LITTLE AMERICA’S CUP Time running out for Bull and Bid

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33382, 14 November 1973, Page 30

LITTLE AMERICA’S CUP Time running out for Bull and Bid

(By

J. O. COFFEY)

Just 10 days before the only two C class catamarans to be built in this country are required to oppose each other at Lyttelton, the head of one of the rival camps has virtually resigned himself to defeat in the trials to choose Canterbury’s Little America’s Cup challenger.

“Unless Miss Stars Travel can beat my boat in all points of sailing, with the rig that 1 will be using, the Canterbury representative would not give the Australian defender any competition in Melbourne in February,’' P. F. Bull said yesterday.

Bull is still uncertain I when he will have his craft, Bid. in the water, and he has been forced to abandon his sophisticated wing mast in favour of an orthodox sloop rig for the trials on November 24 and 25.

At 43ft in height and covering 56 per cent of the total sail area, the wing mast being considered by Bull and his assistants is taller and bigger than that of Miss Stars Travel, which was launched some weeks ago by the Westcant syndicate of C. Papps (Canterbury), W. Hende (West Coast) —both former! New Zealand A class cata-; maran title-holders —and W.| R. Nolan (Canterbury). The trials were originally scheduled for Labour Day week-end, but were postponed when it became obvious that Miss Stars Travel would be the only boat finished in time. It was then stipulated that the last weekend in November would be the trials dead-line: failure

to start by either catamaran would be regarded as a default. “It is a great disappointment to have to put the wing mast aside and accept a compromise with the sloop rig after more than 12 months on the project,” Bull said. Bull, who has sailed C class catamarans carrying wing masts, sloop rigs and a combination of both during trips to Australia, considers

that his “compromise” will leave him at a serious disadvantage in his match races against the Westcant crew. He said that wing masts were responsible for superior performances when sailing to weather, and it was largely because of their greater; speed in this sphere that they: have become so popular in catamaran competition. A probable lack of power, in comparison to that of his opponent, is not the only problem Bull.

His whole design was made with a wing mast in mind and it is unlikely that the hull and enforced rig will achieve the balance that he has sought. Papps and Hende, the firststring crew of Miss Stars Travel, have also had the benefit of regular opportunities to tune their boat and improve their combination. Nolan’s Torpedo catamaran, Kendrilla, has been used as a trial craft, with G. S. Mander at the helm.

Indeed, the crew of Bid has not yet been announced and will have little, if any, chance to evaluate the craft’s characteristics, good and bad, on the harbour before the first of the four trials. Two men are working on Bid each afternoon, being joined by several others in the evenings. Bull’s keenness to start in the trials, as hopeless as his cause aopears, stems from the need for the Canterbury squadron to have a yardstick as to the capabilities of its challenger. Bull was not able to comment on the capabilities of Miss Stars Travel. “I have seen it at Lyttelton, but have not sailed on it or against it. However, if it cannot beat us comfortably at this stage it would not have a show in Melbourne.”