Cam Lewis takes lead in Finn Gold Cup

Press, 22 February 1980, Page 24

Cam Lewis takes lead in Finn Gold Cup

From

JOHN COFFEY in

Auckland The United Stales might have only a small flotilla of yachts at the Peter Stuyvesant World . Finn Gold Cup championship in Auckland, but the young men at the helm of the American boats must already be causing the utmost consternation to their rivals. Cam Lewis, the defending title-holder, gained a most impressive victory in the second heat yesterday. The only skipper to head Lewis

off at any stage was his fellow countryman, Andrew Menkart, but Lewis had Menkart’s measure by the end of the triangle. It is on the aggregate points table that the Americans have begun to prove just how determined and technically qualified they are to maintain their dominance of Gold Cup competition. The very relaxed Lewis is once again at the head of the table, having conceded 13 points. Another United States representative, John

Bertrand, was seventh in the second race and, with his reinstated second placing from Wednesday, has lost 16 points. Menkart, a former world youth champion,, has made great strides to be sixth over all with a loss of 31 points. He is separated from his team-mates by Richard Dodson (New Zealand, 20.7), Kent Carlson (Sweden, 21.7) and Larry Lemieux (Canada, 22). Conditions off Auckland’s East Coast Bays provided a

true test of seamanship, with the south-westerly wind blowing at between 20 and 25 knots and the swell of the seas adding a further degree of difficulty. Not surprisingly, positions changed dramatically from the previous afternoon. Of Wednesday’s top 10, Lemieux dropped to sixteenth, Derek Breitenstein (Finland) did not finish, Thomas Jungblut (West Germany) was thirtieth. Martin Van Leeuwen (The Netherlands) was twenty-seventh, and Dave

Schmidt (New Zealand) was ■ fifteenth. As they faltered, i others prospered. [ Two of those who had • been disqualified on Wednesday, Chris Law (Britain) and John Douglas (New Zealand) were third and sixth, respec- ■ tively, while Menkart im- . proved from twentieth to be the runner-up to Lewis. Second race: C. Lewis (U.S.) 1, A. J. Menkart (U.S.) 2, C. J. Law (G. 8. 3, J. Ferguson (Aust.) 4, K Carlson (Swe.) 5, J. Douglas (N.Z.) 6, J. J. Bertrand (U.S.) 7, F. B. Deegan (N.Z.) 8. R. Dodson (N.Z. 9, T. W. Dodson (N.Z.) 10, G. Woodroffe (N.Z.) 11, J. Lind-

hardtsen (Den.) 12, L. Armit, (N.Z.) 13, E. Recliardt (Fin.) .14, D. Schmidt (NZ) 15. L Lemieux, (Can.) 16, R. Woodbury (Can.) 17, G. Deegan (N.Z.) 18, J. Rogge (Belg.) 19, M. Mclntyre (G. 8. 20. Others: F. Kempkers 22, P. Lester 32, P. Kempkers 44, B. Winters did not finish. I Aggregate points: Lewis 13, 1;1 Bertrand 16. 2; R. Dodson 20.7, 3; Carlson, 21.7, 4; Lemieux 22, 5;, Menkart 31. 6; Ferguson 34, 7;i T. Dodson 36, 8; Armit and Schmidt. 37. equal 9; Woodroffe 38. 11; F. B. Deegan, 43, 12; T. Jungblut (Ger.) and G. Deegan 46, equal 13; M. van Leeuwen (Neth.) 47. 15: Rogge 48. 16: M.. Nissen (Ger.) 52, 17; G. Davidson, (Aust.) 53. 18; F. Kempkers (N.Z-> and P. Lester (N.Z.) 55, equal 19..