Day of extremes for keelers

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32861, 9 March 1972, Page 17

Day of extremes for keelers

It was a day of extremes for 11 the Banks Peninsula Cruising 1 Club’s race from Lyttelton to 1 Port Levy and return. The keelers had to contend with a i 3*-knot nor’-wester, a dead calm, 1 and a fresh south-easterly wind 1 within the space of three hours, i One yacht was dismasted soon ! after the start of the race and the gusty conditions were i responsible for blowing out 1 both mainsail and spinnaker and ' causing some minor rigging damage to another. More than a : third of the fleet puUed out t>f the race after waiting in vain for wind near the Lyttelton Heads and only 11 keelers finally completed the course. L. W. Bachop’s Cabana, this year’s line honours champion, had about 10 minutes sailing after the start and was still off Cashin Quay when dismasted. A. R. Cooling s Calypso lost both main and spinnaker during the race and suffered some damage to standing rigging. A good start by some of the yachts went for nought when they lost the wind at the heads and the slower yachts crept up on them. Those skippers who took a flier on the northern shore found a few light puffs to help them and it was this group, headed by the fibre-glass Southerly IV, F. Simpson, which was first around Whistling Buoy. By then the south-easterly was picking up, and those yachts on the opposite shore near Little

Port Cooper got the break on those who had been working the middle of the harbour. Peri Banu. W. M. Cotter’s 40footer, caught Southerly IV in Port Levy and was never troubled to take line honours with an eunsed time of 3hr ISmin 41sec.

Southerly IV had stayed close enough to take handicap honours by five minutes from Peri Banu. however. Third on corrected time was S. F. Corrick’s ketch Mellta, four minutes ahead of I. W. Dennison’s Rombus, with R. A. Johnstone’s Apltl a further six minutes back.

It was a second-division yacht, however, which made a clean sweep and took the King George Pennant for which the fleet was racing. J. Buick’s Myth was first home in the second division and with a corrected time of Zhr 47min 25sec, took second division handicap honours as well. Second was G. M. Copland’s trimaran Lady G and third R. Crocker’s Wanda.

Myth got the breaks and unished almost half an hour ahead of the next second division yacht. Results were:—

First Division (Points Only).— Line honours: Peri Banu (W. M. Cotter), 3hrs ISmin 41sec. Handicap: Southerly IV (F. Simpson), 3hrs imln Msec, 1: Peri Banu, 3hrs fimln 47sec, 2; Mellta (S. F. Corrick), 3hrs ISmin tlsec, 3.

Second Division (Points Only). —Myth (J. Buick), 2hrs 47min 25sec, 1; Lady G (G. M. Copland), 2hrs 56min 32sec. 2; Wanda (R. Crocker), 3hrs 2min 14sec, 3.

Fleet Winner (King George Pennant).—Wanda.