messing about in boats

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31579, 17 January 1968, Page 13

messing about in boats

'IOFFENDERS Two yachting crews who should have known better set a very bad example on Sunday afternoon during the running of the Charteris Bay Cup. Rounding one of the last marks of the fairly long course, the Church Bay Pile, these two helmsmen scraped their mainsails over the pile. The I.Y.R.U. Rule 52 states quite clearly that a yacht which touches a ; mark of the course shall ; retire immediately. In ♦this case the two yachts were not compelled to touch the mark by another yacht, so they should have retired immediately. A better sporting standard ; than this is to be expected from one of the leading Zephyr class skippers, as I well as from one of Canterbury’s top Junior Che- ; rub helmsmen. I TOP FINNS This week-end the South ; Island Finn class champ- ; ionships will be held at ; Kaikoura. This event, ; which is always held at Kaikoura, draws competitors from Nelson, Christchurch and Timaru. The ’ Christchurch champion ; and leading South Island- ; er, B. G. de Thier, will not ’ be competing because of military commitments. However, there should be ;a strong field to give last year’s champion, M. A. Pope, of Nelson, a hard fight in defence of his title. Last year J. G. Farmer (Rotorua), the previous champion, was runner-up, with J. S. Wearn third and R. D. Eastmond fourth. On recent form should there be light conditions again D. Bryson could well be in the running, while another former champion, P. F. Pritchett, should finish in the top three. This weekend’s results will give some guide to form for the Olympic Finn trials at Timaru in March. THE REGATTA The largest event of the season, the C.Y.A. and Lyttelton Regatta, will be held on January 27 and 28.

Entries close on Saturday, January 20 and there will be championship and handicap races for all classes. With 15 or 16 different classes racing, the organisation of this series is a major job. Most classes will decide their Canterbury championships in this series; this will be the highlight of the season, for there are no New Zealand titles being sailed here.

Competitors at the regatta must remember that the starting line is some distance from the Canterbury Club, so they must make sure that in light conditions their boats are launched in sufficient time to sail against a flood tide to the starting area. And another point is that competitors are allowed to read their sailing instructions! AMERICA’S CUP

Australia, not England, France or Greece has been named as the challenger for the 1970 America’s Cup series at Newport. The New York Yacht Club announced this recently, together with changes in the rules. An elimination series will be held to decide the final challenger, and if the Australian yacht is beaten the winner automatically takes its place. The elimination races will permit the strongest possible challenge for the cup; already both the Intrepid and Columbia syndicates have Indicated that they will campaign again. In Australia a new boat is being designed for Sir Frank Packer by Alan Payne, and there is talk I of a Warwick Hood design for another syndicate. I The British, apparently I are not pleased with the: new rules, for they wanted a sole challenge in 1970. France is satisfied while there is no news from Greece. Australia was picked for the challenge because of the experience in negotiating by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and the high standard of the challenges themselves.