N.Z. yachting hopes dashed

Press, 27 August 1979, Page 3

N.Z. yachting hopes dashed

NZPA Tallinn (U.S.S.R) New Zealand’s Soling crew at the big pre-Olympic regatta here have been disqualified from Saturday’s fourth race in which they were placed third. The New Zealanders have appealed against the disqualification — announced late yesterday morning — and a final ruling will be made by the international jury this morning. The crew — Murray Thom, Alan Robinson and Peter Jordon — were not aware until late last night, hours after the race had finished, that a protest had been .odged against them by the race committee. The disqualification is for an infringement of the regatta sailing orders which iccurred a full 16 minutes beore the race was due to start, when the New Zealanders sailed between the eeward starting line buoy and a committee boat. But in the appeal, Thom las claimed he had no way »f recognising the committee joat. The disqualification — if it stands — will spell disaster dr the Aucklanders strugg;ing to fulfill the New Zealand Olympic committee qualifying standard of finishing in the top eight nations of a major international regatta. Together with the disqualification which cost them their second race eleventh, they will have lost their two best races on technical offences which occurred before racing started. Instead of twenty-second over all and eleventh- out of 16 nations they are now listed as the last of 32 competitors in the fleet. Also making the most of Saturday’s gusty, choppy

conditions on the Gulf of Finland were Nelson’s Rex Sellars and Gerald Sly in the speedy Tornado. The pair have been New Zealand’s most consistent performers in the four races so far and Saturday’s fourth has boosted them from seventh over all to fourth with every chance of improving when racing starts again today after yesterday’s rest day. In the 470 s Mark Paterson and Dave Mackay turned in another day of trudging along finish ninth, giving them eight over all with only their second heat disaster at thirty-first pulling .them down. But for Tom Dodson in his Russian-built Finn it was another day of truding along in the body of the huge 68boat monotype fleet to finish twenty-ninth. The New Zealand team’s overall classification after four races is as follows:— 470 class.—Mark Paterson and Dave Mackay. 1, 31, 20. 9—78 points, (equal: 8. Flying Dutchman.—Jock Bilger and Murray Ross, 6, 25, 1, 19— 67.7. (equal) 9. Tornado.—Rex Sellars and Gerald Sly, 5, 9. 11, 4—50, (equal) 4. Finn.—Tom Dodson, 26, did not finish 22, 29—170, (equal) 38. Soling.—Murray Thom, Alan Robinson, Peter Jordon, 27. disqualified, 19. 3—103.7, (equal) 22. Provisional results for the fourth day were:— Tornado.—U.S.S.R. 1, Switzerland 2, U.S.S.R. 3, Rex Sellars, Gerald Sly (N.Z.). 4. Over all leader, U.S.S.R. Flying Dutchman.—France 1, U.S.S.R. 2, the Netherlands 3, Jock Bilger and Murray Ross (N.Z.) 19. Over all leader: West Germany. 470 class.—France 1. Austria 2, Poland 3, Mark Paterson and Dave Mackay (N.Z.) 9, Over all leader: France. Soling.—Australia 1 and 2, Murray. Thom. Alan Robinson, Peter Jdrdon (NJZ.) 3. Over all leader: Australia. Finn.—Spain 1, U.S.S.R. 2. U.S.A. 3, Tom Dodson (N.Z.) 29. Over all leader: U.S.A. Star.—U.S.A. 1, Italy 2. U.S.S.R. 3. (No New Zealanders in class.) Over all leader: U.S.A.