Woolston Plant To Mass-Produce Yachts

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29744, 10 February 1962, Page 9

Woolston Plant To MassProduce Yachts

A T ASS production of Olymm pic Finn yachts has begun in Christchurch, and the first hulls off the assembly line of a Wooteton factory are due in the water witbin six weeks. The popularity of the 14ft gin one-man class has grown so much in the last two seasons throughout New Zealand that a well-known yachting enthusiast, Mr F. G. B. Simpson, of Redcliffs, has decided to produce a number of Finns in fibreglass. He expects his main demand from Auckland and Canterbury. homes of the strongest Finn fleets in the Dominion.

The racing yacht of a former Aucklander and Canterbury Finn class champion is being used as the model for moulds off which the new yachts will be produced. It is Finrua, owned by A. Ballintine, of Pleasant Point. Finrua was built in the North Island—it was the second Finn hull sailing in New Zealand—and was the first of its kind in the South Island. It is one of only two in the Dominion carvelplanked. All others of the 60-strong national fleet are constructed of moulded plywood.

P. G. Mander, national titleholder for the class in 1961, and 1956 Olympic Gold medallist, considers Ballintine’s boat to be the •‘fairest” one obtainable for duplication.

This is a sterling tribute to Ballintine’s skill as a builder, for he made the

boat a number of years ago before any experience with the design had been gained in New Zealand. The introduction of fibreglass hulls will be the biggest boost the Finn yacht has had in New Zealand. The only other Olympic boats sailed in the country are Flying Dutchmen and their numbers and general popularity are limited. The fibre-glass hulls will ba supplied guaranteed true

and in the owner’s choice of colour. The material used in construction—for hull, bulkheads, centre case and most step—will ensure that the boat always has a perfect finish, will never need repainting or smoothing, and will always be watertight. Mr Simpson, although generally known a* a leading R Class skipper until hi* retirement from active sailing on medical advice earlier in the season, occasionally

sailed in Ballintine's Finn and a similar bout belonging to J. Morrison, of Christchurch. four year* ago. He began hi* sailing career in 1948 with a Takapuna when a pupil at Christ’s

College, and for two years, while he was at university, he crewed. At this time he was building his own design of R Class dinghy. Shadow. With Morrison as crew he represented Canterbury in the national Silvern Fern contest in 1950 when he skippered the 12-footer, Tainui.

Mr Simpson was one of the Christchurch Yacht Club team (he is now the commodore of the club) which helped to build the Sharpie yacht* for the 1956 Olympic trials; and he personally built the steel centre-plate* and steel rudders for all three craft, including that of th* eventual Gold Medal winner, Jest, aailed by Mander and J. U. Cropp.