SMALE 3RD

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31658, 19 April 1968, Page 15

SMALE 3RD

F. Trials Wide Open (N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. The Flying Dutchman Olympic yachting trials came alive yesterday when R. A. Watson, the 1960 Olympic representative, sailed magnificently to win the fourth race and G. A. Smale, winner of the first three trials, finished in third place. G. S. Mander, of Christchurch, sailed superbly for three-quarters of the race and held a narrow lead from Watson on the last slog home. However, for the third consecutive time Mander could not maintain bis skilful sailing and gained his third second placing, 38sec behind Watson and 26sec ahead of Smale. With three races to be sailed, Smale still holds a good lead on points. His third placing yesterday gave him, on the low scoring scale, 5.7 points, while Mander has 17, Watson 25.7 and J. V. Bilger (Auckland), 30.7. With their worst performances deducted, Smale dropped back to zero, Mander to nine, Milger 19 and Watson 20.7. Yesterday, Bilger finished fourth, H. O. L. Pederson (Auckland), the present Olympic champion, fifth, and R. Thompson (Auckland) sixth. The platings of other Christchurch skippers were D. Eastmond 7, F. G. Simpson 8 and H. England 18. The Nelson skippers, T. Gould and M. Pope, were twelfth and sixteenth, respectively.