Busy season ahead for local yachting crews

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33047, 14 October 1972, Page 4

Busy season ahead for local yachting crews

(By

J. O. COFFEY)

Javelin class skippers and crews may well be the busiest yachtsmen in Canterbury this season. Five major contests have been scheduled at provincial or national level, the highlight being the New Zealand championship at Lyttelton next Easter.

Mindful of the extensive itinerary ahead of the local squadron, its administrators have endeavoured to ensure that large fleets compete regularly as a preparation for the South Island series at Lyttelton on November 11-12.

A “Javelin forum” — designed to promote further interest in the two-man class — will be held at the Canterbury club tomorrow week. New-comers will be invited to test their skill on the harbour and races may be sailed over short distances.

The South Island event is expected to attract about

eight crews and their craft from Dunedin, led by the experienced R. Shearer and J. Gardiner, and the wellperformed Picton pairing, L. Kennedy and S. Washington, to challenge the Canterbury entrants. Over the first two weekends in December, the Canterbury competitors will renew their rivalry in the provincial Sanders Cup trials. These are to be conducted in conjunction with the P Class and J.C. trials, but over a different course. The winner will receive assistance from the squadron to travel to the Sanders Cup final at Picton in February. In the same month the Canterbury championship is to be decided, before crews revert to the club programme as a build-up to the national championship. Several changes of ownership have occurred within the squadron during the off-season, the most

notable being the retirement of B. R. Marriott. The former New Zealand J.C. title-holders, N. and G. England, may alternate between Javelin and R Class events this summer. The seasoned D. Elder must again be regarded as the skipper most likely to dominate the local Javelin scene, but P. G. Beaumont and R. Norris should have benefited from the experience gained at the South Pacific series in Fiji in June. Renewed interest Officials of the Canterbury R Class Squadron have been heartened by renewed interest in the class this season and are hoping that the return of some former members will assist the province regain the position it once held in Leander Trophy ranking. The size of the fleet is also expected to be enlarged by a number of young yachtsmen who have recently graduated from the intermediate J.C. division. Among those who have turned their attention towards the R Class after fashioning impressive J.C. records are the England brothers — whose boat has been described as “probably the most radical R Class ever built" and is virtually self-designed — and the Ineson brothers, who are still awaiting the arrival of new sails. J. Rountree, the leading Canterbury skipper for the last few years, has fitted a new mast to Relent, T. Champion will be at the helm of Rage and Rage’s previous owner, C. Morgan, will combine with H. Miller to sail Rendition, which is still being constructed. The South Island championship has been set down for the same venue (Lyttelton) and dates (November 11-12) as its Javelin equivalent and it is anticipated that the contest will provide a guideline to prospects for the national Leander Trophy races at Evans Bay in March.

If the dozen or so entries expected from Wellington skippers are confirmed, a fleet of about 30 boats should be on the starting line for the island event. This total would also include visitors from Timaru, Dunedin and possibly Picton. President’s visit The president of the New Zealand Yachting Federation (Mr J. Lennox-King) will confer with administrators of all Canterbury clubs at the Christchurch

Yacht Club tomorrow morning. Mr lan Treleaven, the president of the Canterbury association, said that Mr' Lennox-King’s visit should be beneficial to the sport in this province, providing a line of communication between the federation and club officials. This afternoon Mr Len-nox-King will attend the opening of the Banks Peninsula Cruising Club’s new facilities at Lyttelton. Pleasing start The expanding Sunburst class has made a pleasing start to the 1972-73 season. Early last month a field day at the Mount Pleasant club drew a very satisfactory response and 16 skippers and crews took part in

that club's opening day races. In addition, a Special “Sunburst evening” was held at the Pleasant Point clubhouse. Mr Treleaven spoke to the more advanced yachtsmen, while the Sunburst association’s chairman (Mr A. Britton) discussed some of the basic aspects of the sport with a beginners’ group. The week-end of October 28-29 will be quite an important one on the Sunburst calendar. The first of the four heats of the provincial championship will be raced from Mount Pleasant on the Saturday and skippers will be expected to be back at the helm for the Estuary Pennant series the following day.