messing about in boats

Press, Volume C, Issue 29712, 4 January 1962, Page 7

messing about in boats

Convert Yet another yachtsman has been converted from two-man sailing to monotype. He is J. Wearn, of the Christchurch club, who is looking for a Finn to buy but is having difficulty because of the keen demand for this

Olympic-type craft. Wearn has recently tried his hand ait the helm of D. T. Gardiner’s Puffin and distinguished himself by staying upright during a period of sudden, testing north-east gusts which overturned more experienced company. Formerly. Wearn sailed the R Class Wraith, which is now sailed at Lyttelton by the twin brothers J. and G. Snellgrove, of Sumner.

The Snellgroves have restored Wraith to nearperfect condition and have been practising regularly from Erskine Point Toilets The toilet facilities at Christchurch Yacht Club, Redcliffs, and the Canterbury Yacht and Motor Club, Lyttelton, are a disgrace.

Return One of Canterbury’s top yachtsmen in former years, J. R. Pickering, of Sumner, will make a return to contest sailing next week. Pickering has been obtained by A. W. Shields as a substitute for’ard hand in Vision as the regular crew, B. Marriott, is not available. Vision will participate in the Leander Trophy contest at Worser Bay. Pickering was D. Milner’s crew when the two represented Canterbury in the New Zealand Silver Fern contest in 1949. Later he crewed for G. S. Mander, also representing Canterbury. In 1954, at the helm this time, and with Mander for’ard, Pickering won the Moffat Cup, the top trophy for Idlealong com-

petition in the Dominion. For two seasons, and in the last two Leander Trophy contests in Christchurch, he was crew in G. Wilson’s Tempest, a Waimakariri boat.

Shields and Pickering will do well if the weather in Wellington is dirty. Shields, in spite of his light frame, is renowned for his successes in heavy going and Pickering revels in rough conditions. The latter says: “We hope It blows a buster.” If the weather is rough over the Leander series of five races. Vision will be among the hardest competition the favourite, Frenzy (G. S. Mander and A. M. Holland), will have to meet.