Line honours for Southern Raider

Press, 20 October 1981, Page 17

Line honours for Southern Raider

Southern Raider, which is to be taken to-Wellington this week' for the Southern Cross Series trials during Labour Day weekend. effortlessly gained line honours in the first race of the Banks Peninsula Cruising Club’s Autohelm series. Skippered by Frank Dickson. Southern Raider led home what might be a record entry of 33 boats, an indication of the interest raised by the Autohelm sponsorship. The race, to Sumner Bay via the Whistling Buoy and return to Lyttelton, began in moderate south-west winds. leading to a spectacular downhill start. But as the fleet approached the Heads the wind backed to the south-east, and most crews drew in their spinnakers. Although Southern Raider, was first to the Whistling Buoy, it appeared to sail a little too far north and was beaten to the mark in Sumner Bay by Natural

Magic flvan Atkinson and Clyde Collins). However. Southern Raider rapidly overhauled Natural Magic on the return journey. The boats were not really, hard onto the wind until they were halfway up the harbour again.: and Southern Raider then showed its superior windward ability. Southern Raider eventually finished 15min ahead of Natural Magic, a considerable margin in a race that lasted only two hours and a half. Results.— First division—Line honours. Southern Raider. Handicap (provisional): Saveke (David Wagner) 1. Natural Magic 2. Granny Apple (Brian Wall and Rick Keeling! 3. Second division—line honours: Shogun (Perry Shepherd). Handicap: Alida (Mike Brown) 1. Gambero (Brian King) 2. Ivanhoe (Athol Carr) 3. - ' ,