| Club History
Tanga
Yacht Club was founded on 1st May 1944 when a
number of local businessmen and government officials formed a limited
company. The certificate of incorporation was issued by the registrar of
companies in Dar es Salaam on 7th June 1944. Founder members of
the club in that time were G. Tirant, A.R. Pain, R.C. Jerrard, W. Bain, A.A.
Phibbs, P. Roach and D. McQueen, all of them, as usual in that time, of male
origin. The first two stated objectives of the company were:
To promote boating,
yachting and sailing at Tanga and the vicinity of Tanga.
For this purpose to
acquire or take over the effect and liabilities of the present
unincorporated club known as Tanga Yacht Club.
This unincorporated club
consisted of a small number of local people one of whom was G.W. Hatchell, a
magistrate, who became the clubs first commodore in 1941.
But the club was really
started before 1941 by Emil Hartmann,
a local building contractor, who arrived in Tanga about 1936. As far
as it is known Emil Hartmann
owned the first boat to be moored at the club. It was
named “Lorraine”
after his original home.
Hartmann
and Hatchell were friends
and often went fishing together. He also wrote an article on fishing around
Tanga and the adjacent coast, which was published in “Tanganyika Notes and
Records” in 1954.
Other members at that time
were Eldred Hitchkock and Abdulla Karimjee, both of them were later knighted
for their services to the country and the sisal industry. Alee le Maitre,
also a member at that time, and G.W. Hatchell were awarded the OBE for
similar services.
The club premises at that
time consisted of a clearing carved from the cliff to the left of the
present steps as one enters the club. A small club house was built on what
is now the paved area.
When the new club was
formed in 1944 many new members were attracted and more boats, both power
and sail began to appear. As the time went on and the club prospered and
could afford it, the present structures were built up. The paved area was
done by courtesy of Amboni Estates. A water color painting showing the club
in 1949 was done by Mrs. A. Budge and is still hanging in the bar. The polished
paneling behind the bar was a gift of a
member who spent more time at the bar than he did at his job. He said he was
tired of staring at a whitewashed wall. The oil painting of a sailing race
behind the bar was done by Mrs. Joan Wadhan, wife of a member.
Organized sailing was
started about 1944, when members donated various trophies to be competed
for. Reciprocal sailing matches between Tanga, Mombasa and Dar es Salaam
became annual events. None appear to have occurred since 1979. A number of
Osprey class dinghies were made available for members to purchase during the
1950’s and good use was made of them. The dinghies changed hands many times
as members left the club. Not many of them are serviceable today. Since 1983
there do not appear to have been any organized sailing apart from
windsurfers and catamarans.
Fishing became very popular
during the 1970’s and Ian Moncrieff, a former port pilot, arranged for the
club to be accepted as a member of the International Game Fishing
Association and the Game Fish Union of Africa. Subsequently, some club
member's catches appeared in the annual records of the IGFA and until today
the club still holds two records, one for a garfish of 4.1kg, caught in
November 1969 by Alois Zorten on a 37 kg line and the other for a Giant
Trevally, locally known as Karautesi of 54.8kg, caught in October 1970 by
Mrs. Polly Mosgard on a 24kg line. Fish were much more plentiful in those
days and huge catches were made almost every weekend. A local merchant
bought the catches from members at 50 cents per pound. On one occasion he
had to take three trips with his truck to remove the catch. Most of the
profit was spent by members over the bar that same evening. The biggest
fish, ever brought in by a club member was a Black Marlin of 113.25kg caught
by Attilie Torriani in December 1974 on a 37 kg line. Not so many fish are
brought in these days, but that is no reflection on the skill and patience
of those few fishermen who still keep trying as recent photographs still
show.
Reciprocating agreements
have been arranged with the following clubs:
Tanzania
Dar es Salaam
Yacht Club
Songwa Sailing Club
Shinyanga
Kenya
Mombasa
Yacht Club
Kisumu Yacht Club
Naivasha Sailing Club
Aqua Sports Club,
Nairobi
Uganda
Victoria Nyanza Sailing
Club
Jinja Sailing Club
Greece
Lonses Sailing Club
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