Yacht just fails for perfect mark

Press, 28 November 1977, Page 32

Yacht just fails for perfect mark

By

JOHN COFFEY

John Fisher and Derek Brandt, the South Island Javelin class champions, failed by less than Is to return the only perfect record during the first two days of the Canterbury Yachting Association’s trials at Lyttelton at the week-end. Sailing Joshua, Fisher and Brandt made up a large deficit but could not quite overhaul their keen rivals, Peter Milliken and Brent Cowan, close to the finishing line in the second of the three heats. The duel between these two crews was the highlight of the trials. Milliken and Cowan were able to get considerably more boat speed off the wind in Marmalade and Fisher and Brandt had to work exceptionally hard to make up the leeway on the beats. However, Fisher and Brandt have an over-all advantage on the points table, with three events still to be j contested next Saturday and possibly Sunday. They (drifted around the course to I win on Saturday afternoon (and gained a second victory in the second of the two back-to-back races yesterday! (afternoon. I

Milliken and Cowan proved that they would be a threat to the more established pairing of Fisher and Brandt when they opened a wide advantage on the triangle sections of the two heats yesterday. It then became a matter of whether Fisher and Brandt could mount a successful challenge. Their prospects looked good when they shaved all but 3s off the lead rounding the wing mark in the second race, before Milliken and Cowan slipped away again on their way to the bottom mark. That temporary recovery was to prove vital, for Milliken and Cowan only just managed to keep their bow in front over the last few metres. It seemed that a similar pattern would evolve from the third heat. Milliken and Cowan reached the top mark 20s ahead of Chris White and John Rountree, in Corimba, with another 20s to Fisher and Brandt. The latter slipped past White and Rountree on the run, losing another 10s to Milliken and Cowan. But Fisher and Brandt (were seen at their best when I the fleet turned back into

the moderate easterly breeze, to such an extent that they were clear by Imin 40s at th e end of that leg and were never in danger of losing their grip. White and Rountree were third for the third time. The fine competition between the Javelin entrants took some time in occurring. There was no wind at all on either morning and the scheduled re-sail day next Sunday might be needed to decide Canterbury’s representatives in the various classes, particularly the junior P class, which managed to sail only two heats. While the Javelin and J.C. sections just crept home ahead of the time limits on Saturday afternoon, the P-class race had to be abandoned. That mandatory decision was a tragedy for Lesley Egnot, a girl skipper who had led her male opponents around the course and was a tantalising smin away from finishing. She was prominent again yesterday, without getting into the top three. Peter Clark caused an upset in the first heat when, in the company of Andrew Shields and Kevin Jamie he slipped iaway from the more

' favoured Tanner Cup candi- : dates on the opening heat. ' Neale Buckley, who was a ; modest sixth at the top ■ mark and had improved only . one placing before the final > leg, eventually displayed his potential to gain runner-up ■ points. But Clark performed ; well into the wind and held . on for victory, Shields and i Jamie keeping Neil Fitz- > gerald and Miss Egnot at tbay. >i There was never any ques--ition as to the winner of the ; other P class race. Buckley j was in front by Imin at the first buoy and never relaxed his dominance. Jamie , and Clark led the chase for : much of the time, Clark i holding on for second — j and equal leadership over-all ■ — and Fitzgerald and Miss - Egnot claiming the minor ■ positions. r Barry Willcox and Gregor - Bowater emerged as the 1 most successful J.C. class r partnership, but not before they had survived particuI lariy strong bids by Paul ; Penney and Peter Hughes, r Willcox and Bowater started ; the series confidently in the . light airs of Saturday after- ■ noon, with Mark McDonald * and Robbie McGregor I I separating them from PenJ > ney and Hughes.

Yesterday, Willcox and Bowater were only fourth at the wing mark, with Richard Mander and Don Hitchens leading. However, it was Penney and Hughes who posed the major threat until they capsized at the bottom mark and fell from the leading group. A few hours later, Penney and Hughes gained their revenge with a decisive win, having taken the initiative from the start. Willcox and Bowater were just as comfortably settled in second place. McDonald and McGregor had a consistent return, with a second and two thirds. Results:— Javelins.—Race one: Joshua (J. Fisher and D. Brandt) 1, Marmalade (P. Milliken and B. Cowan) 2, Carimba (C. White and J. Rountree) 3. Race two: Marmalade 1, Joshua 2, Carimba 3. Race three: Joshua 1, Marmalade 2, Carimba 3, J.C. class.—Race one: Tijuana (B. Willcox and G. Bowater) 1, Enigma (M. McDonald and R. McGregor) 2, The Crab IP. Penney and P. Hughes) 3. Race two: Tijuana 1, Troubleoff (R. Mander and D. Hitchens) 2, Enigma 3. Race three: The Crab 1, Tijuana 2, Enigma 3. P class,. —Race one: Gyp (P. Clark) 1, Echo (N. Buckley) 2, Twig (A. Shields) 3, Conquest (K. Jamie) 4. Race two: Echo 1. Gyp 2, Theta (N. Fitzgerald) 3, Aphrodite (L. Egnot) 4.