workers awaiting his arrival back in Cape Town in order to quickly effect repairs.
The SA Air Force flew over part of the fleet giving a reporter a good view of the fleet as skippers jockey for position in these early stages.
Bigger news was that Eric Tabarly was chasing ‘Graybeard’ – and that was likely to be a ding-dong battle.
We also get a glimpse of those who work their magic on a computer to bring the position reports and results each day.
“Britain’s Ocean Spirit Takes Lead. Dalling Will Be Back in Rio Race”. The Cape-to-Rio Race enters its fourth day to-day with new yachts leading and Bruce Dalling making a dramatic bid to get his injured craft, ‘Jakaranda’, back into the race.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – Dave Elcock Collection – 000294 – OCR
“Jakaranda Builders Stand By”. The sponsors of ‘Jakaranda’, Pretoria’s entry in the Cape to Rio race, have begun a race of their own to have her repaired in time to join the race and complete the course in the allotted 40 days.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – frans loots collection – 373 – OCR_Redacted
“Dejection Came Over the Air”. “I consider myself officially out of the race,” said Bruce Dalling as Pelican 19 of the S.A.A.F.’s 35 Squadron of Shackletons flew over his wallowing craft 387 km west-north-west of Robben Island.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – frans loots collection – 370 – OCR_Redacted
“Cape Rio Yacht in for Repairs”. Stormkaap, Cape Town’s main chance in the Rio race, was lying at moorings at Port Nolloth this morning with a damaged rudder and skeg, and there was a hope the repairs would be completed by tonight.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – frans loots collection – 369 – OCR_Redacted
“S.A.A.F. Patrol Sights 18 of the Rio Racers”. In the course of a 10 & a 1/4-hour patrol covering nearly 2000 miles in a Shackleton aircraft of 35 Squadron SAAF yesterday, 18 yachts taking part in the Cape-to-Rio race were located. At that stage ‘Stormy’ was the farthest west and ‘Raph’ farthest north.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – Dave Elcock Collection – 000486 – OCR
“Tabarly Chases Graybeard”. From the bridge of the Cape-to-Rio race guard ship we watched fascinated yesterday morning as the crack French helmsman Eric Tabarly packed a full suit of sails, including a massive spinnaker, on to the two masts of his schooner ‘Pen Duick Ill’ in an effort to close the gap between himself and the elapsed-time leader, the Canadian ketch ‘Graybeard’.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – Dave Elcock Collection – 000317 – OCR
“Cariad is Down to 3 Knots”. After 24 hours of light winds ‘Cariad’ was 474 miles north-west of Cape Town by 10 a.m. today and we are now making only three knots under almost every bit of sail we carry – and that is a mammoth 500 sq . m.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – Dave Elcock Collection – 000236 – OCR
“Lighter Yachts Chasing Leaders”. As the weather moderates – the trade wind is becoming weaker and the sea calmer – it is possible that some of the light displacement yachts of medium lengths will close the gap on big front-runners such as ‘Graybeard’, the Canadian ketch.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – Frans Loots Collection – 359 – OCR
“Waiting for Dalling”. A team of marine engineers and shipwrights will be on stand-by in Cape Town docks to-day to await the arrival – estimated at 2 p.m. – of Bruce Dalling’s disabled Cape-to-Rio race yawl, ‘Jakaranda’. The yacht will be lifted into a wooden cradle immediately on arrival.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – Dave Elcock Collection – 000298a – OCR
“Computers Keep Tabs on the Yachts”. The mass of complex information received daily on the positions of the Cape-to-Rio race yachts is sorted out in a mere 10 minutes by Mr. Mike Viljoen’s computers.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – Dave Elcock Collection – 000487 – OCR
“Latest Position Reports”.
READ MORE HERE: 1971 01 19 – Rio 1971 – Dave Elcock Collection – 000442 – OCR
