YACHT VOORTREKKER
You will remember that we reported on the transfer of the yacht Voortrekker to the SA Navy Museum, as approved by the Chief of the Navy, earlier this year. We are glad to report that Naval Engineering Service has completed the design of the special cradle that will bring the yacht into the museum. When doing research through the archives to find display material for the planned exhibition, I came across these photo-negatives that show yacht Voortrekker, skippered by Bertie Reed, on its arrival in Cape Town at the end of the first leg of the 1982/1983 BOC Challenge. Voortrekker finished an admirable 2nd behind the more modern and bigger French yacht Credit Agricole, skippered by Phillippe Jeantot. See the results.
But the black & white photos of 1982 reveals more… – a Westland Wasp helicopter (serial number 85) from 22 Squadron at Air Force Base Ysterplaat was in the air that day, to welcome Voortrekker and Reed back. It turns out that Wasp number 85 is the very helicopter that is now at the SA Navy Museum, so many years later – on display adjacent to the space that has been allocated to Voortrekker. Thirty-seven years later, the Wasp will once again be there to welcome Voortrekker back when she arrives!