Sailor seeks sponsor with $200,000

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33753, 28 January 1975, Page 1

Sailor seeks sponsor with $200,000

Mr Tony Allan, the Christchurch yachtsman who spent 21 days adrift in a liferaft after his trimaran capsized off the Australian coast, plans to build another trimaran and attempt to sail from England to Australia in 59 days.

Mr Allan said in Christchurch yesterday that the incident had not deterred him. He had decided long before that he would make the journey from England to Australia following the route of the tea clippers, which made record sailings last century.

The record time — 59 days — had never been equalled under sail. Sir Francis Chichester in his solo voyage came nowhere near it and the closest rival time was 72 days, set by the trimaran of the Frenchman, Aloine Colas, early last year. A yacht would have to average 10.3 knots, through storms and doldrums. Mr Allan hopes to do it in a fibreglass foam sandwich trimaran designed by the Australian, Loch Crowther. The boat would carry nothing but navigational and safety equipment, food and water, and perhaps a crew of two others, Mr Allan said. He plans to meet the costs of building and fitting out the yacht, an estimated $200,000, by finding a sponsor for the trip. A prototype of the yacht has already been sent to the United States to an interested buyer after more than 18 months of exhaustive computer checks, and trials in test tanks. A few modifications are being made to the sails and rigging. Mr Allan said that he saw the boat during Its Sydney trials, and realised that it would be fast enough to beat the clipper record. This time his boat will be insured.

He will attempt the voyage in August, when the clippers sailed. The weather patterns and currents are most favourable at that time.

Although he hopes a sponsor will be found in New Zealand, he is prepared to change his operations base if he finds one elsewhere.

Mr Allan plans to sail the trimaran to England for final modifications and hopes to attempt the record in 1977.

He still has no idea why Rebel 11 capsized earlier this month. There were no marks on the boat, and the sails were still set as they had been rigged. He said it was probably still floating upside down somewhere in Australian waters.

He sailed Rebel II in the 1974 Tasman single-handed race, and would be a keen entrant in the race next year. “I’d do it again if I had the chance, it is a nice little race,” he said.