Page 32 - Jan-March 2025

| OUTDOOR FEATURE

By: Reint Bakema and Alida Bakema Boon
Images courtesy of: VNSC archives

NINETY YEARS OF SAILING HISTORY AT

THE VICTORIA NYANZA SAILING CLUB

IN KAMPALA

ID the twenty men (no women were present!) In the early 1930’s a Mr. Harris had a Snipe Sharpie
Dat the founding meeting on 19 July 1935 built by an ‘Indian fundi’ for Shs 650! This must
envision that the Victoria Nyanza Sailing Club have been the first sailing dinghy purposely made
would still be there and going strong 90 years for leisure sailing along the shores of Kampala. It
later? We can’t know for sure, but this year it has was the successful construction of this dinghy that
become a fact! triggered the statutory meeting of the Victoria
Nyanza Sailing Club in 1935, and the decision of its
The VNSC will celebrate its Granite Jubilee from just signed-up members to have similar boats built,
22nd February until 2nd March 2025 with lots of albeit at a reduced price of Shs 500. In the same
activities in and around Murchison Bay, at Kaazi, year, Kaazi was chosen as the location for the club.
Kampala. For 9 days the VNSC is open to the Ninety years later, the VNSC is still there.
public, with sailing demonstrations for children
and adults, recycled plastic boat racing, and biking In the 1930’s, the VNSC soon became the place
and running competitions. Apart from the official to be for the British high-class community on the
opening of celebrations by a dignitary of the weekends. The members raced against each other
Buganda Kingdom, the climax of the festivities is in double-handed Snipes while the “Governor’s
the Uganda Laser Open championship during the wife supplied a tea which became favourite for
first weekend of March. The 40 edition of this its spreads of food’’. The race results were widely
th
highly popular international event attracts sailors reported in the newspapers, and the VNSC
from all over East Africa, Europe, USA and beyond organised an annual Nautic Ball.
to the shores of Lake Victoria at Kampala for a
weekend of fierce competitive sailing. In fact, leisure sailing became so popular that the
Governor of the Territory instructed the Kampala
The boats Technical School to build a sailing yacht. The 12-ton
‘’Blue Bell’’ was a great piece of local craftsmanship.
The first person on record in the VNSC archives
to sail at Murchison Bay for fun is a certain Fred After Independence, the VNSC welcomed
Gorton. In 1919 he fitted a ‘native’ canoe, named members from all walks of life and nationalities
Tillikum, with an outboard motor, and must have and progressively evolved into a more inclusive
made quite an impression by touring through membership club. The hand-made wooden boats
Murchison Bay without the use of paddlers. were gradually replaced by industrially built
Around 1926 Mr Staples, an agricultural officer fibreglass dinghies.
in the colonial government, put a sail on his
“Waterbeetle”, another local canoe. He gradually Eventually, the single-handed Laser/ILCA became
increased the number and size of the sails. To keep the most popular boat: a sporty, fast dinghy,
the boat upright, he mounted outriggers on it, suitable for the lake’s weather conditions. It also
making the boat a rather ungainly contraption. proved to be an excellent dinghy for sail training.

30
30