“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. No Easy Match for Meek in Strong South-Wester

By Richard Crockett

I do hope that today’s newspaper cutting from 1992, that’s 33 years ago, does something to rekindle Match Racing in this country.

Match Racing is one of the very few types of sailboat racing that brings the words “spectator fleet” into the equation. In a country bereft of the very cutting edge yachts like those sailed in the America’s Cup and GP Racing, all of which is done close to shore with big spectator fleets, match racing is the next best thing.

In days of yore Durban had a few attempts at staging Match racing events, initially in Flying Fifteens, L26s and latterly in L34s. Cape Town had a great match racing series in Miura’s.

A good opportunity to rekindle a match racing series may be immediately after the Lipton Cup this year as a fleet of J22s will be in Cape Town.

The Mercury newspaper reported in 1992 that the Point Yacht Club Centenary match racing championship series held in Durban Bay over two days produced some exciting, close and highly competitive racing.

READ MORE HERE:  1992 04 07 – mercury – S&A – 994 – OCR_Redacted