WIN TO BEL AIR

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29745, 12 February 1962, Page 17

WIN TO BEL AIR

N.Z. Title On Ellesmere Bel Air, a New Brighton boat, driven by P. Knight, won the New Zealand 95 cu. in. V-bottom championship event alter a fast race in a slight chop on Lake Ellesmere before about 3500 spectators at Lakeside yesterday. Bel Air. powered by a Humber 80 engine, was given a good race by R. Savage in his new boat, Javelin, powered by a Sunbeam Alpine engine. It was Javelin’s third race. Six boats, all from the New Brighton Boat Club, started in the championship. The flag boat signalled a false start the first time the six came thundering down to the start line, but let the boats away on the second start. Javelin led from Tahia Ma (J. Nichol) in the first lap but Bel Air passed Tahia Ma in the second lap and in the back straight caught up to Javelin to go into the lead narrowly at the beginning of the third lap of the six-lap race, held over a five-eighths of a mile course. Javelin, under a hard drive, bounced and jobbled on the corners, and skipped out of the water like a flat pebble in the straights, but the more stable Bel Air increased its lead to 30 yards in the fifth lap to win by about half a straight. In the fifth lap, Susie Too (P. Calvert), powered with a 75 cu. in. motor, passed Tahia Ma to take third place, half a straight behind Javelin. Bel Air’s time was smin 16sec, Javelin smin 23sec and Susie Too smin 34sec More than 60 boats, from Nelson. Hokitika, Blenheim. Timaru, Invercargill, Oam«ni and Lake Waitaki, took part in the regatta Boat Sinks

T. King had bad luck in the first race of the day when his inboard hydro, Bristol, holed a sponson in the second lap. The boat sank immediately in about five feet of water. He was not injured and his boat was soon dragged ashore. Later in the afternoon the water became rather choppy but calmed in the evening. Rain curtailed the programme, but 15 of the 18 events scheduled were run. Results, races being handicaps and boats from New Brighton, unless otherwise mentioned, were: Inboards A Class.—First race: Commando (J. Burns, Oamaru), 1; Kaniva (R. Bunker), 2; Lil Wolf (K. Stokes). 3. Second race: Carrera (G. Cochrane). 1; Commando 2. Brer Fox (P. Stokes), 3. Scratch race: Susie Too (P. Calvert). 1; Carrera (W. Gray), 2. Inboard hydro: Kaniva 1. Ace Hi (A Idiens) 2. Brer Fox 3. A class scratch: Javelin (R. Savage). 1; Ace Hi 2. Flash (P. O’Brien. Lake Kanieri) 3. A class, third race: Brer Fox. 1; Navarro (D. Alsop). 2; Powerflyte (A. Irvine), 3. Outboards First race: George (J. Sagar), 1; The Bomb (T. Ross, Lake Kanieri), 2; Neutron (J. Mainland, Lake Kanieri). 3. Second race: George 1. Hustler (F. Williams). 2; Missile (J. Andrews. Lake Kanieri). 3 Third race: The Bomb 1. Neutron 2, Hustler 3. Scratch race: Missile 1. Hustler 2. The Bomb 3. Fourth race: Downbeat I. The Bomb 2. Combined B And C Class.—First race: Tango (A. Hayward), 1; Pedro (B. Dakin). 2: Thunderbird (N. McVicar) 3. Second race: Skat Kat II (W. Legge. Lake Waitaki). 1; Tonic <K. Lucas), 2; Tango 3 Third race: Cheriene <B Bowen), 1: Ski Hi (B. Andrews) 2: Tonic <K. Lucas', 3. Fourth race: Skat Kat 11. 1: Thunderbird 2. Cheriene 3.