Bruce Dalling
Encyclopedia
Bruce Dalling was a Springbok South Africa
n yachtsman, national hero, also advocate and farmer, best known for taking second place on elapsed time and first on corrected time for the monohull award in the 1968 Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
.
to Kathleen and William Dalling, a mining captain. He matriculated at St. John's College in Johannesburg, after which he went to sea and then joined the Hong Kong Police for two years. While living in Hong Kong
, he took up yachting and participated in major races including the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
. After returning to South Africa he was a crew member on the South African yacht Stormvogel.
He studied for an agricultural degree at the University of Natal
and became a lecturer in agriculture. He then studied law and became an advocate during the mid 1970s, practising mainly in Pietermaritzburg
and Durban
. He gave up due to ill health in 1982 and then turned to lecturing at the University of Natal
. He went farming in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal
, but still served as an assessor in high court cases.
He owned his own aircraft, a Cessna 210
Centurion named "Charlie" and participated in sky-diving and was instrumental in establishing the Pietermaritzburg Parachute Club.
He was married to Carol and had three children, a son, William, who is a pilot in Namibia and two daughters, Kerry and Cathy.
, Dalling was selected out of 40 applicants to skipper the yacht Voortrekker, a 50 ft ketch designed by the naval architect, Ricus van de Stadt, and built of wood-composite construction by Thesens of Knysna for the Springbok Ocean Racing Trust and sponsored by the Rembrandt Group
of Companies.
Voortrekker's strength lay in her planking, consisting of three layers of Malaysian Meranti glued together with a fibreglass coat for binding and waterproofing and weighed 6½ tons, including the keel. She was half the weight of any equivalent-sized racing yacht. She was equipped with a sparsely designed two bunk cabin. Perhaps the only aspect where the minimalist approach was not adopted was to the range and ability of the navigational equipment. She turned out to be one of the fastest racing yachts in her class.
Sea trials were conducted in Table Bay and False Bay before she was sailed from Cape Town to Plymouth for the 1968 OSTAR.
After the race Voortrekker returned from the USA to South Africa on board the Safmarine freighter SA Weltevreden. She was hoisted by crane off the special cradle that had been assembled for her transportation across the Atlantic and lowered into the water at Cape Town docks. After the mast had been stepped, Bruce sailed her along the Atlantic seaboard for ninety minutes where many fans had assembled to welcome the sailor home. Voortrekker then docked at Granger Bay, where Vice-Admiral Hugo Biermann
, Dr Anton Rupert
- head of the Rembrandt Group
that underwrote the venture and Cape Town mayor, Mr G.E. Ferry along with other dignitaries gave him a hero's welcome.
s. The race started on June 1 departing from Plymouth
England for Newport, Rhode Island
.
The race was by now acquiring a reputation for pushing forward the technology of ocean sailing, and the 1968 edition featured the first ever use of computer-based weather routing. A far cry from today's laptop-laden yachts, this consisted of a land-based mainframe computer, the English Electric KDF9
, linked by radio to 25-year-old school teacher Geoffrey Williams in his boat Sir Thomas Lipton. Although outside private routing advice of this kind is no longer permitted in most "unassisted" races, it is now routine for ocean sailors to do similar analyses using their on-board computers to process public weather information.
Williams created another story by his use of the "shortcut" through the Nantucket Shoal. This dangerous route was supposed to be illegal, but due to an error the race instructions required skippers only to keep south of Nantucket, instead of Nantucket Light. Williams successfully navigated the treacherous route in a gale. Gales were a major feature of the race, with a large storm on the 11th - 12th of June, and Hurricane Brenda, both contributing to the large number of retired and abandoned boats; Dalling described this storm as one of the worst he had ever encountered and one that he would remember for a long time. Water 4 ft deep washed over the deck and flooded his electric generator, when it came into the ketch through an exhaust pipe on the deck. As a result he was without power, explaining his radio absence during a large part of the race. Voortrekker was driven back 60 miles during the storm and broke her main boom, necessitating a jury rig. One casualty was Éric Tabarly
, aboard his new trimaran Pen Duick IV.
Although won by a monohull
, this race saw the multihull
s firmly established on the scene. The multihulls were led by the controversial proa
Cheers; many observers felt that a proa was entirely unsuitable for ocean sailing, but she made a fast time along the Azores route
The race was won by Williams on Sir Thomas Lipton in 25 days 20 hours 33 min. However he had a 12 hour penalty for incorrect procedure at the start. Dalling completed the race in 26 days 13 hours 42 min, earning himself a place in yachting history.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n yachtsman, national hero, also advocate and farmer, best known for taking second place on elapsed time and first on corrected time for the monohull award in the 1968 Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race, or STAR, is an east-to-west yacht race across the North Atlantic. When inaugurated in 1960, it was the first single-handed ocean yacht race; it is run from Plymouth to the USA, and is held every four years....
.
Biography
Dalling was born in JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
to Kathleen and William Dalling, a mining captain. He matriculated at St. John's College in Johannesburg, after which he went to sea and then joined the Hong Kong Police for two years. While living in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, he took up yachting and participated in major races including the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...
. After returning to South Africa he was a crew member on the South African yacht Stormvogel.
He studied for an agricultural degree at the University of Natal
University of Natal
The University of Natal was a university in Natal, and later KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, that is now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It was founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg, and expanded to include a campus in Durban in 1931. In 1947, the university...
and became a lecturer in agriculture. He then studied law and became an advocate during the mid 1970s, practising mainly in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
and Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. He gave up due to ill health in 1982 and then turned to lecturing at the University of Natal
University of Natal
The University of Natal was a university in Natal, and later KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, that is now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It was founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg, and expanded to include a campus in Durban in 1931. In 1947, the university...
. He went farming in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal
Howick, KwaZulu-Natal
Howick is a town located in the uMgungundlovu District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The town is 1050 m above sea level, and about 88 kilometres from the port city of Durban. It enjoys warm summers and cool dry winters. A snappy chill descends upon Howick when snow falls on the nearby...
, but still served as an assessor in high court cases.
He owned his own aircraft, a Cessna 210
Cessna 210
The Cessna 210 Centurion is a six-seat, high-performance, retractable-gear single-engine general aviation aircraft which was first flown in January 1957 and produced by Cessna until 1985.-Design and development:...
Centurion named "Charlie" and participated in sky-diving and was instrumental in establishing the Pietermaritzburg Parachute Club.
He was married to Carol and had three children, a son, William, who is a pilot in Namibia and two daughters, Kerry and Cathy.
The Yacht Voortrekker
For the 1968 Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic RaceSingle-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race, or STAR, is an east-to-west yacht race across the North Atlantic. When inaugurated in 1960, it was the first single-handed ocean yacht race; it is run from Plymouth to the USA, and is held every four years....
, Dalling was selected out of 40 applicants to skipper the yacht Voortrekker, a 50 ft ketch designed by the naval architect, Ricus van de Stadt, and built of wood-composite construction by Thesens of Knysna for the Springbok Ocean Racing Trust and sponsored by the Rembrandt Group
Rembrandt Group
The Rembrandt Group is a South African tobacco and industrial conglomerate founded by Afrikaner tycoon Dr Anton Rupert who oversaw its eventual transition to the industrial and luxury branded goods sectors...
of Companies.
Voortrekker's strength lay in her planking, consisting of three layers of Malaysian Meranti glued together with a fibreglass coat for binding and waterproofing and weighed 6½ tons, including the keel. She was half the weight of any equivalent-sized racing yacht. She was equipped with a sparsely designed two bunk cabin. Perhaps the only aspect where the minimalist approach was not adopted was to the range and ability of the navigational equipment. She turned out to be one of the fastest racing yachts in her class.
Sea trials were conducted in Table Bay and False Bay before she was sailed from Cape Town to Plymouth for the 1968 OSTAR.
After the race Voortrekker returned from the USA to South Africa on board the Safmarine freighter SA Weltevreden. She was hoisted by crane off the special cradle that had been assembled for her transportation across the Atlantic and lowered into the water at Cape Town docks. After the mast had been stepped, Bruce sailed her along the Atlantic seaboard for ninety minutes where many fans had assembled to welcome the sailor home. Voortrekker then docked at Granger Bay, where Vice-Admiral Hugo Biermann
Hugo Biermann
Admiral Hugo Biermann SSA SD OBE was a South African military commander. He began his naval career as a part-time member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the 1930s, and during World War II he served in the Mediterranean and the South of France.After the war, he joined the SA Naval Forces...
, Dr Anton Rupert
Anton Rupert
Dr. Anthony Edward Rupert was an Afrikaner South African billionaire entrepreneur, businessman and conservationist. He was born and raised in the small town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape. He studied in Pretoria and ultimately moved to Stellenbosch, where he established the Rembrandt Group ...
- head of the Rembrandt Group
Rembrandt Group
The Rembrandt Group is a South African tobacco and industrial conglomerate founded by Afrikaner tycoon Dr Anton Rupert who oversaw its eventual transition to the industrial and luxury branded goods sectors...
that underwrote the venture and Cape Town mayor, Mr G.E. Ferry along with other dignitaries gave him a hero's welcome.
The 1968 OSTAR
Thirty five yachts entered the race of which thirteen were multihullMultihull
A multihull is a ship, vessel, craft or boat with more than one hull.-Description:Multihulls include: Proas, which have two differently shaped or sized hulls with lateral symmetry; catamarans, which have two hulls with longitudinal symmetry; and trimarans, which have a main hull in the center and...
s. The race started on June 1 departing from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
England for Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
.
The race was by now acquiring a reputation for pushing forward the technology of ocean sailing, and the 1968 edition featured the first ever use of computer-based weather routing. A far cry from today's laptop-laden yachts, this consisted of a land-based mainframe computer, the English Electric KDF9
English Electric KDF9
KDF9 was an early British computer designed and built by English Electric, later English Electric Leo Marconi, EELM, later still incorporated into ICL. It first came into service in 1964 and was still in use in 1980 in at least one installation...
, linked by radio to 25-year-old school teacher Geoffrey Williams in his boat Sir Thomas Lipton. Although outside private routing advice of this kind is no longer permitted in most "unassisted" races, it is now routine for ocean sailors to do similar analyses using their on-board computers to process public weather information.
Williams created another story by his use of the "shortcut" through the Nantucket Shoal. This dangerous route was supposed to be illegal, but due to an error the race instructions required skippers only to keep south of Nantucket, instead of Nantucket Light. Williams successfully navigated the treacherous route in a gale. Gales were a major feature of the race, with a large storm on the 11th - 12th of June, and Hurricane Brenda, both contributing to the large number of retired and abandoned boats; Dalling described this storm as one of the worst he had ever encountered and one that he would remember for a long time. Water 4 ft deep washed over the deck and flooded his electric generator, when it came into the ketch through an exhaust pipe on the deck. As a result he was without power, explaining his radio absence during a large part of the race. Voortrekker was driven back 60 miles during the storm and broke her main boom, necessitating a jury rig. One casualty was Éric Tabarly
Éric Tabarly
Éric Tabarly was a notable French yachtsman.A former officer in the French navy who is often considered the father of French yachting....
, aboard his new trimaran Pen Duick IV.
Although won by a monohull
Monohull
rightA monohull is a type of boat having only one hull, unlike multihulled boats which can have two or more individual hulls connected to one another.-Fundamental concept:...
, this race saw the multihull
Multihull
A multihull is a ship, vessel, craft or boat with more than one hull.-Description:Multihulls include: Proas, which have two differently shaped or sized hulls with lateral symmetry; catamarans, which have two hulls with longitudinal symmetry; and trimarans, which have a main hull in the center and...
s firmly established on the scene. The multihulls were led by the controversial proa
Proa
A proa, also seen as prau, perahu, and prahu, is a type of multihull sailing vessel.While the word perahu and proa are generic terms meaning boat their native language, proa in Western languages has come to describe a vessel consisting of two unequal length parallel hulls...
Cheers; many observers felt that a proa was entirely unsuitable for ocean sailing, but she made a fast time along the Azores route
The race was won by Williams on Sir Thomas Lipton in 25 days 20 hours 33 min. However he had a 12 hour penalty for incorrect procedure at the start. Dalling completed the race in 26 days 13 hours 42 min, earning himself a place in yachting history.