Britannia Meets Rougher Seas

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30048, 5 February 1963, Page 12

Britannia Meets Rougher Seas

[N.Z.PA. Staff Correspondent]

ABOARD H.M.N.Z.S. OTAGO, Feb. 4.

The Royal yacht Britannia with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh aboard was pitching considerably and swinging about in a beam swell today on her way to Waitangi.

There have been no reports from the Britannia about how the Queen is reacting to the voyage. She is reputed to be a poor sailor. The Britannia appears not to be rolling much, probably because of her stabilisers. Conditions worsened slightly this evening after a humid, overcast day. There were some showers and the weather is expected to get rougher tomorrow. The Britannia tonight had covered more than half the 1050 miles from Suva to Waitangi and is still maintaining 20 knots. An average of only 16J knots is needed to arrive on time on February 6, but the Flag Officer, RearAdmiral J. C. C. Henley, is guarding against losing time in bad weather. In a skilful naval manoeuvre today, the Royal yacht escort, H.M.N.Z.S. Otago, refuelled at sea without any loss of time. While th'e Britannia stayed on course, the Otago raced a mile ahead to rendezvous with the much slower Admiralty tanker, Wave Prince. Later it made a 26knots dash after the Britannia to make up a sixmile leeway. Neither the Queen nor the Duke were on their private deck to watch the operation. Unsettled Weather An Auckland message says the Queen is likely to strike unsettled weather for the first two days of her tour at Waitangi and in Auckland. The Weather Office’s longterm forecast for Waitangi on Wednesday and Auckland on Thursday is: cloudy, warm and humid with showers. North-easterly winds may reach 30 miles an hour.

One of the busiest highways in New Zealand today was the one leading to the Bay of Islands. With the arrival of the Queen and the Duke only two days away, visitors and officials are pouring into the area. Most are staying or are being billeted in the Paihia, Russell and Opua settlements, which border the bay. More than 2000 Maoris, representing tribes throughout the North Island have arrived, and many hundreds more are expected throughout the night and early tomorrow. A canvas settlement for many of the tribal representatives has been erected by the Army in the Paihia area. The Army is also faced with the task of providing food for many of the officials who have arrived in the area.

Tomorrow morning, a fullscale drees rehearsal will be held of the arrival ceremony for the Queen and the Duke Although many overseas press representatives have been delayed because of

changes in the tour itinerary in Fiji, most of the New Zealand and Australian press teams arrived in the Bay of Islands early this evening. Southern press representatives and Government officials attached to the tour travelled from Wellington this morning in a chartered R.N.Z.A.F. DCS.

The Governor-General, Sir Bernard Fergusson, and Lady Fergusson and the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) and Mrs Holyoake will leave Wellington by R.N.Z.A.F. flyingboat at 9.30 tomorrow morning for Russell.