Two yachts drop out

Press, 19 December 1981, Page 64

Two yachts drop out

PA Auckland The British yacht FCF Challenger and the Italian Save Venice came under a cloud yesterday for the start of the third leg of the round-the-world yacht race on Boxing Day.

There were ominous sounds of hammer, saw and chisel at work on Challenger yesterday as a forward bulkhead was removed.

The Whitbread race committee handicapper, Mr John Hamilton, of, England, was

not informed before the work began. “If there is a structural change and a loss in weight the rating certificate will not be valid," he said. The New Zealand Yachting Federation chief measurer, Mr Jim Macelrae, was called in and measurements of the bulkhead taken for the weight loss to be calculated. Mr Hamilton later said a reduction in weight would not necessarily result in a handicap change.

"She is the biggest boat in the fleet and would need to take out several pounds in weight to make any material .difference in a boat of that size," he said. While there is no doubt Challenger will start the third leg it is now doubtful that Save Venice will take any further part in the race. The yacht suffered structural damage on the second leg from Cape Town to Auckland. An inspection has shown

the keel is working away from the hull. The keel is bending under the boat and the bolts have worked on the hull plating. The fleet has been depleted even further with the withdrawal of the Swedish entry. The yacht’s sailing master, 34-year-old Danish surgeon, Mogens Bugge, said last evening the race organisers had received a telex from Stockholm saying the yacht would take no further part in the race.