In 1926 when the Melik was retired from government service and leased to the Blue Nile Sailing Club (BNSC) she had a long career in front of her as its club-house. By the early 1980s rust was seriously corroding her bottom plates. In spite of the efforts of the Club to keep her afloat she was in grave danger of sinking at her moorings. In 1987 she was swept ashore by an exceptional flood - an event that undoubtedly saved her from an ignominious end.

Up until then, apart from in 1938 participating in the Alexander Korda film, The Four Feathers, and the war years when she was used for transport by the Sudan Defence Force, the Melik lay moored to the river bank. Here, for many years as part of the BNSC boat yard, she was a landmark and focal point for many generations of boat owners and their crews. The unmistakable silhouette of her tall funnel, high upper works and long straight-stemmed hull, set against the green of the mahogany trees lining the avenue behind her, providing a welcome sight to all those afloat.

Founded by the British, BNSC membership is now of course predominantly Sudanese. However, it has always attracted a variety of ex-patriots making the Melik a wonderful international meeting place. Throughout its time as the club-house the Melik acted as a committee room, starting and finishing point for races (signalled in the early years by a cannon and later by a bell) and as a venue for social functions. It was from her deck that crews were ferried back and forth to their boats’ moorings.

The main focus of the Club was sailing races. Into the 1980s these took place, in the season from November till April, three afternoons a week. Normally round a set of buoys moored off the Melik, sometimes they would be further afield - a circumnavigation of Tuti Island or up the Blue Nile to Um Domm. Two weeks a year was set aside for racing in the White Nile at Gordon’s Tree and this provided an opportunity for more races on the outward and return trips.

From 1932 until the present day the Club raced a fleet of boats known as the Khartoum One-design. The fact that these boats have lasted so well demonstrates the success of the design. It also shows that the Club, considered in the Condominium period to have been a somewhat selective organisation, exercised remarkable foresight in commissioning the Khartoum One-design. On its behalf, Morgan Giles, the well-known yacht designer of the 1930s produced a design, based on the sharpie with an eighteen-foot half-decked, steel hull, complete with centreboard and buoyancy tanks. The sail area of about 143 square feet comprised a Bermuda rigged mainsail and a jib. In the climate of the Sudan the early use of a steel hull proved a masterstroke. Over fifty were built. To quote from the Club Handbook: “The design has been worked out to produce a strong boat which will stand hard use for a long time”.

The BNSC, which still flourishes, was in 1994 investigating the purchase of a more modern sailing boat to enable the Sudan to take part in international competitions. In the meantime about a dozen of the old Khartoum One-designs were still being raced. Like their mother hen - the Melik, the chicks have proved survivors too!

Then & Now

Melik, 1898 (River Nile)

Melik, 2004 (Blue Nile Sailing Club)

Gone With The Wind
Article reproduced from SUDANOW 1979

The Blue Nile Sailing Club’s racing programme was badly hit recently by lack of wind. Sailing conditions are generally much lighter than elsewhere in the world, but the unseasonably hot weather between mid-December and the middle of last month led to not only poor, but also erratic winds. In the course of a race the wind might vary from due East to due west, making sailing either interesting or extremely exasperating.

A moonlight race organised just before the Christmas holidays was abandoned due to the almost total lack of wind. Instead , the competitors motored or towed their boats to Tuti Island for a barbeque supper and carol singing.

The Blue Nile Regatta, scheduled for 22nd December was similarly affected, and the majority of the programme was postponed for a week. Only the eliminating heats of the Tracy Plate were completed. The final of the Plate was attempted, but the competitors ran out of time, with Stevens (32) having a commanding lead.

A moderate wind on the 27th enabled the final of the Tracy Plate to be held. Stevens was unlucky. At a crucial point his rudder became disconnected, leaving him floundering in the middle of the river. Casson (36) was first, followed by Koutsoudis (50) and Robertson (3). The rest of the Regatta programme included the final’s of the Commodore’s Cup, the Cadet race for competitors under 18, and the Vanian Cup. Koutsoudis came first in the Commodore’ Cup, followed by Stevens and Ellis (43). Stevens won the Vanian Cup, with Casson second and Le Poldevin (27) coming third.

The trophies were presented by Mrs Carden, wife of the Ambassador. The Ambassador, himself, competed in the final race coming 6th.

The annual long-distance race from Umm Dom Island – for the Watson Trophy – was held on 5th of last month. Unfortunately, the low water level of the Blue Nile made it unsafe to race around the island. Amid a great deal of confusion concerning the starting time of the race, 13 boats set off from the “MELIK”. They raced to the Northern end of Umm Dom and back, with the return journey being particularly difficult. A blustery wind caused moderate waves , and most of the boats had shipped several litres of water by the time the race ended.

Those boats carrying extra weight, in the form of additional crew, were most successful. Again Stevens was unlucky, losing his rudder, and with it a comfortable lead, with only a quarter of the distance remaining. The final result was a win for Koutsoudis. A close fight for second place followed in which Casson beat Wilson (35) by only half a metre or so.

However, due to the confusion at the start of the race, a protest was lodged and a decision made to re-run it a later date.

Despite the difficult weather conditions three race series were completed last month. The One-Design Trophy was won by Casson with 82 points. Kpoutsoudis was second with 79 points and Ellis third with 72 points. The’A’ and Novice class trophies for the series also went to Ellis.

In the Cadet Cup for under 18’s, Neil Casson was first with 65 points, and the Robertson brothers second and third. The Tuti Island series was won by Koutsoudis, with Stevens and Rollason taking second and third places respectively.

A second moonlight race was held on 9th. A fleet of nine boats completed a short race under a bright full moon. This sort of race is particularly appreciated by foreign members of the Club, who seldom get the opportunity to sail under such conditions. After the race, the boats sailed to Tuti, and, in spite of what seemed to be the coldest night of the winter, everyone enjoyed the barbeque and campfire which completed the evening.