Fiji race finish tomorrow?

Press, 14 May 1979, Page 30

Fiji race finish tomorrow?

PA Auckland The leaders in the Fiji yacht race are expected to cross the finish line tomorrow evening provided the wind does not drop any more, reports the Press Association from Auckland. Anticipation (Don St C. Brown) had 160 nautical miles to go to reach Suva when she reported in last evening, having covered only 26 miles in 9h yesterday.

1 While Anticipation has a i clear lead of 31 miles over > Earnest Beaver, the battle • for the minor places is ; likely to be close. i With the race likely to • take nine days and possibly 10 if the light northerly airs . drop even more, some comi petitors are beginning to rai tion their supplies and are t now down to using their ■ basic rations. Quando (Jim Edmonds)

still leads the Lautoka event and at the report yesterday had 166 miles to go, having sailed only 20 miles in the previous 9h. Noel Angus in Ponsonby Express is 25 miles behind but secure in second place from Bob Graham’s Snow White, which is a further 32 miles back. Wendwand (Warwick Clay) is leading the handicap section from Ponsonby

Express and Snow White, while in the Suva race Kishmul (R. Tapper) leads from Earnest Beaver and Whispers of Wellington (G. Stagg). In the Tonga race Fidelis (Peter Williams) is believed to be in the lead. A severe electrical storm badly affected radio contact and only seven of the 22 competitors’ positions were plotted yesterday.