Sails on the horizon used to be a sign of conquest and suspect bartering.
Now history has come full circle along the South African coast, where sailing clubs claim they are being muscled off government-owned land amid a push for radical port transformation.
South African Sailing confirmed this week that clubs in Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay and East London are in the midst of legal action over new lease agreements, or are faced with eviction or stringent new terms.
The organisation said steep rental increases and diminishing "access to water" threatened development programmes producing top black sailors.Several other sailing clubs are at loggerheads with other government departments over security and maintenance, prompting concerns from tourism stakeholders.
South African Sailing vice-president Michael Robinson confirmed the sport was fighting a rearguard action. "If we don't have access to the water, then we lose all that potential," he said.
The sport was fast removing entry barriers, said Robinson: "Our duty is not to fill some quota, but to remove these barriers to create an accessible situation."
Evicting sailing clubs would effectively cancel development programmes, including the one that produced 2012 Olympic sailor Asenathi Jim.
Jim came out in support of the clubs this week, saying they were "really pushing transformation".
Transnet National Ports Authority denied it was targeting sports clubs but declined to comment on sub judice matters "so as not to jeopardise any court process".
CEO Shulami Qalinge said: "Our view is that all port users form an integral part of the 'smart, people's port concept' that is currently in the process of being developed. The TNPA's mandate ... is to advertise properties on open tender by way of a process that is fair, transparent and competitive. Its ... mandate is also to address transformation in the port industry and the commercialisation of historic low-value rentals."
Sailing and other sports clubs previously enjoyed a massive rental discount. Sailing stakeholders said commercial rates were beyond the reach of most clubs, which rely on membership fees and restaurant/bar profits...