Top yachtsmen enter series

Press, 21 November 1979, Page 38

Top yachtsmen enter series

The three helmsmen who' bead the international Finn :lass yachting rankings are' probable starters for the world Finn Gold Cup, which Is to be contested off Takajuna, Auckland, in February. Chris Lewis, the reigning ( vorld champion from the United States, has already: made arrangements for accommodation, and his accomplished countryman, John Bertram, has also indicated that he intends to compete, i The third place-getter at the world series in England earlier this year, Mark Neeleman, from the Nether-. lands, has forwarded an offi-( cial entry for the Finn Gold; Cup and the Pacific Finn Cup, to be sailed from the same venue earlier in February. “The Peter Stuyvesant Finn Gold Cup is shaping up to be a very successful ; series,” said the president of

the New Zealand Finn Asso-; ciation (Mr H. G. Wheatley): (“It is obvious many helms-; men will use the series as! I part of their build-up for the', 1980 Olympics.” Other confirmed entrants; include Geoffrey Davidson,! the present Australian chain- 1 ‘pion, and the well-performed; Belgian, Jan Van der Nagel.! The P and O shipping line! has also informed the organ-; ! isers that it has been coni signed a container holding ; three boats from England and two from Canada. The entries are being awaited. ; New Zealand’s competitors are well advanced in their 'preparation for the two events in February. The South Pacific and world con tests will both count toi wards deciding New Zealand's representative for the Olympic regatta at Tallinn, Soviet Estonia.