Sailing Magazine
By Richard Crockett
Today’s newspaper cutting is the direct result of an invitation I gave to a newspaper journalist to join ‘Meditech Computers’ on the 1995 Vasco da Gama Race from Durban to East London. Being the “yachting scribe” for the local rag he though he had better have a taste of life at sea, so accepted with delight.
Well, let’s say that this was not the best decision he had made in life as he found out the hard way that it was not really the way he ever wanted to get his jolly’s again!
The journalist in question was true landlubber Greg Knowler who wrote for the “Natal on Saturday” newspaper, and was more adept at “bellying up to the bar” than he was for a life at sea.
This is how he opened his lengthy report: “The best part about ocean yacht racing is impressing your buddies in the pub afterwards with tales of derring-do on the high seas.
“You see, most people are scared of huge walls of water crashing around them, and don’t really come into contact with this nasty trait of Mother Nature while driving to work.
“I arrived at this conclusion after being invited to sail on the 76-foot yacht ‘Meditech Computers’ during last week’s Wilbur Ellis da Gama Race from Durban to East London.”
This is an interesting and humorous take on ocean racing.
READ IT ALL HERE: 1995 05 06 – natal on saturday – 544 2 – OCR
