U.S. designer arrives to watch yachts

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32539, 24 February 1971, Page 4

U.S. designer arrives to watch yachts

(Neto Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. Slight and bespectacled, Mr O. Stephens looked somewhat out of place in the middle of all the One Ton Cup activity at Westhaven. But as the man regarded tain to confirm the charter

dui us uie man regarueu by most as the top yacht designer in the world, Mr Stephens is responsible for much of the yachting hardware that will line up when 1 the series starts on ThursI day. He is the Stephens of the i American design firm, Spark- ; man and Stephens, which has ! nine of its designs in the Cup r fleet of 17 boats. : Mr Stephens arrived here I on' Monday. “Where else f could one see so much i action involving so many ■ up-to-the-minute designs,” i he asked. i The chairman of the Royal • New Zealand Yacht Squadi ron's One Ton Cup Commit--1 tee, said that he had received a message from Bri-

tain to connrm me charter of Outrage. One of the original crew from Britain had been injured, but a replacement had been arranged and would arrive the day before the five-race contest begins on Thursday. It is understood that there will be three New Zealanders aboard Outrage in the crew of six. High winds on the harbour kept everyone ashore on Monday, wary of the risk of damaged gear with only three days to go before the series begins. But there was no rest for the measuring team which was flat out checking statistics and measuring sails to ensure that every boat rates properly before it goes to the starting line.