Better deal wanted by local boat builder

Press, 4 March 1978, Page 12

Better deal wanted by local boat builder

Bv

TIM DUNBAR

A former Olympic rowing medallist turned boatbuilder lias issued a challenge to the national selectors: “Just what is wrong with our boats?” Mr C. A. (Bob) Stiles has been building rowing boats in Christchurch since 1945 and his product is widely used by clubs throughout New Zealand. And there has been some acceptance for the Litecraft boats at the national level, too, with extensive use made of them by New Zealand squads training at Kerrs Reach. But Mr Stiles has be-n unable to persuade the national selectors to hate New Zealand crews racing in his boats, in spite of many years arguing with ail and sundry that the difference between L.'tecraft boats and imported ones was “infinitesimal.” A number of changes have been made in racing boats over the years but these have not gone un-

noticed in Mr Stiles’s Saxon Street business. “I haven’t been walking around in a trance for the last 50 years. And I went to the world championships in 1970 and 1974.” In eight months time another world championships will be contested and with this regatta at Lake Karapiro it is probable that New Zealand will put a full contingent on the water. Mr Stiles felt that his ambitions might be finally filled at Karapiro but was a little discouraged after an article was published in “The Press” last week quoting the convener of the national selectors (Mr Fred Strachan) regarding the world event.

According to Mr Strachan, lack of finance might preclude the purchase of “the best boats” (in this case. German plastic boats) for all the New

Zealand crews and some might have to use secondhand boats. No mention was made of the wooden Stiles boats and the veteran boatbuilder feels that “we have been wiped over as though we’re not there.” Mr Stiles wrote to the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association on November 10 offering to build — at no cost — all the boats needed by the national team. But there was a stumbling block. The offer was conditional on these boats being the first to be offered for sale to clubs after the championships. New Zealand was allocated the championships only after an assurance that foreign boats would be offered for sale first and Mr Stiles now concedes that his request did partly cut across that assurance. “But we were trying to help the association out of a situation and thought it only fair that we be recompensed for the $12,000 to $14,000 the boats would cost. We have men to pay and keep in employment,” Mr Stiles added. The N.Z.A.R.A.’s reply of January 3 stated: “The council is reluctant to alter the procedure whereby the plant used by New Zealand crews is traditionally decided by the selectors. Your condition that these boats be sold before foreign ones is, of course, contrary to assurances already given to overseas nations — communicated and conceded by you some considerable time ago . . .” The letter concluded: “We await the selectors’ recommendations.” Mr Stiles said that his business had a year full of orders when originally notified of the assurances to the world rowing body, F.1.5.A., Litecraft still has a year’s worth of ■ orders but a survey of clubs by Mr Stiles’s son, Russell, has revealed that only 25 “have money attached.” With many clubs obviously short of cash the two Stiles cannot envisage many being able to afford to buy quality boats from the overseas nations. Mr Stiles senior says that he and Mr Strachan (both members of ■ the Avon club) are “good cobbers” and he accepts the view that no New Zealand crews should go out with an old boat. “I experienced it myself at Los Angeles with a six-year-old coxless pair. A rigger broke after 500 m and we had to row the rest of the race with its backstay dragging nine inches under water,” he said. England beat New Zealand by only threequarters of a length in that 1932 Olympic final and Stiles had to be content with a silver medal. This is a man who obviously knows how it feels to have inferior equipment, but he adds: “I agree with Fred that the crews must have good boats but who says I build crookies.”

He is concerned about what he sees as a persistent attitude broadcast by people in higher posi-

tions on the superior quality of imported boats. “People used to say ■you’re too heavy’ but after I prove the boats are every bit as light as everything they import then they say something must be wrong with my scales.” Recently the Avon No. 2 crew twice beat the national champion coxed four which rowed in an Italian Donoratico. Avon No. 2 had a Stiles four but Mr Stiles was told this must have been a “fluke” boat. A negative attitude towards the boats has started to pervade through the clubs, according to Mr Stiles, and he relates an incident at a recent national regatta when he overheard one of a large group of oarsmen refer to a Litecraft boat as “one of those bloody barges.”

After the boat’s creator remonstrated and pointed out that his boats were no heavier than others, the oarsman replied: “Well, they look bloody heavy, anyway.” Mr Stiles says he is not building something which he thinks is inferior and his boats have proved themselves in local races and national championships with red coat titles since 1971. He is ready to point out that the N.Z.A.R.A. has been a good customer and has bought an eight and a four every two years. “The thing is they haven’t raced one,” his son added.

At present the N.Z.A.R.A. has two boats on order — an eight and a coxed four — but it seems that the boats are only intended for training purposes.