Practice For Olympic Trials Off Sumner

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30420, 20 April 1964, Page 13

Practice For Olympic Trials Off Sumner

A crushing lesson in light-weather helmsmanship was given top Canterbury Finn skippers by their teen-age titleholder, B. de Thier, in practice racing in Olympic trials on Sumner Bay yesterday afternoon. De Their had two minutes in hand before the completion of two legs in an eight-leg course and he coasted to the finish line unchallenged.

From the height of Whitewash Head de Thier’s superiority was dramatic. Thirteen boats slid through the water in comparatively close company; a fourteenth, lemon-hulled Olympic Finn with an un-numbered white sail, was in the van, more than 200 yards clear. De Thier, a slim figure in. a white overall, stood in the cockpit, tiller extension loosely held in his right hand, looking back over his shoulder. Going Better The Chatteris Bay skipper, E. N. Ware, showed an upsurge of form, being sixth in the fleet for the. first triangle and then improving his position for the rest of the journey. ■ As the wind freshened slightly on the penultimate beat de Thier made a deeplyangled tack and was followed by most of the other skippers. Ware preferred a truer course and came out of the manoeuvre in second place.

WAIMAIRI BEACH LADIESCLUB.—Bisque Stableford—Silver Division: Mrs L. C. Gobbe, 36 points; Mrs C. Foxton, 29; Mrs B. Cusack, 28. Bronze A: Mrs M. Larcombe 38, Mrs R. Challis 33, Miss G. Woolhouse 32. Bronze B: Mrs M. Pickering 33, Mrs I. Dowle 32, Mrs E. Nesbit

RUSSLEY LADIES’ CLUB.— Nancy McCormick foursomes: Mrs A. B. Anderson and Mrs A. Lee, 92, 20—72; Mrs V. Grimmer and Mrs R. Wilton, 98, 25 73; Mrs W. Hobbs and .Mrs A. Cartwright, 98, 25—73. Rattray Salvers —36 holes foursomes: Miss S. Thompson and Miss U. Hennessy, 151; Mrs A. Roberts and Mrs A. Barley 152, Mrs V. Grimmer and Mrs R. Wilton 153. Afternoon round Rattray Salver: Mrs S. Cordner and Mrs R. McNish, 96, 23—73: Miss S. Thompson Miss U. Hennessy, 90, HAREWOOD YOUNG PEOLES’ CLUB.— IB-holes stroke: N. Williams, 98. 30—68; R. Norton, 79, 9—70; R. Garland, 102, 32—70. 9-holes Strbke: J. Maclachlan. 44, 18, 26; D. Strack, 46. 13—33; Miss D. Harkness, 52, 18—34.

J. S. Wearn (Christchurch) also came across well at this point and instead of chasing de Thier he and Ware had a private battle. Wearn put Ware about and covered him until Ware broke away.

AH Thumbs P. G. Mander, who had sailed the first race all thumbs and with a retuned rig that may have had something to do with his position among, the tailenders,• made a- good beginning in the second practice race which followed Immediately. With him were P. F. Pritchett, of Charteris Bay, sailing Ware’s boat, D. Bryson and B. E. Treleaven; and as the wind was freshening there was promise of good racing. But the wind dropped off. Treleaven led about the first two marks of the triangle from Bryson; de Thier, Pritchett and Mander in that order—with only 20 seconds between first and last of these skippers. Mander gained a place on the third leg; and de Thier overtook Bryson to be second. Forty-seven seconds now separated Treleaven (leading) and Pritchett (fifth) and the margain was increased in the next run downwind. Leeward Luck Mander, sailing more steadily, picked up two places and de Thier, unaccountably lost two places. The final beat to weather for the line resulted in yet another change, Bryson’s better judgment of wind and course enabling him to cross behind Treleaven in second place before Mander and de Thier. Pritchett hit a mark and disqualified himself. Unofficial finishing times were as follows:—* First race: Finn Sarby (B. de Thier, Mount Pleasant) 3:39.25, 1; Huckleberry (E. N. Ware, Charteris Bay) 3:39.55, 2; Jollfin (J. s. Wearn, Christchurch) 3:39.58, 3; Jan (B. E. Treleaven. Christchurch) 3:40.15, 4; Pandora (D. Bryson, Canterbury) 3:40.30, 5. Second race; Jan 4:33.0, 1; Pandora 4:34.44, 2; Fintahi (P. G. Mander, Christchurch) 4.35.0, 3; Finn Sarby 4:35.10, 4; Joiifin 4:37.20, 5., Third race: Finn Sarby 5:20.50, 1; Finn Tahi, 5:21.8, 2; Pandora, 5:21.10, 3; Jan, 5:21.15, 4; Greenhull (S. Henderson), 5:21.24, 5. The next practice races will be the South Island title to be sailed off the Kaikoura coast on Anzac week-end. The national Olympic Finn trials will begin at Napier on June 20, Last Chance Club sailing in Canterbury concluded yesterday morning in light, sunny weather when the OK dinghy fleet raced from Pleasant Point. Thirteen boats whose skippers had not won a championship race during the summer competed in a scratch event for a "last chance" trophy; and the event was won by a former Canterbury Tanner Cup representative, D. Hobson. Another p Class skipper until recently. B. Lyons, was second. Results were:— Zenith (D. Hobson) 12:29.0, 1: Golightly (B. Lyons) 12:29 41, 2; Pinto (P. Whitmore) 12.30.35, 3; Och Aye (T. Baillie, Timaru) 12:32.0, 4: Opollo (R. O’Brien) 12:32.43, 5. Charteris Bay Club.— Club baiidicap: Okarlto (D. Sutton) 1, Fantasy (A. Rolton) 2, Melody (M. Poore) and Westerley (T. Rolton) (equal) 3. P class: Sioux (S. Currje) 1, Dynamite (M.

Prestney) 2, Sea Horse (P. Currie) 3. Sunday.—P class: Sparky (W. Tomlinson) 1, Sioux (S. Currie) 2, Dynamite (M. Prestney) 3. P class aggregate for year: Dynamite (M. Prestney) (1178) 1, Sioux (S. Currie), 1086, 2; Sea Horse (P. Currie), 755.

Christchurch Yacht Club.— Winter Cup, first race: Jolifin, Olympic Finn (J. Wearn) scr, 1; Miss Okay, O.K. dinghy (W. Beere) 6min, 2; Jan, Olympic Finn (B. Treleaven) ' scr, 3; Finora, Olympic Finn (A. McKenzie) scr, 4.