YACHTING P. G. Mander Wins Fourth Finn Heat

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30056, 14 February 1963, Page 6

YACHTING P. G. Mander Wins Fourth Finn Heat

(From Our Own Krport«r) NELSON, February 13. From gun to gun the 1956 Olympic gold medallist, P. G. Mander, of the Christchurch Yacht Club, held command of the 1963 Finn class fleet on Nelson harbour this afternoon. After a disastrous start to the contest, when he dropped to twenty-third position on the Glints table, he sailed magnificently to push mself up to seventh on the list. The defending title-holder, R. H. Roberts, of Auckland, took second place in today’s race and jumped to the top on points.

The overnight leader, H. O. ft L. Pedersen, of Otahuhu, w sailed his worst race, cross- ai ing twelfth. He conceded w ground in the final stage of qi the event—the fourth heat of st the contest—after having ai sailed well to make up lost w time earlier. sc A steady 12 knots breexe, oi bright sunshine and a slight “ sea made perfect conditions. 01 After two general recalls, *1 stern officials warned that the ol — ai

first boat to Jump the gun would not be given a recall and a chance to restart, but would be automatically disqualified. Most held themselves in check. Wit Mender and Roberta were within a whisker as the report sounded and headed the fleet of 35 Finns into the wind. Mender took eight seconds out of Roberts in the first hard slog, he gained some time off the wind, and then tucked another half minute up his centre case beating to windward, and his final trip to windward left him with a, margin, of Imin 20sec. Roberts was pressed on the final beat by his younger brother, C. A. Roberts, the present Auckland champion. Excellent recoveries were made by two skippers in particular—R. J. Watson, the Inter-Dominion title-holder.

and Pedersen, the tormtr Danish ant) New Zealand Olympic reservist Watson blundered by laying off too far in the first leg of tl|e course, rounding twenty-second, but he made up no fewer than 13 places in the following triangle. Pedersen was not up to his best. He was fifteenth »at the first buoy, but sixth when he came by again.

The only Canterbury skippers at home in the conditions were the Charteris Bay helmsman, P. F. Pritchett, and the light-weight yachtsman, B. de Thier, of Mount Pleasant, but once again it was the Auckland section of the fleet which impressed with its handling. Pritchett gained five places on one beat

In the results below the following abbreviations are used A. Auckland; C.. Canterbury; R.. Rotorua. Finishing times of the fourth heat were as follows:—P. G. Mander <C.), 4:3:43. 1; R. H. Roberts (A.). 4:5:3. I; C. A. Roberts (A.). 4:5:41, 3; N. Everett (4. >.u 4:6:13. 4; P. F. Pritchett (C.l 4:6:40. 5; D. J. Newell (A.).14:7:38, 6; T. J. Speed (A.) 4W:54 7; J. Jenkin

(A.) 4:7:88 •; B. De Thler (C.l. 4:8:17 8; B I Trelaaven (C h 4.8:27. 10; A J. F. Balllntln* (C.). 4:8:35, 11; H. O. L, Pedersen (A.). 4:8:41. 12. Progress points are: R. H. Roberta. 42M. 1: Speed. »2«. 2; Pedersen 3808 3: R J. Watson (A.) 3674, 4; J G. Farmer (R.l. 3143 5; Newell. 3UB. 8; Mander, 2817, 7; Everett. 2780. 8: Treleaven 3874. 8; C A. Robert*. 2838. 10: Pritchett, 2538 11; De Thler, 3281 12. Three races remain to be sailed.

i Worst performance of each . skipper will be dropped from . consideration to decide final . positions R. H. Roberts' po»i- . tion is more secure than ap- . parent for he will drop only . 101 points, whereas Speed will . drop 703 Pedersen 578 and Wati son 511, mmmmimmu