OLYMPIC GAMES YACHTING

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27373, 11 June 1954, Page 15

OLYMPIC GAMES YACHTING

PUBLIC MEETING ON SHARPIES SUPPORT FOR CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION Whole-hearted support for efforts by the Canterbury Yachting Association to foster the formation of a small fleet of Sharpies was given without dissent at a public meeting last evening. The association hopes to have the available to train Canterbury yachtsmen for the next Olympic trials. The Olympic regatta will be held at Melbourne late in 1956. The meeting was agreed that the Sharpie was the most suitable for Canterbury conditions of the five classes of yachts to compete at the regatta. The Sharpie is a very narrow yacht 19ft 7in long, gaff-rigged and with a hard-chined hull. It has a crew of two. All Sharpies must conform to the same plan. The class is common overseas, especially .in America, England, and Europe, and there are now 27 in Australia. There is only one in New Zealand at present—the Kestrel, which has been sailing on the estuary for the last 18 years. The chairman of the meeting (Mr K. Abernethy) reported that an Olympic yacht committee had been formed in Auckland about a year ago, and a Sharpie would be in the water for the opening of the next season. He said the Sharpie was a little heavier than the average yacht in Canterbury, but was quite good for Canterbury conditions. It was a boat in which Canterbury yachtsmen could take an interest after the Olympic Games. A professional quote for the unpainted hull of a Sharpie had been £175, and the sails and rigging would probably cost between £5O and £75 more. Individual club members might help to build the boats if materials were supplied. Mr Abernethy explained that the New Zealand Yachting Federation would recommend to the New Zealand Olympic and Empire Games Council whether boats should be sent. The New Zealand trials would probably be held the season after next, so Canterbury should get one or two boats in the water in the coming season to give its better skippers and crews some practice. It was estimated that if the building of the Sharpies was to be done by amateurs the cost of the timber (if white pine were used) and of the fastenings in the hull would amount to about £55 for each boat. The sails would cost another £3O, and spars, rigging, fittings, and paint a further £2O. The estimated cost of sending a boat and crew to Melbourne was £3OO.

The meeting decided to recommend to the Canterbury association that it should circularise all . the affiliated clubs asking for an indication of their support of the project, either financially or in building the boats. Another motion passed without dissent pledged the personal support of all those present at the meeting.