RECORD FLEET TO SAIL FOR LEANDER TROPHY

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30302, 30 November 1963, Page 9

RECORD FLEET TO SAIL FOR LEANDER TROPHY

A RECORD 61 entries have been made for the national Leander trophy sailing contest for R Class dinghies, to be held at New Plymouth from February 21 to 23 over a series of five races. G. S. Mander of Christchurch, the winner for the third time last season, is competing in the X Class and will not be defending his title. Two leading contenders this season are G. J. Cooke, of the Waimakarin Sailing Club, and A. W. Shields, of the Canterbury Yacht Club. Cooke would have been runner-up to Mander at Dunedin last summer but for mistaking a gun signal and sailing outside a finish mark. He and his brother are consistenfly good in all weathers and will be very hard to beat. Their gear is always in perfect condition and their combination a delight to watch. Shields, on the other hand, has built up a reputation over many years of topclass sailing of welcoming rough weather; and his super-light boat has had several gear failures which have compromised his position in important races. Recently, however, he has performed well in light air. sailing one particularly fine race -not much more than a drifter—at Lyttelton in the last South Island championships. In addition. Shields has more than 15 years of contest experience in several classes, and his experience in this sort of competition has given him match temperament as well as tactical knowledge With reliable gear he would certainly be favourite.

Two other skippers should sail near the head of the fleet for most races. First. D. Harrison, the Waimakariri skipper who seems to spend more time assisting and advising other people than he does on his own boat Notwithstanding this, his sleek clinker ply dinghy always appears in immaculate condition and Harrison—a former I zander Trophy winner—has the ability to pull off the prize once again Second, J. G. Dickson, of Timaru. a sensitive* tiller hand with a nose for elusive wind. At Worsen Bay in 1962 he was the only skipper in a fleet of about 50 boats, apart from the contest winner, who beat the redoubtable Mander across the line. And at the man on the

radio sometimes says, you can count the rest out, practically the only other interest being the oddity of a woman skipper: Mass Heather Taylor, of Auckland, who will sail Encore, a boat formerly owned by K. Rusbbrook. Rushbrook has been at the helm of an 18-footer on the Waitemata in recent weeks, but will be returning to R class sailing for the 1964 contest. Entries on a geographical basis are as follows: Whangarei (J). Auckland (221, Thames (1), Wanganui <2>. Wellington (15), Christchurch (15). Timaru (b, Oarnaru (2>. Thirteen of the boats are brand new Eighteen boats were launched before 1961, the rest being less than two years old.