Veteran catamaran skipper takes up a new challenge

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33062, 1 November 1972, Page 14

Veteran catamaran skipper takes up a new challenge

Cliff Papps, affectionately known by other yachtsmen in Canterbury as the “old man of the sea,” began sailing at Moncks Bay in 1932.

Now. at the age of 53, and 14 yachts later, he is the national champion A class catamaran skipper, and, with two colleagues, is aiming for the ultimate in catamaran yachting, the Little America’s Cup. Following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, Papps took to sailing at the age of 13, in a 10ft round-bottomed punt called Tomtit. “The first time out it sank,” he said.

However he moved up to the T Class (now known as the R Class), crewing for the late Winston Webb of Moncks Bay. “He was one of the first men to use technical knowledge and skill to point high into the wind. He was 10 years ahead of his time.”

“About 1937 I crewed for Tom Bassett in the Cornwall Cup and came third. After this I bought a Takapuna called Rascal, then I had a series of R Class boats. In 1953 I won the Leander Trophy in Havoc. “I never sold a boat until I felt I had got the most out of it. I’ve never built one; I can barely hammer a nail in straight,” he said. “In 1959 I launched Legend, a Flying Dutchman, in the winter, to train and attempt to win Olympic selection. We were outclassed by the Aucklanders, who had experience with soft masts. “About then I had a 21ft keeler, but I wasn’t impressed with it. It was too slow. In yachting the ultimate is speed. That’s what we’re all aiming for.” A break from yachting for eight years did not kill the call of the sea. “I got the itch watching those catamarans sailing on the Estuary. I saw the Sun-

beam class prototype tearing up and down so I took it for a sail the next day, and bought it.”

A new era of catamaran yachting began with this purchase. His unorthodox tactics included winning the Lyttelton Regatta with his young son on the trapeze. “It was the fastest I ever went to windward,” he said.

After a few wins, however, he forgot the promise he had made to take his family out sailing with him, and bought Legend, an 18ft A Class catamaran. By this time there were very few Estuary races that he did not win, in spite of an increasing handicap. In 1970 Legend was third in the national championships behind W. Hende (West Coast), sailing Christabel. “So I bought Christabel in the winter and won the national title at Christmas last year,” said Papps. Papps still sails Christabel, but he is a member of a three-man syndicate which is designing a 25ft C Class catamaran which, if

selected to represent New Zealand, will take on the title - holder, Australia’s Quest 111, for the coveted Little America’s Cup at Melbourne. “I will sail it, with the Tornado Class skipper, B. Moore, as crew. But if he can sail it better, then we’ll swap,” he said. His former adversary, Hende, is the designer of the craft.

This venture might cost as much as $5OOO, but the group hopes to obtain sponsorship. The new catamaran will be launched in February, and will feature a 40ft wing-mast — a fabriccovered aerofoiled frame, shaped like the wing of an aeroplane. Its considerable area is included in the sail measurements.

“Of all the boats I have had, I particularly liked the R Class and catamaran designs. They both leave plenty of room for experimentation. I would recommend the catamaran for learners because it has a wide margin of error. “People tend to think catamarans are stable

boats, but when they are raced hard they are extremely temperamental. They are easy boats to build, and are selling from $250 to $5OO. As they are less strenuous boats to sail than monohulls, you find an age-group ranging from 25 to 50, whereas the other classes mostly have younger competitors.” Papps attributes his success to his ability to concentrate. “If you are going to succeed, you need intense concentration on what you are going to do, at least an hour before a race starts. Anybody can tell you that I’m the most unsociable guy on the hard ’before an event.

“I always have my sail up first, and am the first in the water. I work on the boat all week, and by the time of the race, everything is perfect.”

Catamarans are a growing class. But to sail them well, experience, attention to detail, constant tuning, and intense concentration, such as Papps displays, are requisites for success.