BUCCANEER TAKES LINE HONOURS

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33435, 17 January 1974, Page 16

BUCCANEER TAKES LINE HONOURS

Buccaneer. I. Clark's 73ft ocean racer from Auckland, took line honours in the Wales Auckland-to-Lyttelton yacht race when she crossed the finish line a few seconds before 9.30 last night.

The big black sloop had several hours lead from her nearest rival for line honours, and the 19-yacht fleet was spread out over more than 300 miles behind her.

Buccaneer’s time — 4days lOhrs 29min 17sec — was slow for the 675-miie course, an average of only a little more than 6.5 knots, but the light head winds which predominated for much of the time were not conducive to fast times. Second home will be the Wellington yacht, Whispers II (G/Stagg). which at last evening’s radio link gave her position as about 60 miles behind Buccaneer, and the same distance ahead of the leading One-Tonners. DESIGNER'S SUCCESS This will make yet another clean sweep tor the Auckland designer, John Spencer, from whose drawing board came both Buccaneer and Whispers. Whispers II should finish before dawn today, if the wind holds, and the next group about midday. These will be the top three OneTonners and the A division sloop. Aroha (R. Ferrier,

I The One-Tonners have an insurmountable handicap lead, and the main interest ■is in which of the three — -Escapade, Pathfinder, and I Wai-Aniwa — will pip the iothers over the last 100 miles.

ORDER LAST NIGHT The order last evening was Escapade (D. St C. Brown), Pathfinder (I. Titcheneri and WaiAniwa (D. G. Ormsby l But less than 10 miles separates them, and it would be surprising if there were no alteration to platings during the night's run. The fourth of the One-Tonners in the fleet. Skinflint (J. K Henley, Auckland), looks like the next one to finish, and was lying about 20 miles behind Pathfinder. . T. Nesbitt’s 53ft yawl Kochab II did not report in at last evening’s check, and should be somewhere near this group, and possibly in front of it. Two other yachts Prospector <A. K. Archer, Lyttelton) and Sundance tR. A. McKenzie, Wellington) also failed to report, but neither will be well up in the fleet, and Sundance will almost certainly be among the tail-enders. FIRST TRIMARAN Behind Skinflint and about 180 miles from port, was the first of the multi-hulls, the Auckland trimaran Legato (M. Parsons'. Still further back and well out to sea was another trimaran Rebel II (A. Allan. Lyttelton). Then came Nemesis (A. verhaaren. Auckland*, and the first of the Half-Tonners Diablo *D. S Hart. Lvttelton), which was due east of Cape Palliser. Five miles astern of Diablo and 10 miles further inshore was another Half-

Tonner Mokoia T Fyfe. Auck land i. Last in the fleet was the I.yt telton trimaran Lady G G. top land., whose position was given abreast of Cape Kidnappers