Strong Canterbury squad

Press, 18 December 1976, Page 20

Strong Canterbury squad

By

JOHN COFFEY

Canterbury crews are expected to further embellish an already outstanding record when the New Zealand Trailer Sailer yachting championships are held at Plimmerton, Wellington, between January 1 and 4. Southern skippers have been especially prominent

in the Hartley 16ft class. Six previous national contests have been decided, and Grant Oborn and Trevor Shapland have claimed five titles between them. Only in 1972-73 was the Hartley 16ft trophy -in the possession of any other

squadron, and the Canterbury representatives might have a fair measure of justification in suggesting that its temporary loss was due to a lack of entries from this province in that season. Oborn set the pace when competitive Trailer Sailer racing was introduced on a national basis, and he was the run-ner-up to Dudley Tonks (Wellington) in an interDominion series at Sydney in addition to winning his three championships. The mantle of leading skipper was captured by Shapland in 1974-75, but he said yesterday that he had not been happy with his displays so far this summer. He has managed to correct some rigging problems in his preparation. although he is lying third behind Oborn and Chris Morgan after two of the three heats of the Canterbury championship. If Morgan will be missing from the expected fleet of more than 40 Hartley 16s at Wellington, Canterbury will have more depth than when Shapland was the only nominee for the corresponding series at Auckland a season ago.

As well as Obom and Shapland, the Canterbury squad will include Terry Goodall and Paul Wallis, who have been consistently highly-placed in domestic events at Lyttelton.

Little information has been received as to the composition of the entries, but it is quite probable that the two Auckland helmsmen who pressed Shapland most strongly last year, John Duncan

and Peter Broadhurst, will again be among the starters.

Something of a precedent was set last season when the very capable Auckland Finn yachtsman. Paul Rudling, switched to Trailer Sailers and carried away the national Noelex title, and the Canterbury contingent in this class will be led by another former centreboard competitor, Dave Campbell. Campbell, a place-getter at South Island Finn class level, has obviously used his considerable experience well in only his second season in his adopted class. He won the provincial championship earlier this month and has been particularly effective in heavier winds, conditions w'hich are expected to be encountered in Wellington.

The runner-up to Campbell for the Canterbury title. Bob Auton, should prove an ideal secondstring, and John May will also be taking his craft north for the contest.

A clean-sweep of line honours in the three divisions could be completed for Canterbury by Chester Graham’s 24ft Scintillation — designed by Roy Grenfell — in the open class, but its final over-all position will largely depend on how it fares in the handicapper’s judgment.

Grenfell was the winner of the 1975-76 open section, and is expected to be crewing for Graham on this occasion.

There is some doubt as to whether the proposed inter-Dominion championship against an Australian squad will take place after the New Zealand series.