SOS for a sailing stalwart

Saving Voortrekker, the yacht that launched South African ocean racing

SOUTH AFRICA: Built to fulfil the ambitions of a small group of South African yachtsmen 60 years ago who had set their sights on competing in the Observer Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR), the Voortrekker’s fate is now in the hands of those keen to preserve a slice of the country’s yachting legacy.

In 1966 a small group of South African yachtsmen floated an idea: that the country should compete the gruelling trans-Atlantic race. That conversation led to the formation of the South African Ocean Racing Trust (SAORT) and, ultimately, to the building of Voortrekker.

Widely regarded as the starting point of ocean racing and yacht construction in South Africa, the Voortrekker has reached the end of her seagoing life and now sits beside the crowd-drawing SAS Assegaai within the grounds of the SA Navy Museum in Simon’s Town. But, to put her on permanent display will require extensive interventions.

Thanks to funding from SAORT and assistance from the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC), her cradle has been renovated and, as of 17 July this year, she was moved out of the water to her present position.  Built of wood laminate, however, six decades of exposure and heavy use have taken their toll and the next phase of her preservation is projected to require about R100,000.

The project has been broken into three phases. With the first phase complete and the yacht transported to Simon’s Town, the second phase will focus on her exterior. This will involve the partial replacement and waterproofing of the deck; cleaning, repair and painting of the keel and hull, and construction of a steel walkway as well as stairs so visitors can view her at deck level.

The final phase has yet to be costed and will involve transforming the interior by opening the below-deck spaces for guided tours, with a protective roof structure over the exhibit as a further ambition.

The South African Navy and ARMSCOR Dockyard are contributing labour at no cost, but budget restrictions mean neither can fund materials. That gap is where industry comes in.

A call to get involved

As with the neighbouring submarine museum, the project is not asking primarily for cash from a single source. Contributions in kind, materials, equipment or specialist services, are just as valuable as money, and the organisers are keen to hear from companies able to offer either. A detailed schedule of material requirements is available on request.

Every significant contributor to what is being called “Friends of Voortrekker” will be permanently recognised at the museum site, with sponsor names displayed on an information board in front of the exhibit.

Funding will be managed under the same formal arrangement already in place for the Submarine Museum. A Memorandum of Agreement between the SA Navy and the Naval Heritage Trust allows the Trust to manage funds through its Board of Directors, with all monies audited. Contributions to Voortrekker will be ring-fenced and used exclusively for her restoration.

A legacy worth preserving

Voortrekker's sail number, SA 1, is no accident. She is the vessel that drew South Africans to ocean racing; gave rise to a domestic boatbuilding industry, and helped establish the South Atlantic races that South African sailors still compete in today.

She trained single-handed legends such as Bruce Dalling and Bertie Reed, and later gave a generation of development sailors under Marcello Burricks their start. Project coordinators believe that allowing her to deteriorate further, rather than preserving her for the public and for the industry she helped build, would be a disservice to South African sailing.

Dutch designers van de Stadt drew Voortrekker's lines, and Thesen Industries of Knysna built her. Dr Anton Rupert of the Rembrandt Group came on board as title sponsor, lending his family name to the project and to the yacht herself.

Originally rigged as a ketch, Voortrekker was converted to a sloop after her first major campaign. Under skipper Bruce Dalling, she crossed the OSTAR finish line second and took first place on handicap in 1968, a result that put South African sailing on the international map.

On her return to Cape Town that July, Rupert donated the yacht to the SA Navy at a welcome function at Granger Bay. Under the Navy Ensign, Voortrekker went on to compete in round the world races; seven South Atlantic races to Rio; Punta del Este and Salvador, and countless coastal and offshore events. During this time, she was crewed by sailors including Bertie Reed and Cdr John Martin.

PHOTO: The Voortrekker arrives in Simon’s Town to begin her transformation to be preserved as an important part of South Africa’s maritime sailing history.

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