Canadian’s chances of victory shattered

Press, 27 February 1980, Page 44

Canadian’s chances of victory shattered

From JOHN COFFEY in Auckland

The chances of Larry Lemieux becoming . the first Canadian to win the world Finn Gold Cup yachting championship were shattered in the strong winds and pounding seas which buffeted the fleet in the sixth heat off Takapuna yesterday. Lemieux’s disastrous thir-ty-fifth placing has dropped him to a distant third on the over-all points table, well behind the United States representatives, Cam Lewis and John Bertrand. The final race today will be a direct clash between Lewis, the reigning titleholder, and Bertrand, who triumphed at his first Gold Cup attempt in 1978. Although Lewis’s second behind the 1976 champion, Chris Law (Britain), yesterday, has placed him ahead of Bertrand, the margin is a meagre 0.7 of a 'point. Their tussle today should provide an enthralling race within a race.

Other changes have also occurred among the leading skippers.

The very consistent Kent Carlson (Sweden) slipped ahead of Andrew Menkart (United States) into fourth, Graham Deegan (New Zealand) retains sixth, and Tom Dodson became the second most prominent New Zealander by passing his brother, Richard, who was a disappointing twenty-third yesterday. Conditions were quite harrowing yesterday the swells of more than 2 metres threatening to wrest control from all but the most proficient helmsmen, and Law, who gained the winner’s gun by 15 seconds, and Lewis were magnificent in mastering the elements. There will be sympathy for Lemieux, even from his American rivals. The sportsmanship within this Peter Stuyvesant-sponsored contest has been such that Bertrand was among the helpers when Lemieux’s boat was carried to the beach yester-

day morning. His feigned threats to drop the boat on the roadway typified the general spirit, but there will be no quarter given when Bertrand and Lewis line the Gold Cup up in their sights today. Results:—

Race six.—C. Law (G. 8. 1, C. Lewis (U.S.) 2, J. Bertrand (U.S.) 3, K. Carlson (Swe.) 4, B. Deegan (N.Z.) 5, J. Lindhardtsen (Den.) 6, T. W. Dodson (N.Z.) 7, G. Davidson (Aust.) 8, E. Rechardt (Fin.) 9, M. Neeleman (Hol.) 10, J. S. Douglas (N.Z.) 11, A. Menkart (U.S.) 12, L. Armit (N.Z.) 13, G. Deegan (N.Z.) 14, P. D. Page (N.Z.) 15, K. Patterson (Aust.) 16. M. Mclntyre (G. 8. 17, N. Paul (N.Z.) 18, M. Nissen (Ger.) 19, G. Mannering (N.ZJ 20. Others: P. Lester 36, F. Kempkers 40, P. Kempkers 53, B. Winters did not finish. Over-all points (best five placings).—Lewis, 24, 1; Bertrand, 24.7, 2; L. Lemieux (Can.), 38, 3; Carlson, 57.4, 4; Menkart, 59, 5; G. Deegan, 65.1, 6; T. Dodson, 71, 7; Law, 74.7, S; R. Dodson (N.Z.), 76.7, 9; B. Deegan, 79.7, 10: Lindhardtsen, 85.7, 11; Douglas, 90.7, 12; D. Breitenstein, 96.7, 13; D. Schmidt (N.Z.), 105, 14; Nissen and Armit, 107, (equal) 15; Ferguson, 120, 17: Rechardt and G. Woodroffe (N.Z.), 120, (equal), 18; Mclntyre, 127, 20. Others. Lester, 142, 27; F. Kemupkers, 177, 35; P. Kempkers, 262, 52, Winters, 308, 61.