Napier Team’s Darts Record Disputed In U.K.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29653, 25 October 1961, Page 16

Napier Team ’s Darts Record Disputed In U.K.

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, October 24. "I don’t believe for one moment that using proper rules they could set up this record,” Mr lan Smith, secretary of the Stonehaven and District Dart League, told a “Scotsman” reporter when he was shown a message from Wellington claiming a new darts record for New Zealand.

The Wellington message said that the Cabana Darts Club had scored 1,000,001 points in nine hours, 18 minutes, and intended to apply to the world darts body for recognition of the feat as a world record. "I would like to know under which rules they played,” said Smith. “I am quite sure they have not been playing under proper rules.” In November, 1960, the Stonehaven and District Dart League, nominating eight men in two sections of four, made a successful attempt on the 1.000.001 world marathon record in a new time >f 20 hours 40 minutes. Mr Smith claims that this record still stands. He challenges the report that the Napier team beat a previous record of 15 hours 42 minutes set un by the English Electric Apprentices’ Association of Luton, Bedfordshire, in March of this year. The apprentices, he claims, did not play under proper rules, so they had renounced their claims to the world record. They used their two dart boards simultaneously instead of alternately, as is stipulated, while a throwing distance of eight feet also was laid down. They had

promised to replay their attempt, but so far had not done so.

Mr Smith said that it might be possible to beat the Stonehaven side’s feat of 20 hours 40 minutes by an hour, but not much more. Should any team—using proper rules—beat this record, Stonehaven would consider taking up the challenge to regain its record.

. “We would not be worried if there is no world record because we have not followed definite rules. Perhaps we have set a new world record for eight men on four boards," said Mr L G Willis, captain of the

Cabana Darts Club team, last night, when asked to comment on the London report, sajrs a Press Association message from Napier. “We threw the darts and the Hawke's Bay Dart Association did the calculating,” said Mr Willis. "It is now over to the association to ascertain if the attempt was valid or not and to obtain recognition.” Mr Willis said he had read an article on a team “having a crack at the title and they used two boards and threw 10 darts apiece. “We believed that eight players could score 1,000.001 as soon as possible, provided every throw was legal. The boards were set at regulation height and the hockey board was the required distance away. “We used four boards and threw three darts apiece. It was our intention to score the 1,000,001 points in the shortest possible time. “We had five adding machines going under the control of the secretary of the Hawke’s Bay Darts Association. We regarded it as a test of skill, not like a marathon dance or endurance record and we went flat to the boards,” he said.