Fickle winds again dog Kiwi crews

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33010, 1 September 1972, Page 6

Fickle winds again dog Kiwi crews

Russia scored three wins—and a fourth on the second day of Olympic yachting. New Zealand, with a sixth (Finn), thirteenth (Dragon), eighteenth (Soling), and twentieth (Flying Dutchman) did not do nearly as well.

The fickle winds of Kiel continued to frustrate and dumbfound the New Zealanders, all of whom got left in holes on the wrong side of the wind when it swung as much as 60 degrees. Only B. G. de Thier, the 27-year-old Christchurch graphic designer who sails the single-handed Finns, felt really satisfied with his day’s sailing, and he was the only Kiwi to improve on the firstrace placings. Others affected At least, a reasonable breeze was blowing over Kiel as the yachts came back, and the New Zealanders had the knowledge that things were much worse in the Americans’ camp. They had two yachts disqualified for being across the line at the start, and a third United States crew lodged a protest that a television boat had interfered with their progress. The protest against the

television boat was dismissed. So was one against the Dutch Finn sailor who finished second. But Argentina’s Dragon was dis-qualified after the hearing of a protest, and the New Zealander, R. J. Watson, moved up a place as a result.

Apart from de Thier, who still stands a good chance for a medal if the wind peps up, the New Zealanders will need several good placings in the next seven days if they are to 'finish well up in the fleets. De Thier lies sixth, Watson (Dragons) twelfth, while both S. Marten (Solings) and J. V. Bilger (Flying Dutchman) are eighteenth. Britain’s ace helmsman, R. Pattisson, came only eleventh yesterday, and although he lies third on points, he was far from a happy man. The Australian, M. Bethwaite. is in twelfth position. Bilger was never in the hunt after losing the wind on the first leg and spending much of the race at the rear of the fleet. Swept to front In the Finns, de Thier was eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth at the first three marks, but a big wind shift (which the New Zealander had spotted) carried a group of yachts from the middle of the fleet to the front on the second beat, and de Thier finished this in fifth place. He dropped to seventh on the run but passed Bermuda on the slog home. He is a happy, confident young man, and seems capable of taking

everything that happens well within his stride. New Zealand’s keelboat crews, the Dragons and Solings, both were caught on the wrong side of wind changes, and unlike the pre-i vious day when they im-1 proved later in the race, yesterday they both got worse. Russian leaders The races won by Russia were the Finn, Flying Dutchman and Star classes, and they also lead all three on points for two races. J. Cuneo, of Australia, won the Dragon event for the second successive day, at the end of a grand battle with S. Tait (Britain), Cuneo passing Tait on the last leg. A. Warren (Britain) won the Tempest race and now leads on points from V. Mankin (Russia), who was the Finn winner in 1968, and S. Wennerstrom (Sweden) took the Soling race to join H. Meiges (United States) in the lead.