N.Z. yachting coach’s training methods backed

Press, 27 March 1981, Page 20

N.Z. yachting coach’s training methods backed

By

JOHN COFFEY

Firm support for the coaching methods of the national youth yachting coach, Mr Harold Bennett, was given yesterday by MFBryan Treleaven, the vice-president of the New Zealand Yachting Federation and a former Olympic Games representative.

Mr Treleaven was replying * to an article in “The Press’’ yesterday in which a Canterbury administrator, Mr Meiv Holland, criticised the tactics displayed by northern competitors at the New Zealand Starling class championships this season. In his report on the series, Mr Holland said that the helmsmen had been guilty of “ooching” (using sculling and body movement to increase boat speed) after having been instructed by Mr Bennett. But Mr Treleaven, sti'l one of New Zealand’s most proficient helmsmen in the Flying Dutchman class, does not believe that such methods — which he refers to as “kinetic energy’’ —are illegal. He likens them to the actions of a jockey getting the best out of his horse. “Kinetic energy to assist the movement of a yacht over and through waves has been an integral part of yacht racing for many years, and I would be most concerned and disappointed if our national coach ’ did not discuss it and encourage his

students in the correct, and most recent, developments of this art," Mr Treleaven said.

“Body movement has been developed to such a stage that almost violent and continual bodily action by a yachtsman is necessary in order to win races, and the subject is of great concern to the International Yacht Racing Union and New Zealand Yachting Federation,” he said.

“There is no doubt in my mind, or internationally, that well-timed use of kinetic energy is within the I.Y.R.U. racing rules, and that kinetic energy is used to promote boat speed in the Olympic Games and all world championships. I can assure you that if it was illegal then surely competitors or officials in those events would quickly protest against offenders in order to have them disqualified,” Mr Treleaven said.

He said that yachting administrators throughout Ithe world have so far been i unable to devise suitable [laws to control body move-! Iment. Thus it was necessary

for New Zealand coaches and yachtsmen to develop the effective use of kinetic energy to the levels of their overseas rivals.

“I support the actions of Harold Bennett, who, since his appointment as our first professional youth coach, has contributed immensely to the sport of yachting and in particular the yachtsmen of Canterbury. In the last two years he has held at least four seminars in Canterbury, during which he has given personal on-the-water coaching backed by videotape replays. “In addition, yachtsmen benefit from a Canterbury Yachting Association coaching programme headed by Brian Heald, who co-ordi-nates a panel of an lea=t eight skilled helmsmen, each with specialist knowledge in many areas of sailing,” he said.

The outstanding results achieved by Peter Kempkers (Canterbury), Russell Coutts (Otago), and Phillip Penney (Canterbury) in international events in recent years — and the success of John Irvine (Otago) in winning the

Starling championship which prompted the criticisms — did not support any contention of a North Island or Auckland bias. “On no count could Harold Bennett’s coaching trips to the South Island be considered holidays, and I hope that participants at his next training visit to Canterbury request a discussion on kinetic energy,” Mr Treleaven said.

Mr Ray Harrison, the president of the C.Y.A., said that it was disturbing that Mr Holland’s report — an appendix to the minutes of the monthly meeting of his association’s youth committee—was so widely distributed. Had. it been tabled at a C.Y.A. meeting the subject would have been dealt with “in committee” because it involved personalities. “I would add, though, that the methods of propulsion allegedly used would appear to contravene rule 60 and have been a matter of some concern to me, and' many other yachting administrators and even competitive yachtsmen, for the last few years,’-’ Mr Harrison said.