Transition brings Bryan Treleaven back to Olympic Games contention

Press, 28 March 1979, Page 38

Transition brings Bryan Treleaven back to Olympic Games contention

By

JOHN COFFEY

Bryan Treleaven, one of Canterbury's foremost yachtsmen for more than a decade, leaves Napier this morning on the first leg of a journey which might well take him back into contention for Olympic Games selection.

A reserve in the Games squad at Kiel in 1972, Treleaven has since made a big transition from the monotype Finn class to the two-man Flying Dutchman division. Although Treleaven and his for’ard hand, John Collingwood, have had less than 12 months experience as Flying Dutchman crew, they have already proved to be a competitive combination when pitted against the most accomplished North Island yachtsmen. Treleaven and Collingwood travelled to Napier for a New Year regatta, winning two races and having two third placings. The national title-holders. Garry Wiig and Lasse Ressen (Napier), and the former New Zealand run-ners-up, Andy Ball and Bob Eastmond (Auckland), also gained line honours on two occasions.

But Treleaven and Collingwood will face even a stronger opposition when they make their bid for a New Zealand championship victory, beginning at Napier on Sunday, and then move on to Auckland for the Air New Zealand pre-Olympic regatta during Easter week-end.

Once again, Wiig and Ressen and Ball and Eastmond — two crews who would have benefited from having sailed in Europe last year — will be among their rivals. So, too, will the outstanding partnership of Jock Bilger and Murray Ross, and two other successful Auckland pairs. Jack Hansen and Dave Hutchinson, and John Moyes and Barry Thom.

Not surprisingly, the double Olympic representatives and five times national champions, Bilger and Ross, have quickly reasserted themselves in the Auckland fleet after having spent a season away from the Flying Dutchman class.

The perennial problem for southern yachtsmen of not having any accurate gauge as to their present boat speed has plagued Treleaven and Collingwood. They were on the waters of Lyttelton almost every week-end throughout the winter, but the New Year racing at Napier was their only opportunity to measure their tal-

ents against the traditionally dominant North Islanders. “It is pretty hard to estiImate how we will perform,” Treleaven said yesterday. “The major reason for going to Napier at New Year was to sort out a few problems, and the boat certainly went a Ipt better while we were there. Now it is again a case of not knowing.” “The Olympic crew is not to be named until Easter, 1980, but the events at Napier and Auckland will give a reasonable indication of who is in with a chance. The winners of the pre-Olympic contest this Easter earn the right to compete at the Games venue, Tallin, and it would be invaluable to have a good look at the Olympic course,” he said,”

While it might be too much to expect Treleaven and Collingwood to master such fine helmsmen as Bilger, Wiig and Ball at their first New Zealand • series, they have at least made a promising start. Their win in the South Island contest last November was to be expected; their ability to cross tacks with Wiig and Ball on their last appearance at Napier is even more encouraging.