N.Z. Men May Be On Stolen Yacht

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30107, 16 April 1963, Page 13

N.Z. Men May Be On Stolen Yacht

Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, April 15. Nine-year-old Penny Fenton is worried about two budgerigars aboard the 50ft vacht Cythera, allegedly stolen from Lord Howe Island on Wednesday.

Penny hopes the two men believed to be aboard the yacht will feed the budgerigars. Betty and Billy. Warrants have been issued for the arrest of two young New Zealanders in connexion with the mossing yacht. NeuZealand. Norfolk Island, and all Australian Sates have been alerted to look for the yacht.

Penny’s parents, Mr and Mrs Peter Fenton, flew from Lord Howe Island to their home in Sydney on Saturday after reporting the Cytoera stolen from her moorings. Mr Fenton told police he was at a dance with his wife on Lord Howe Island when the Cythera disappeared. World Tour He had berthed there en route to New Zealand on the first leg of a world tour. Mr Fenton said today be bad negotiated for two months for permission to take along the budgerigars.

"The Cythera has food and water for three months, fuel

few 400 to 500 miles, and an unlimited sailing range,” Mr Fenton said. "There are charts aboard of Australia and New Zealand, and smaller scale maps of toe Pacific from Bering Strait to the Antarctic. ‘‘There are a .303 rifle with 200 rounds and a .22 rifle with 106 rounds Locked in the yacht's strong room, but it would be easily broken open. "All Cythera’s papers are aboard as well as all our personal belongings and Penny’s two budgerigars. I hope they have the sense to feed them.”

Mr Fenton served in the Royal Navy for many years. The family had planned to go to New Zealand, Rarotonga and Tahiti after visiting Lord Howe Island.

The police have passed a description of toe missing vessel to toe Royal Australian Navy, but the Navy has no ships exercising in the Lord Howe-Norfolk Island area which could search for toe yacht. Navy authorities think that it is possible that toe missing yacht is making for New Caledonia rather than Norfolk Island.

Apart from these places there is no land mass or group of islands where the yacht could seek shelter.