CUP RACE TEAM FINISHES 1-2-3 Spectacular success for N.Z. ocean yachtsmen

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32803, 31 December 1971, Page 24

CUP RACE TEAM FINISHES 1-2-3 Spectacular success for N.Z. ocean yachtsmen

(From PAUL CAVANAGH, Press Assocation staff correspondent.) , SYDNEY. New Zealand’s ocean racers yesterday scored probably the country’s greatest series of yachting successes.

Not only were they declared provisional winners of the Southern Cross Cup, but they also took firsft, second and third places on corrected times, won the One-Ton Cup section of the series, and provided the second finisher, Buccaneer, in the race for line honours.

Officials of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia yesterday put New Zealand’s three Southern Cross Cup Yachts Pathfinder (B. Wilson), Runaway (J. Lidgard) and Wai-Aniwa (C. Bouzaid) at the head of the Sydney-to-Hobart race fleet on handicap.

Thus, the New Zealanders finished with maximum points from the race, overtaking the British team, which had led on handicap for most of the event, and far outstriping their other 1 main rival, New South Wales. The New Zealand win is all the more outstanding for the fact that Wilson had lost 11 points when Pathfinder was disqualified in the third race of the series for the use of her engine to clear Sydeny Harbour rocks on which it had run aground. Results unofficial The organisers will not declare the results final until all boats have completed the course, but they said last last night that there was no chance of the New Zealanders being headed. At the start of the SydneyHobart race New Zealand was in third place in the cup ser-l ies, with 196 points. New! South Wales had 197 and; Great Britain 200. The ocean; classic carried treble points; for the 21 Southern Cross > Cup competitors, so that

New Zealand gained 180 points for a grand total of 376. Race officials last night placed the British yachts 'Morning Cloud, Cervantes,’ and Prospect of Whitby in fourth, sixth and seventh! placings, for 153 points, and lan over-all tally of 353. Still at sea The New South Wales total; could not be calculated last! night for one of its team,’; Pilgrim, was still at sea. Its two other entries, Polaris and Ragamuffin, were provisionally tenth and eleventh on corrected times. As the three New Zealand yachts are all one-tonners, they also finished first, second and third in the special One-Ton Cup section of the race. Pathfinder was launched only in August, in time for the Southern Cross trials, and this race was its biggest test. Its skipper Wilson, however, had sailed the Hobart race twice before. He said from Hobart yesterday that Pathfinder probably gained its winning break with an eight-hour run on the spinnaker down the Tasmanian coast. Rain squalls hit them early yesterday morning and he had Path-

finder “flying” in the heavy going. "Each race we’ve got a little better,” was his comment on being told he was likely handicap winner. To complete the scoop by; |New Zealand yachts, the; Auckland cutter Buccaneer! [finished second in the line; honours race. This was a remarkable performance considering the time the boat Jost because of mainsail problems last Monday, and the [start she was giving the; American entries half-way through the race. At one stage Buccaneer had dropped back to thirteenth position, but showing the skill which won him line honours last year, T. Clarke brought the cutter home only two hours and three-quarters behind the United States entry,

Kialoa 11. Kialoa finished in 3 days 12hr 46min 21sec, more than Bhr off the 1962 record of the original Ondine and 80

minutes quicker than Buc-[ caneer last year. Buccaneer! was smin ahead of Ondine 111 after a close tacking duel to’ the finish line.

Finishing order The cruising yacht club reported that the yachts finishing in order after Ondine were American Eagle, Siska (Western Australia), Packa (New South Wales), Raga-i muffin, Prospect of Whitby' Taurus (N.S.W.), Whispers II G. Stagg, Wellington), Morning Cloud, Stormy (Netherlands), Melton (N.S.W.), Bacardi (N.S.W.), Koomooloo (N.S.W.), Polaris (N.S.W.), and Satanita (R. Wilkie, Auckland), in seventeenth place. Pathfinder was 21st, Runaway 22nd, and WaiAniwa 23rd. Of the New Zealand yachts still at sea, Savant (K. Cox, Wellington) had 47 miles to go at the last report, Skinflint (K. Henley, Auckland) 84, and Cassandra (E. Howe, Auckland) 196. On handicap, Pathfinder

was given a winning time of 13 days 3hrs 14min 35sec, with Runaway on 3 days 4hr smin |s2sec and Wai-Aniwa 3 days 4hr 17min 24sec. |