Leading yachtsman dies

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 15

Leading yachtsman dies

Mr Cliff Papps, who , died in Christchurch on , (Saturday, had been very ) active in yachting com- > , petition and administra- 1 (tion lor more than 40 1 years. It was in a 12ft dinghy of ■ no particular class that Mr ( Papps had his introduction to the sport in 1932, as a junior '■ member of the Christchurch Yacht Club, (

He later transferred to the Takapuna intermediate class and represented the Port of Christchurch in the Cornwell Cup in 1937. He was the Christchurch delegate when the trophy was won by the port for the first time four years afterwards. I Mr Papps served with the New Zealand forces in Egypt during World War 11, resuming his yachting interests on his return. He spent two years in the Sanders Cup (X class) and another season in

keelers before beginning a long and successful association with the R class. In 1952 Mr Papps won the Leander Trophy national R class championship. He had already been a driving force behind the formation of the New Zealand R-class Squad'ron, was its first chairman and commodore, and was a life member. CATAMARAN An Olympic trialist in the Flying Dutchman division in 1960, Mr Papps was a

: prominent catamaran skipper ; in recent seasons. He was the r winner of the national A class 1 contest in 1972 and played a i leading role in the preparai tion for the Little America’s : Cup challenge which New ■ Zealand will extend to Australia next week. ; Mr Papps was a foundation r member of the Westcant syn- • dicate which constructed Miss i Stars Travel, the craft which > will oppose the Australian de--1 fender, Miss Nylex, in Vici torian waters, and was to

have been at its helm in the best-of-seven series. On the administrative side of the sport, Mr Papps gave exceptional service to the Christchurch club. He had a five-year term as secretarytreasurer, was flag officer for three seasons, commodore in 1951 and 1953 and a vicepresident at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, a son—who also competes in an A class catamaran —and a daughter.