Sailing Magazine
By Richard Crockett
I have some very interesting and perhaps nostalgic newspaper cuttings to share today, starting in 1948 and finishing in 1981 – a 33 year period.
Way back in 1948, Rear Admiral E D B McCarthy, Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic, led the Zeekoe Vlei Yacht Club opening cruise.
“Voortrekker in Saldanha Race” was this 1968 newspaper headline which announced that 8 of South Africa’s crack ocean-going yachts, were to race from Cape Town to Saldanha and back. Gordon Webb was to skipper ‘Voortrekker’.
READ IT HERE: 1968 08 28 – S&A – 287 – OCR
“They Found Island Paradise”. The luxury Italian built cruising yacht, ‘Magadisien’ sailed into the Durban yacht basin on Tuesday after completing an extensive six months cruise around Madagascar, the Comores, and the coast of Mozambique.
In 1969 cruises of this duration were uncommon.
READ IT HERE: 1969 08 28 – Don Pfotenhauer Collection – S&A – 000067 – OCR
“Sir Francis Out of the Cold”. On this day in 1972, this newspaper cutting announced that master mariner Sir Francis Chichester had died.
On 27 August 1966 Chichester sailed his ketch ‘Gipsy Moth IV’ from Plymouth in the United Kingdom and returned there after 226 days of sailing on 28 May 1967, having circumnavigated the globe, with one stop in Sydney. By doing so, he became the first person to achieve a true circumnavigation of the world solo from West to East via the great Capes.
READ IT HERE: 1972 08 28 – Henri Hiddes Collection – S&A – 000763 – OCR
“SA Crew Confident on Eve of World Race”. South African yachtsman Peter (Padda) Kuttel struggled to make himself heard against the high-pitched hum of an electric drill, the banging of a hammer and the music from a hi-fi set. His yacht, ‘Xargo Ill’, one of the ‘favourites’ to win the Whitbread Round The World Race – was like a madhouse. “Come down. Come down,” he shouted. “Sorry about the mess. Just a few more things to do and we’ll be ready.
READ IT HERE: 1981 08 28 – Archives of Padda Kuttel – stitched – S&A – 002797_Redacted – OCR
