Craddock takes yachting title

Press, 4 March 1978, Page 56

Craddock takes yachting title

PA Napier The Auckland Flying 15 yachting champion, Roger Craddock, made no bones about sewing up the national title off Napier yesterday.

All Craddock and crew member Conway Steward had to do to secure the title was to stop the Napier i yachtsman, Barry Finlayson, from taking line honours in the final race.

With a masterly display of sailing, Craddock raced home lOmin ahead of the second place-getter. The victory gave Craddock and Stewart their fourth national Flying fifteen title. They will now have the chance to compete at the first world championships in Perth next vear.

The other five New Zeallanders to compete at Perth Iwfll be Finlayson, K. Chappell, A. Moore, S. Mason, land J. Bukowski.

In Auckland, threats of disqualifications and the re-1 suiting counter protests were among the more dramatic moments of the first race of the Laser-class national yachting championship off Takapuna Beach.

After a close and exciting duel, the national Finn champion, Murray Thom, crossed the line with a 20s advantage over the world O.K. dinghy champion, Peter Lester.

But the officer of the day, Colin Thompson, refused to give either helmsman the finishing gun on the grounds that they had made premature starts and thus had not sailed the course.

Mr Thompson reserved the honour of gunfire for the third boat, sailed by Wellingtonian Paul Meo. Four other helmsmen, P. K. Page, P. Evans, D. Schmidt, and P. Francis were also potted for making an early start.

Lester, Tnom, and Page lodged protests and the official results of the race were deft in abeyance until a New [Zealand Yachting Federation (protest panel could be assembled.