YACHTING CHAMOIS UNBEATEN IN LEANDER TROPHY RACES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29099, 11 January 1960, Page 3

YACHTING CHAMOIS UNBEATEN IN LEANDER TROPHY RACES

For the first time since the national R-class Leander Trophy was awarded for competition in 1951, it will sit on the mantelpiece of a yachtsman outside Canterbury. In one of the most convincing series of wins yet recorded in the contest, George Gibbs and Colin Dalziel, of Wellington, added the finishing touches to an outstanding display when they won the fifth and final race of the contest at Lyttelton on Saturday. In their yacht, Chamois, Gibbs and Dalziel were unbeaten in all the contest races as well as the invitation race.

Throughout this year’s contest, the great improvement in the standard of Wellington R-class yachting has been clearly evident. Besides Chamois, Hi Fi (J. Gatland), Restive (R. Berry), Comment II (11. Wagstaff) and De Fi (J. Bolland) were the most prominent of the Wellington yachts, and in every race the Canterbury R-class squadron was hard-pressed to finish with a representative in the first six placings Kace Cancelled

For the final day of the contest, the weather was better. But when the fourth race was scheduled to start in the morning, there was no wind at all, and the start had to be delayed to about 11.30 a.m. The race was half-way through when the shifting of a buoy by an official launch caused its cancellation. Before this incident. Chamois had been leading, and the two Canterbury yachts, Impetuous (B. Wall) and Mist (Dr. D. Walker) were well up The Auckland yacht, Encore (K Rushbrooke) was also in an excellent position.

A north-easterly breeze sprang up lor the final race in the afternoon, and conoitions were ideal. In a final bid to stake a claim for major placings, Canterbury yachts tried everything they could to lower the Wellington colours. Tempest (G. Wilson) got an excellent start lor Canterbury when he crossed the whole fleet on the ' port tack, but Chamois was again lying in a good position and moving through the fleet.

At the windward buoy, Tempest rounded a bare 15sec abead oi Chamois, and Frenzy (Hugh England) and Gazelle (Gavin Cooke)

were sailing well for Canterbury in third and fourth positions. Yachts from this province had not before gained so many of the leading placings. Tempest Withdraws Tempest was sailing exceptionally well, and considering Wilson has only had this yacht in the water for about a month, the achievement of heading Gazelle was a great one But on the second beat, bad luck again struck Canterbury. Tempest was holding a good lead when Wilson suddenly leapt to the stern of his yacht and grabbed at the rudder. With the race almost secure, the gudgeon pin on the rudder of Tempest had broken and ruined the yacht s chances. Gazelle sailed quietly past the disappointed Canterbury crew, but Frenzy and Vision (A. W. Shields) took up the challenge where Tempest had left off. As in the third race on Friday, Canterbury skippers threw caution to the winds and crowded on the sail. Vision and Frenzy put up their 100 ft spinnakers on the run to the buoy off Quail Island, and although tbeir crews did well to hold the yachts upright as they slewed in the wind, they could make no impression on Chamois, which was sailing steadily and without the slightest hint of strain a- long way in front Gazelle made a strong challenge and managed to round the buoy second, but Hi Fi was third and Impetuous and Frenzy were vainly trying to overtake the Wellington yacht. By the final beat, Chamois was more than three minutes in the lead, and had it not been for some excellent sailing by Gazelle, the gap to the first Canterbury yacht would have been a lot larger. The Cooke brothers have sailed well for Canterbury in this year’s contest, and must be highly favoured in the future with more experience. Frenzy came home In third place after a good exhibition, and De Fi (J. Bolland) was fourth. Results were:—

Fifth and final race, starting time, 3 p.m.: Chamois (G. Gibbs), Wellington, 4hr 17min 31sec, 1; Gazelle (G. Cooke), Christchurch, 4hr 21min 33 sec, 2; Frenzy (H. England), Christchurch, 4nr 23min 41sec, 3; De Fi (J. Bolland) Wellington; 4hr 25min "sec, 4; Impetuous (B. Wall), Cane terbury, 4hr 25min 27sec, 5; Entice <A. Luxford). Wellington, 4hr 25min 46sec, 6.