‘Mullet boats’ for ton, half-ton cups?

Press, 4 October 1977, Page 56

‘Mullet boats’ for ton, half-ton cups?

PA Auckland The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and the Royal Akarana Yacht Club will come up with famous firsts when, after extensive trials in the Hauraki Gulf, both clubs have little option but to nominate yachts best described as “mullet boats” to challenge for the one and half-ton cups. The New Zealand Yachting Federation will have the last say on who the representatives will be but, on trial form, it will need a convincing argument to swing away from the top points scorers. Six mullet boats — ballasted centreboard yachts — took part in the one-ton I trials and took the first six places over the five-race 'series to pick a six-boat i squad to challenge for the cup.

Four centreboard yachts contested the half-ton trials and they, too, took the top four places. It is likely however, that only the top three yachts will be fully sponsored to the half-ton

series to be sailed at Sydney. After a rather boisterous week-end rocking around in the gulf in the long Offshore race, the top one-ton points scorers are Smackwater Jack (Whiting design, Murray Ross skipper), 88.375; Mr Jumpa (Farr, Graeme Woodroffe), 83.25; Smir-Noff-Agen (Farr, Don Lidgard), 81.25; Jenny H (Farr, Ray Haslar), 78; The Red Lion (Farr, Stuart Brentnail), 76; and Heatwave (Young, Jim Young), 70.5. The top three contenders in the half-ton trials are Swuzzle-Bubble (Farr, lan Gibbs), 3625; Rangiriri (Farr, Peter Wilcox), 35.625; and Waverider (Davidson, Tony Bouzaid), 26.75. Any suggestion that the centreboard yachts would not survive in a good blowout in open waters were completely discounted in the off-shore races for both classes.

With winds at times gusting to more than 40 knots across the decks, the crews, although later confessing that it was not entirely a comfortable ride; gained the confidence that the yachts

can handle anything the elements can throw at them.

The first two yachts to finish were the half-tonners Swuzzle-Bubble and Rangiriri, with only 32sec separating the two after a course of more than 250 miles.

Neither yacht took a kn o c k-d own (capsize) throughout the course but Waverider had to pull out of the race with rudder trouble. The one formers did take their knock-downs but came through the ordeal with colours flying.

Smir-Noff-Agen took a tumble but, with a 40-knot breeze pushing against the hull and sail, had the buoyancy to right herself. Mr Jumpa took two knock-downs. In the first the slides on the mainsail came adrift, causing extra drag with the sail in the water, but the yacht righted herself.

The second capsize occurred when the spinnaker pole was broken and the yacht finished the race with a tube from a pipe berth lashed to the straightenedout spinnaker pole to give added strength.