messing about in boats

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29363, 16 November 1960, Page 15

messing about in boats

Boulton Days

New boats did well on the Estuary last week-end. Clive Boulton launched his new Tauranga, Skip, on Saturday morning and by Sunday teatime had won two races with it and taken a trophy to boot. He now has his previous boat Whiz, in which he did not distinguish himself, for sale.

Boulton, who is a 14-year-old Linwood High School pupil, built Skip with his father during the winter. Now in his second season of yachting, he is improving fast and on Sunday exceeded hopes by sailing within his handicap after it had been drastically lowered following his good performance the day before.

Another new boat to come to light quickly was G. Wilson’s P Class Mischief. Out for its first sail. Mischief was entered in the Wallace Trophy B division event and took a third placing in the first heat.

David Turner's new Olympic class Finn yacht Finistere came into a second and third placing in its first two races at the weekend; and D. Walker’s new Heron class, called Heron (the craft is similar to a Frostply), was also placed in an open raee.

Anthony Raper also took part in open competition in his new Junior Cherub which was racing for the first time.

Estuary Days

Estuary sailing has been placed on a more organised and competitive basis with three yacht dubs combining to run Canterbury championship races.

The innovation, decided by representatives of the Christchurch, Pleasant Point and Mount

Pleasant Clubs last week, is intended to provide better open competition and at the same time retain a “built-in” exdusiveness for dub events.

Plans, to be put into practice for the first time on November 27, call for races to be run off dass by dass in flying starts. Every boat will be timed on a master sheet with duplicates available for individual dubs to take out times and calculate handicaps for the purpose of deciding club events.

The novel departure in yacht racing was agreed at a special meeting of the recently-formed Estuary championship committee. Hugh Hobden and Austin Ebert repre-

sented the

Christchurch dub; Pleasant Point was represented by Don Nixon and Bob Scott; and Mount Pleasant by Geoff Good and Geoff de Thier (the latter being convener). Lyall Nicholls is secretary of the committee. Part of the committee’s task was to plot pre-planned courses to be used from Mortons Jetty, , near the west end of the Cause- , way, depending on the weather , prevailing at the time. Five [ courses have been marked out — , three for the Taurangas, two for , toe bigger boats. It is proposed to run four , Estuary championship days this ; season—November 27, January i 14, March 25 and April 9. ’ Pennants for top placings in . the championships will be allot- > ted at the end of the series. Racing will be organised for t nine classes, the fastest starting r first on each day. Three minutes [ will separate each flotilla, it is planned.