YACHTING Canterbury Boats Do Well In Leander Trial

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29715, 8 January 1962, Page 15

YACHTING Canterbury Boats Do Well In Leander Trial

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON', Jan. 7.

Canterbury boats did well in the R class invitation event held at Worsen Bay this afternoon as a preliminary for the Leander trophy contest which will begin tomorrow morning. They filled three of the first four places after a stiff southerly had capsized, broken the gear, or disheartened the crews of 23 of the 38 boats which started.

Five of the eight Canterbury boats which started finished the nine-mile course —a tough test for both craft and crews.

The event was won by the Wellington champion. G. Gibbs, with C. J Dalziel crewing, in Chamois.

Chamois came into the hunt when G. S. Mander and A. M. Holland, the South Island champion pair. sailing Frenzy, lost their spinnaker halyard up the centre of the mast. The mishap occurred half-way through the race when the two had built up a lead of 2min 6sec over the Wellington boat. In spite of being 100 square feet of sail short, compared with Chamois, over much of the course, Frenzy made up ground on the windward legs after being overtaken and finished only 71sec behind.

Mander and Gibbs were the outstanding competitors, with the former showing all the skill that has won him two Leander contests. The Christchurch Club

dinghy, Fresco <B. E. Treleaven and M. E. Seiwood) was third. Fresco was sailed comfortably, but unspectacularly, over the whole course, Treleaven and Seiwood using a double trapeze wire to advantage on the beats. The fourth craft home was Beta, a new boat from the Waimakariri Sailing Club. It began indifferently and was well back in the fleet until the long weather legs when it overtook competitor after competitor.

Sailed by K. Tourell and I. W. Scott, Beta was timed to be the fastest boat in the fleet to windward, not excluding Mander and Gibbs. The Leander trophy series of five races—more than 50 entries have been made—will finish on Wednesday. The trophy is the crest of H.M.N.Z.S. Leander mounted on a kauri cenotaph. It was brought to New Zealand from Boston after the warship went there for extensive repairs when it had been damaged by Japanese action in the Coral Sea in the Second World War. It will be presented to the winning crew in the contest on Wednesday evening by the Chief of the Naval Staff (Rear Admiral P. Phipps). Results of this afternoon’s race, showing finishing times, were:—Chamois (G. Gibbs and C. J. Dalziel, Wellington) 4hr 32min 2sec, 1: Frenzy (G. S. Mander and A. M. Holland, Canterbury Yacht Club) 4.4.3, 2; Fresco (B. E. Treleaven and M. E. Sel-

wood, Christchurch Club) 4.4.57, 3; Beta (K. Tourell and I W. Scott( Waimakariri Club) 4.47.20, 4; Comic (E. C. Dodds and D. G. McGee, Wellington) 4.47.25, 5; Fantastic (G. J. Cooke and C. J. Cooke, Waimakariri) finished ninth at 4.55.57, and Hi Fi (A. F. Burgess and B. Wadman. Pleasant Point) were eleventh at 5.0.58. Reply (G. J. Good and D. Balm. Canterbury Club) and Retort (D. Harrison and J. B. Simpson, Waimakariri) retired. Rebel II (J. Dickson and I. Carey, Timaru) was towed home.