LESTER’S EYES ON NEXT O.K. DINGHY SERIES

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 28

LESTER’S EYES ON NEXT O.K. DINGHY SERIES

(By

J. O. COFFEY)

The young Christchurch yachtsman, P. Lester, was most satisfied with his seventh placing in the recent world O.K. dinghy championship, and has set his mind on doing even better at the next contest in 18 months.

Lester, aged 19, finished a commendable seventh in a fleet of considerable quality.

The contest, raced in South Australian waters, was his first overseas competition and suggests that he has an exceptional international future. After several weeks in Auckland preparing for the world series, Lester finds himself unemployed on the springboard of what could be an expensive tilt at world ranking in a class that was dominated by the Scandinavian countries until C. A. Roberts, of Auckland, won the 1973 championship in England. But the former Canterbury’ and South Island P class title-holder (and twice the third place-getter at national

level in this very competitive [junior division) is unper- [ turbed. FINLAND TARGET

“I was thinking of going i north to sail leading up to !the New Zealand trials next [season until it was decided to hold them at Sumner Bay. Now 1 will stick around here, and hope to get in the squad of three or four to go to Finland,” Lester said. i "Tile platings in Adelaide were pretty close, so that I may as well give it a real go to see if 1 can do better.”

Lester was the runner-up in one race in the contest and third in another. With a total of 78.7 points conceded, he trailed the new champion, T. Andrup (Denmark, 59.4), J. Lindharsten (Denmark, 59.7); G, Woodroffe .(New Zealand, 62.7), K. Axerot (Sweden, 62.72), P. Burford (Australia, 63.7), and Roberts (71.7), and was well ahead of

[the next skipper, H. Bennett [(New Zealand, 103). ' A disqualification in the sixth heat cost Woodroffe the championship, Lester said. Woodroffe hit a marker buoy and did not retrace his course, but. his action had been observed, and he was left out of the results- of that event, slipping to third over all. The two previous titleholders, Roberts and Axerot, also had their problems. With all his rivals seeking to replace him at the top. Roberts was under pressure, but was still favourably positioned after five of the seven races. LIGHT WEATHER 'Tm sure that Roberts would still hold the title if the last two days had been breezy. He did not like the light conditions, while the Danes were prominent in any weather,” Lester said.

Axerot was the only one of the 10 Swedes to make much of an impression, and he suffered because of lack of support. The temperatures of 38deg for most of the series (“one day it was about 28 deg., and it seemed to be freezing”) stiffened and dried the wooden masts, and the Swedes were affected most. The Danes were well prepared for their assault on the championship, arriving in Adelaide in early December to acclimatise and complete their build-up. But Lester does not consider that they were better than the New Zealand squad, an opinion supported by the presence of seven helmsmen from this country in the first 11.