Trivia,the BBC radio football game reports and the term Back to Square One

BBC Commentaries:

In order that listeners could follow the progress of football games in radio commentaries, the pitch was divided into eight notional squares. Commentators described the play by saying which square the ball was in. The Radio Times, the BBC's listings guide, referred to the practice in an issue from January 1927.

Commentaries that used a numbering system certainly happened and prints of the pitch diagrams still exist. Recordings of early commentaries also exist, including the very first broadcast sports commentary (of a rugby match). That commentary, and many others that followed, referred listeners to the printed maps and a second commentator called out the numbers as the ball moved from square to square. However, at no point in any existing commentary do they use the phrase 'back to square one'.

Despite this, the BBC issued a piece in a January 2007 edition of The Radio Times that celebrated 80 years of BBC football commentary. In this, the football commentator John Murray stated with confidence that "Radio Times' grids gave us the phrase 'back to square one'" and that "the grid system was dropped in the 1930s (not before the phrase 'back to square one' had entered everyday vocabulary)". This confidence is despite the fact that, although it could be true, it is nothing but conjecture. What is a fact is that the BBC broadcast a more measured view in the popular etymology series Balderdash and Piffle, in collaboration with the OED, in 2006. This questioned the claims that the BBC commentaries were the source of the phrase and that it was in circulation in the 1930s.

Dow - Corning 813 silicone sealant caulk

We are again appointed a retail agaents for what is probably the best silicone sealant on the planet,when we specialised big time in teak deck supply, we sold the previous Dow-Corning number 797,that has now become 813 but the basics remain the same.This silicone is not like your average domestic stuff,it has no familier strong odour for one,it also takes days to cure,three at least and unlike other brands requires no primers.

Dow-Corning 813 is UV proof,it has a 50% stretch capability,it will take extreme tempratures from a high of 150c plus and down to a chilling 50c minus.Its so strong that fitting polycarbonate or tempered glass to window frames will only require this silicone,no fastners will be required,its also fine for applying teak to epoxy coated plywoods and deck caulking.

Bluebottle and the pirate ship

I have no idea what the pirate ship is doing on a fishing quay,it should be out fighting other pirates and those trying to steal our fish from local waters? Bluebottle is one guys way of having fun,its morphed from a single man rubber duck with just one lower tube, to a second tube at the bow to repel waves and maybe the pirates too,propulsion is by britains famous brand of outboard motor,the British Seagull,this one looks like the 3hp job? I read in PBO some time back that spares still exist for British Seagull outboards.

The Northern Lights,pictures

While crossing oceans on yachts I have seen many light variations,shooting stars,venus pretending to be a ship on the horizon,green flares (brasilian submarine)light bursts that have made the dark night light day but never a Northern Light as I was always too far south,had I seen them,this is what they may have looked like.

A passion for detail

This Bristol Channel Pilot type yacht was at least part built by local boat builder Peter Randle,when customers want one of our boat kits built,we ask them to speak to Peter,looking at these pictures of one of his creations on the Hout Bay Yacht Club marina,its easy to see why we make the recomendation.

The best prize of all?

This was the pre race function at the Cape Town Lord Mayors reception in 1985,the prize is the only one given prior to the actual race,its the prize for the Best Prepared Boat,this to my mind is a major prize,its as hard to win as any other? We later saw Kaiamanzi (my home),a Lavraonos 39, in a new municipal marina in Cumana,Venezuela,instantly recognisable by the fact it still had its Harry Anders (sirus marine) braai on the back of the boat,click on the picture to read the text.
The boats owner,George Eglington, is being handed the Mainstay Spirit trophy by the lady mayoress Brenda Kriener at the farewell Blue Peter function hosted by her husband Mayor Sol Kreiner.

Two Classic Yachts

We are fortunate to have not one but two classic yachts on our marina,there are others but not with the same pedigree,I will do some sort of blog on both Blue Shadow of Mauritius and also Figero V,a boat that has a fascinating history,check out this picture and see how similar these two past ocean racers are.

The Hout Bay Yacht Clubs youngest member

We have a yacht next door to ours with a pool deck,its the ideal spot for the clubs youngest member,seen here about to enjoy a cooling dip as the air temprature was 30c yesterday.

The late Jock Grey at the Royal Cape Yacht Club

Jock on Georges boat Shadow,which was in the Parmeilia Race,George single handed the entire race,his was the smallest boat too.

This just came in from Notty,a regular on my blog,so lets give Jock Grey a full page.

Hi Roy,

That big bottle of Scotch and Jock reminded me of George off Shadow. I met George through Tony Page each time he came around Africa, not sure if it was two or three times?

Did you know that it was at George's Gym in Glasgow that Sean Connery built himself up to become a body builder before he got the 007 parts?
I met a girl in Edinburgh who used to date Sean (Tom) as he was known then, she said he was a milkman then and they all laughed at him when he started to study theatre! Who had the last laugh?

Notty.

Hammer & Tongs,a Riviting tale of the SS Titanic

Left click to read full sizw.


This is the work my grandad,Robbie McBride did,I can say with 100% honesty that I would not want to change places with him,as thats a hard job,the noise must have been horrific!

Ocean Planet (ex tal gal) returns to South Africa

North Sails Genaker flying,on a near windless morning in Saldahna,both pictures were taken by Clive Cohen,who was sitting in our 9ft Duckling dinghy,Mersey Mac,so named after my grandads greyhound.


A nice day in Saldahana where we kept Ocean Planet for a long while,note the cap I am wearing,it is a genuine issue from the stores of the USS America aircraft carrier,given to me on an invited vist to the ship while in Salvador,Bahia,Brasil.




A required crew list,myself and crew member Alex Notman

We loaded stores in Rios wonderfull air conditioned supermarkets,then Notty and I bid a last farewell to Rios Marina Gloria and set off early one morning for the island of Ilha Grand (big island) some sixty (60) miles due south,which in our case was the right direction to head when Cape Town was the final destination,we cleared out in Rio first.

This cruising life,Ilha Grand,RJ,Brasil

Left click on images and print to view full size.








Many get to sail after years of planing the voyage,some get to sail due to circumstances,this was the case for myself when six girls borrowed my yacht Ocean Planet for a one way trip and with sponserhip from Tal Adhesives,entered the 1985 South Atlantic Race as Tal Gal,I collected the boat in Rio de Janerio with a good friend Alan Butler,later on after Alan had flown back to Cape Town,another good friend Alex (notty) Notman flew out to help me sail the boat all the way back to Cape Town,we left from the island of Ilha Grand but cleared out in Rio,we arrived in South Africa thirty two (32) days later in Saldahna Harbour,we had seen a possible twenty nine (29) day trip but as we closed the continent of Africa a South Easter gale saw us swept past and arrive at the SBYC instead!

Natasza Caban,Solo Sailor on her 34ft S&S sloop is in Hout Bay,South Africa

A picture of the Polish flag.


Natasza has her 34ft Sparkman and Stevens sloop tied up safely on the Hout Bay Yacht Clubs marina.







A second Polish solo female sailor arrived in Hout Bay only yesterday,film crews were busy as she arrived on friday and took footage of her anchored off the harbour wall in rising gale conditions today.

Roy,

Fashion model or solo circumnavigator? Natasza Caban could be both.
© 2007 Latitude 38 Publishing, Inc.

But Caban isn't in it for fame and fortune. She's been, to put it bluntly, obsessed with sailing since she graduated high school, crewing on dozens of yachts, from the Maxi 80 Kia Loa IV to Sydney-Hobart racers to Caribbean bound charter boats. Her stunning beauty and outgoing personality certainly opened doors but skippers quickly realized that she had much more to offer.

When Caban decided she wanted to crew in the Sydney-Hobart, for example, she had no crew position, no money and no place to stay. She found a request for crew online, asked the skipper to sponsor her visit to Australia, borrowed money from her family for a plane ticket and found a job the day after she arrived. On the ride back from Hobart, the yacht she was on dismasted and the entire crew had to be rescued, but her resolve never wavered. She's pursued her passion with a single-mindedness that has to be admired.

If she gets her way, as she usually does, Caban could become the youngest Pole to solo circumnavigate.
Photos Courtesy Natasza Caban
© 2007 Latitude 38 Publishing, Inc.

You can follow Caban's journey on her Web site - as thousands of Polish schoolchildren will be doing - at www.nataszacaban.com. Be sure to click on the little British flag in the upper right corner to get the English version.

- latitude / ld

And a comment from our local solo sailor and past HBYC Commodore,Justin Phillips:

UNBELIEVABLE! I need to have a word with these two tomorrow! Need some tips for when I go round Robben Island!

Hillman Imp Sport and Race exhaust systems.

We have sold a number of these now,quite an international event too,USA,Denmark and UK,we ship world wide as part of what we do,so exports by sea or air are no problem.We can also consider systems for other cars,Honda,Mazda,Ford,BMW exhaust manifolds come to mind but if you have some special you need manifolds for we can look at it for you.

As from next month (march 2009) we will now have systems ex stock,starting with the full race twin Webber carburetor version,then the large bore Janspeed type exhaust manifold only,prices are on application.

Polish Single Hand Yacht Master , Marta Szilajtis-Obieglo

A picture of the polish flag.


Martas yacht Ania alongside the Dix designed Dix 43 Flying Cloud, on the HBYC marina in Hout Bay,South Africa.


Around the World. By herself

Marta Sziłajtis-Obiegło is setting off for the voyage of her dreams. After her voyage around the world she stands a chance of becoming the youngest Polish sailor to sail around the world.

A few days of intensiva preparations and equipment tests in the Captain’s Andrzej Armiński Szczecin Shipyard in Poland and then she fly to Venezuela where yacht Mantra ANIA is waiting in the Puerto la Cruz marina for the voyage. Following a required yacht test, necessary formalities and the provision of food supplies she set off to struggle against the wind, waves and her weaknesses.

Her voyage follows the Passat Route via Panama, the Galapagos Islands, the Island of Polynesia, Australia, Indian Ocean, South Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean to Brazil to attend the carnival and back to Venezuela. She will call at 14 harbors on her way but none of the stopovers will take longer than a couple of days. Those calls will focus on indispensable repairs, new supplies of fuel, water and food and some sightseeing.

The voyage is meant to take 12 months and given favorable winds and luck this period of time should be sufficient to sail around the world.

A 8.5 m long vessel designed and built by the Captain Andrzej Armiński Szczecin Shipyard will be Marta's home for the upcoming months. Mantra ANIA is ocean going yachts with reinforced hulls, large navigation table with stowage compartments and large fuel and drinking water tanks. Such yachts offer sailors a large degree of autonomy during voyage and allow for long voyages without making ports.







http://mantra28.pl/marta/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80&Itemid=48

The intended route.

Marta and her yacht Ania,a Mantra 28 has spent some time on the Hout Bay Marina while on her circumnavigation in the attempt to be the youngest Polish girl to ever do so.