Chico regains Noumea race lead

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32588, 23 April 1971, Page 10

Chico regains Noumea race lead

(N.Z. Press Association) WHANGAREI. The American-designed light-weight, Chico, has regained the lead in the 950mile Whangarei-to-Noumea yacht race. Yesterday, she stole a march on the OneTon Cup yachts, and headed Kishmul by four miles and the first of the A Division yachts, Poseidon, by 41. Skinflint is 81 miles behind Chico after holding a fivemile lead on the previous day. The ketch Anna Louise, was reported to be fifth. It appears skippers are fighting for boat speed rather than a direct course to Noumea, keeping way on their boats in the nope that ultimately the south-easterly which has predominated in this area during April for the last 20 years will eventually come. Yesterday’s conditions were no better than on other days and weather reports do not hold much hope for the

frustrated crews in the next two days. By this time in the last race, a third of the fleet was in Noumea or within sight of the finish line. This year, the leaders are three days away and the last yacht at least six days away. The yachts which went east to get the south-west trades first have missed out altogether, while those which kept to the west are ahead and likely to stay there.

On yesterday’s reports, it would need something dramatic for Buccaneer, the biggest and potentially fastest boat in the fleet, to gain line honours. To do so, she .would have to travel 25 per cent faster than the yachts ahead of her. Chico, fighting for a double win, without precedent for a yacht of 30ft 7in, has 319 miles to go. Searcher, in the middle of the fleet, has 435 miles, Buccaneer 437, and the last yacht, Corial, 683.

Using the positions given by each yacht yesterday, the Onerahi club has computed the corrected time of the fleet. This puts Chico ahead of Kishmul, Blitzkreig, Rougue, Havoc, Poseidon, Castanet, Raider, Young Nick, Outrage and Pyrrha.

On corrected times, the leaders in A Division are Poseidon, Coruba and Indolent; in B Division, Kishmul, Rogue and Raider; in C Division, Chico, Havoc and Castanet; and in the cruising division, Anna Louise, Paladin and Altair.

Rugby.—Waikato will have three players new to representative Rugby for its match against Wellington on Saturday. They are the speedy wing, A. L. Clark, and two tall, heavy locks, B. Munro and K. Reay.

Soccer.—The tour of Australia by the Mexico national soccer team In October has been cancelled. Mexican clubs have decided to begin their competition a month earlier to allow adequate preparation of their national team for the minl-World Cup in Brazil In July, 1972.