Bid to boost yacht interest

Press, 23 June 1978, Page 18

Bid to boost yacht interest

A special committee has been formed within the Canterbury Yachting Association to promote and administer the sport for participants at intermediate age level. Mr R. J. Harrison, the association's president, said yesterday that the committee was anxious to boost interest in the twoman J.C. class, but its activities would cover all competitors between the junior and open divisions. Information on the types of boats suitable for intermediate helmsmen, and their characteristics and costs, would be circulated, and provision is to be made for coaching both on and off the water. It is planned to have an island or national contest each Easter in classes with sufficient numbers of craft registered.

At present intermediate skippers are well spread — 12 J.C. class yachts were sailed regularly by intermediates last summer, 10 Starlings, nine New Zealand Moths, six International Moths, six O.K. dinghies, five Lasers, five

Paper Tigers, two Happy Cats and three Zephyrs.

Mr Harrison said that yachting, in line with other sports, had discovered that people tended to switch from sporting to more recreational activities when in their midteens. Th major term of reference of the committee is to arrest that decline. The association’s coaching committee will also be busy during the off-sea-son, seeking sponsorships to continue its coaching and instruction for juniors and intermediates, and for the maintenance of the Optimist class training fleet-

Officers elected at the association’s annual general meeting were:— Patron, Mr G. I. F. Treleaven; president. Mr Harrison: vice-president, Mr D. R. Nixon; secretary, to be appointed; treasurer, Mr T. J. Shapland; N.Z.Y.F. delegate. Mr B. E. Treleaven: committee conveners — regatta, Mr Nixon; programmes, Mr G. C. Penney: juniors, Mr N. A. Buckley: intermediates, Mr E. C. Jamie; coaching, Mr R. May.