North Beach Surf Boat On Trial Again

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 11

North Beach Surf Boat On Trial Again

rjHE high cost of the boat and the large amount of training that the North Beach crew carried out in it deserved a kinder fate than being placed third in the surf boat final at the Dominion surf life-saving championships at Warrington Beach. The club bought the laminated plywood boat at the start of the season for £BOO, and the crew of G. Soulas (sweep), M. Millar, L. Austin, R. Grenfell and M Kane trained in it for four months before the championships; on five or six days a week in the last month’s preparation. The crew, heeding the lessons of the first day at Warrington when it was twice beaten into second place through failing to lift its rating and catch swells on the inward leg, won its third race by three lengths. Needing to win the final race to beat or tie with Muriwai, North Beach started poorly but overhauled the other boats on the way out and was leading around the buoys when a crew

member caught a crab, was pushed out of his seat and upset the man behind him. Two boats surged past and although North Beach recovered to finish third, its lead had been lost to Muriwai. The pressure will be on again for North Beach when the fourth and final Canterbury championship carnival is held at Taylor’s Mistake tomorrow. Although it won three of its races and was second and third at the previous carnivals. North Beach is only one point ahead. Taylor’s Mistake and South Brighton will also continue a keen rivalry when the senior six-man

rescue and resuscitation final is held for the Kesteven Cup. The finals of the four-man alarm will be held for all grades and there will be championship heats and finals in six-place competition for women and juniors. The individual event to command most attention will be the surf race in which the Canterbury representatives, G. Le Cren (provided the distance is relatively short), A. Harrow. L. D. Mclntosh, and L Gunthorp, and the former titleholders, K. Lanyon, D. Staples, and J. A. Lee appear to have equal chances. The deciding canoe races, the final of the senior beach sprint, the senior surf relay for the Black and White Cup, and the senior ski relay are also on the programme