Yachting LEANDER TROPHY

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28820, 14 February 1959, Page 14

Yachting LEANDER TROPHY

P. Mander Wins First Race

"The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. Feb. 13. P. G. Mander. the Olympic Sharpie champion, won the first of three races for the Leander trophy on the Waitemata this afternoon. The second race will be held tomorrow afternoon and the third and filial race on Sunday. Mander’s brother. Graham, finished in second place, and C. Papps, who, like the Manders, comes from Christchurch, was third. The race, which was started in a fresh easterly which had dropped a good deal by the end of. the race, drew 26 starters from the 38 entries. Peter Mander and his brother, David, in Salaam, capsized before the race started, but they were first to the first mark and untroubled to hold their lead throughout. It was a typical Mander exhibition. skilled and without error. Yet the man who most caught the fancy was Graham Mander. ' Because he was unfamiliar with the starting procedure, he was 300 yards from the line at the starting tun. After half the race—the short preliminary slog, a long run and the beat back—he had improved to abqut third or fourth. Uiing the biggest spinnaker in the fleet, he passed Papps on the run and cut down the margin between himself and his elder brother in. the Anal beat. What might have happened if the two Manders had started on even terms was anybody’s guess. The rest of - the fleet had little chance of catching the front three. There was, however, some good sailing by G. Wagstaff (Wellington) tn Exclaim II in the early part of the race. R. Wilkinson (Whangarel) did well with Frail during the middle part and R. Berry (Wellington. Restive) had the distinction of finishing fourth behind the Christchurch men. The first six to finish were:—P. G. Mander, Salaam (Christchurch), 3hi 34min 45sec, 100, 1; G. S. Mander. Frenzy (Christchurch), 3hr 35min 58sec« 66.66, 2: C. Papps, Freeway (Christchurch). 3hr 36min 46sec, 50, 3: R. Berry, Restive (Wellington). 3hr 39min 25sec, 40, 4; R. Wilkinson, Frail (Whangarel), 3hx 41min 3Tsec, 33.33, 5; J. Gatland. Hi-fl (Wellington). 3hr 41min 58sec, 28.5 T. 6.