Complaint By Yacht Club About Speedboat Runs

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32118, 14 October 1969, Page 18

Complaint By Yacht Club About Speedboat Runs

The Pleasant Point Yacht Club has protested to the Christchurch City Council and the New Brighton Power-boat Club about runs by two speedboats on the Estuary on October 5, when the yacht club held its open-

ing day. The secretary of the yacht club (Mr J. van der Houwen) says in a letter to the powerboat club that the speedboats made several runs, some well in excess of 40 miles an hour, in a five-mile-an-hour area, the runs coinciding with the finish of the yacht club’s opening day race, in which more than 70 yachts had entered. The fleet included 20 junior , skippers, some only eight or nine years old. "No parent can possibly be blamed for' preventing his child from sailing again in waters which are made unsafe through such irresponsible behaviour,” the letter says. At times, the letter says, the boats travelled less than 30ft from the river bank and onlookers had to step back to avoid the spray thrown up. “We ask that vour committee will ascertain if the dnvers of the boats in question are members of your c'ub. if you find this t 0 be tat C^ e we ex P*ct you to ,he same serious view V! e Patter as we do and with these members forth.«inand refuse t 0 enter them again m any .power-boat race

held on the Estuary,” the letter says.

The letter was sent to a former secretary of the power-boat club and has not yet been received by Mr B. J. Gracey, who has held that position for about two months. Mr Gracey said last evening that if the letter was forwarded to him in time it would be discussed at a meeting of his club’s committee this evening.