CATAMARAN BATTLE WON BY NEALE

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31661, 23 April 1968, Page 18

CATAMARAN BATTLE WON BY NEALE

The fine performance of R. B. Neale in winning the Cock of the Estuary event in his A class catamaran Talisman was the highlight of the final day of the yacht racing season on Sunday.

A moderate easterly breeze and a very high tide provided excellent conditions but only poor fleets took part. Neale had a fairly bard battle with V. Drain in the other A class, Andromeda, for most of the course and only headed him home by 17 seconds. Most of the other catamarans, in the fleet of only five, started late and were never in the running. -Witch Hazel was outclassed and the two B class Bikinis, His 'n Hers and Per-Shan, had problems, the latter breaking her alloy mast while leading out of the river after the start The O.Ks were also poorly supported for the Last Chanee Cup with only three starters and Pleasant Point’s A. Smith came out an easy winner by more than 2J minutes. Besults were:—

SATURDAY Mount Ploasont Club Kuaka (D. !e Page and W. Nicholls), 125:W, 1; Avalanche (D. and M. Unger). 127:1», 2. Frostplys (three started).— Zambesi (B. Salisbury and W. Besett), 53:51, 1; Frostee (A. Britton and W. McKie), 102:11, 2.

P Class—A division (three started): Matuku (Miss A. le Page), 72:50, 1; Beatle (A. Lucas), 75:50 , 2. B division (two started): Patere (B. Turnbull). 47:07, 1.

Pleasant Point Club Open Class (nine started).— Freon, Moth (M. Boss), 1: Kaurere, O.K. (L. Davenport), 2; Kalinka, Sunburst (J. and Mrs L. van der Howen), 3.

Sunbursts (five started).— Sunny (C. Cheeseman), 1; Kallnka 2, Arro (L. Lamb) S. P Class (three started).—Limpet (V. Drain) 1, Fink (A. Ross) 2. SUNDAY Mount Pleasant Club Open Class (12 started).— Sprite. Moth (R. Garland), 1; Avalanche, Senior Cherub (D. and M. Unger), 2; Emma, O.K. (R. Gibson), 3 and fastest. P Class (five started).—Patere (R. Turnbull), 55:29, 1; Kiwi (M. Hay), 56:52, 2; Pippin (J. Smith), 58:19, 3. Pleasant Point Club Catamarans.—Cock of the Estuary (five started): Talisman, A class (R. B. Neale,

Mount Pleasant), 54:50, 1; Andromeda, A class (V. Drain. Pleasant Point), 55:07, 2: Witch Hazel, Y.W. (B. Richards and V. Buller (Pleasant Point), 02:50, 3.

O.K.S.—Last Chance Cup (three started).—Okere (A. Smith, Pleasant Point), 82:07, 1; Haurere (L. Davenport, Pleasant Point), 84:48, 2.

Open Class (four started).— Slamat, Moth (P. Folter. Pleasant Point), 88:20, 1; Stelazine, Moth (A. Dunlop, Pleasant Point), 90:59, 2.

Sunbursts (two started).—Kalinka (J. and Mrs L. van der Howen, Pleasant Point), 101:33,

P Class (two started). —Kapai (C. Price), 107:40, 1.