Changes to keeler fleet and race programme

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 26

Changes to keeler fleet and race programme

An influx of new yachts and some notable changes and additions to the traditional racing programme ; promise to make the Banks Peninsula Cruising Club’s season one of the’ most interesting in recent years. Crusade, a One Ton class yacht which Mas designed, built and sailed by Bob Salthouse as a cruiserracer, has been brought down from Auckland by Alan and Warwick Archer. Another former Auckland craft, as yet unnamed, is a Farr 39 owned by Clyde Collins and Ivan Atkinson, who previously sailed Foxy Lady. It is hoped that the boat will be launched in time for the Show Day week-end event to Akaroa and return. The other additions are Fugitive (fan Page), a Jim Young 37 from Nelson; Spindrift (Paul Wodman), a Half Tonner from Wellington which was designed by Laurie Davidson; and Spirit of Pelorus Jack (Barry Edwards), which compiled a fine record in Wellington. The regular club cham-

pionships have been retained. The A series will be raced in two divisions over longer inshore courses, the B series includes the five major offshore events to Akaroa. Timaru and Motunau, the C series in two divisions for points gained over harbour courses, and series D is comprised of 1.0. R. events over offshore and longer inshore courses. | A new innovation is the I series E championship, which will be conducted under the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (P.H.R.F.) system, for harbour and inshore races. It was adapted by the New Zealand Yaching Federation last season and proved very popular with the Auckland keeler fleet. It requires that boats be rated according to their performances rather than their measurements, and ensures that well designed and built yachts are not made obsolete by newer designs. It also returns the competition to skippers and crews, Lather than leaving it with

■ the designers and their com- ! puters. P.H.R.F. ratings are set : according to the speed po- > tential of a boat, baseed as ) far as possible on observations of previous racing per- > formance, and handicaps are I adjusted by qualified asses--1 sors so that each well sailed f yacht has an equal oppor- > tunity to win. As faster craft join a fleet, they are . handicapped to a system which enables them to comj pete with other yachts on , even terms. ■i Two major changes have . been made to the race prot gramme. The Boxing Day , race to Akaroa is retained, . but it also becomes the [ first stage of the now an- . nual Timaru race. The second stage from Akaroa to Timaru is to begin on De- ; cember 29. ! There will also be a sec- . ond race to Akaroa at Show ' Day week-end, a double ' event with the fleet starting ’ from the Lyttelton heads on i the Friday morning and returning two days later. > The banks Peninsula club's i season opens next Saturday.