Yacht finish thrills

Press, 24 January 1977, Page 4

Yacht finish thrills

I FA Auckland Travelodge and Rank Xerox ; re.ioined the 18-footer scene with I a thrilling end-to-end battle in the first race of the New Zea land 18-footer championship off Orakei on Saturdar Travelodge got the gun by just 20 seconds after snatching bark | the lead from Xerox in a dcsI perate gybing match on the fast leg from Compass Dolphin to Orakei Wharf. Travelodge had led all the way i until the last few hundred yards jof the long beat from Mission I Bay to Compass Dolphin But i Y erox was pointing higher on jlhe windward legs as Travelodge i lumped a mainsail that was too full up top. Xerox rounded the last turn 10 seconds clear and it looked alt lover. But Travelodge poured ; the pressure on downwind and i c losed the gap with slicker crew [work on the gybes. 1 , ? ni| l Xvbe was crucial. ; followed by a short sprint for I the line. Travelodge came out : fast as the Xerox men all but muffed ft and that was the differ, ence between them on the line Terry, McDell’s Travelodge IS an ultra-light new Farr design |Wavne Inne’s Xerox is another l arr newcomer bul with a lot of Innes thinking involved. Both have been in the water only a matter of weeks and the race wa»y their debut. The only other boat to stay I with them was Russ Bowler n Benson and Hedges which I finished I min 28sec astern of Xerox in third. The Bowler boat could be even more of a threat in winds lighter than the 10 to !■* nols experienced in the race. There was a big gap of 3min .hack to Warne Fleet’s Viko. then | -mln to John Lasher’s Hellabv’a land another minut. to ‘Hash’* Goidon’s Smirnoff.