Chichester Ready To Leave

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31276, 24 January 1967, Page 13

Chichester Ready To Leave

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, Jan. 23. The English yachtsman, Mr Francis Chichester, plans to leave Sydney on Wednesday, on the return leg of his round-the-world solo voyage in a boat far more seaworthy than it was when it brought him 14,000 miles from Plymouth, England, last month.

His yacht, the 50ft ketch, Gipsy Moth IV, has undergone several hull modifications under the guidance of a Sydney naval architect, Mr Warwick Hood, since being pulled out of the water three weeks ago.

Shipwrights at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron at Kirribilli on the northern harbour foreshore have given the yacht’s keel more area by fitting a moulded 6ft by 2ft steel plate. The plate was riveted and screwed to the existing keel to give the yacht more sta-

bility at sea. Squadron shipwrights say the extra surface will improve the boat’s speed both to windward and in downwind sailing. Experienced yachtsmen still have their doubts, though, about the yacht’s ability to carry Mr Chichester safely around the notorious Cape Horn, but he is determined to go. He has shrugged off all suggestions that he abandon the trip. Although advised not to continue by leading marine authorities around the world, the 65-year-old yachtsman is

adamant about doing so and is confident of a safe passage. Mr Chichester also has had 110 Australian-made winches fitted to the boat at a cost of about 2000 dollars. The winches are to replace British-made ones which suffered through fatigue during his 107-day voyage to Australia. Shipwrights, in addition, recaulked several leaking seams in Gypsy Moth’s deck. Engineers have replaced the broken stainless steel fittings on the boat’s seif-steering gear. Fatigue caused the fittings to snap when Mr Chichester was nearing the half-way mark on the first leg of his voyage. Mr Chichester this afternoon took Gipsy Moth IV on a cruise of Sydney harbour to test its sailing potential. She moved smoothly at about eight knots on the harbour in a 10-knot breeze.