Yachtsmen enter trials

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32838, 11 February 1972, Page 10

Yachtsmen enter trials

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. Fifty-one entries have been received for the Olympic Games in Germany, said the chairman of the New Zealand Yachting Federation’s Olympic Committe, Mr H. H. Wagstaff.

Selection of New Zealand representatives will be made in Torbay, Auckland, in March, after a series of seven trial races for each of the four classes. “We can enter only one yacht for each class — Dragon, Soling, Flying Dutchmen and Finn,” Mr Wagstaff said. “However, we will also

be sending reserves in case of injury or ill health.” There are six entries in the Dragon class, among them Barco Del Oro skippered by R. Watson, who was the 1960 Flying Dutchman representative in the Naples Olympic yachting.

The leading Soling skipper. H. O. L. Pedersen, who won the recent national championship, has since suffered a health breakdown. His boat Zeus is entered by the 1972 Cherub world champion, S. Marten, of Auckland. There are seven Soling entries. The 13 Flying Dutchmen entries include M. Ross and J. Bilger, in Jan, who were runner-up to the British Olympic gold medallist, R. Pattisson, in the 1971 world championships in France. - S. S. Mander and D. Nixon, runners-up in the 1968 New Zealand trials, have also entered. The biggegt number of entries is in the Finn including B. de Thier, of Christchurch. Other well known yachtsmen are J Farmer, B. Watson and P Bailey.