Two top honours likely for N.Z. yachts

Press, 22 January 1982, Page 24

Two top honours likely for N.Z. yachts

PA Auckland New Zealand’s two Whitbread round-the-world yachting race contenders, Ceramco and Outward Bound, look almost certain to share the major honours in the third leg between Auckland and Mar del Plata.

Ceramco has almost certainly won the "Roaring Forties"’ Trophy awarded the boat with the best aggregate corrected time on the two southern ocean legs of the race. This is regarded as second only to winning the race over-all. Ceramco’s main rival was the French 66-footer Charles Heidsieck 111. which took the corrected time lead on the Auckland-Mar del Plata leg. However. Ceramco’s aggregate time for the two legs — Cape Town to Auckland and Auckland to Mar del Plata — was seven hours 22 minutes better. There is a remote chance that one of the boats still at sea could improve • on Ceramco’s figure, but at this stage it is highly unlikely. Ceramco skipper. Peter Blake, was delighted with the news. "That’s a major part of what we came for.” he said. "The boat was designed to do well on the southern ocean legs, everything else was a bonus. "We’ve had our disappointments. but this will make up for most of those.” he said.

There is also some friendly debate as to which yacht rounded Cape Horn first — the 76ft Flyer was first to come abeam of the legendary maritime landmark but was five or seven miles to sea while Ceramco was one and a half to two miles off the rocks. British and Argentinian ice patrol vessels stationed at the Horn reckon Ceramco was actually first round when she tacked in to hug the Tierra del Fuego shore, while Flyer continued on towards the east. “It doesn’t really mean much,” said Blake. “But there’s quite a bit of prestige in being first round.” Blake has been impressed with the good fortune which has ridden with the boat since the presentation of a Maori taniwha. through the Carbine Club in Auckland, before the start of this leg of the race. The impressive Maori carving is fixed to a bulkhead below. “It may be coincidence." said Blake, "but every shot we have called this time has been spot on and every pre-

diction of a wind shift correct. A lot of people would like the taniwha, but it’s not coming off that bulkhead until we re tied up in Portshead. “Then the intention is that it becomes a perpetual trophy with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron,” Blake said. However, a question mark hangs over Ceramco taking part in the fourth and final leg. Soon after rounding Cape Horn, the rigger Don Wright — known to everyone as Jaws because of his sizeable appetite — dreamed that Ceramco was to lose her mast on the way up the Argentine coast. He went on deck to check the spar and found that it was cracked through for half its circumference. The Ceramco crew was able to repair the mast, bolting metal plates over the cracked area and fitting the wire strop from the mast to the bow. Outward Bound looks set to snatch victory in the third leg. The 51-footer, skippered by Digby Taylor, is expected to beat the new handicap leader Charles Heidsieck 111.

The task is well within Outward Bound’s capabilities except that the wind at the finish is still fresh from the north, putting her dead down-wind of Mar del Plata. Charles Heidsieck beat Ceramco by just four hours, 23 minutes on corrected time and looks certain to take the overall lead from Kriter by a considerable margin. Outward Bound has the best chance of any of the 17 boats still at sea, four have finished to date. But she will be under strong threat from the South African entry Xargo. Outward Bound has made remarkable time across the southern ocean and has forged into contention in the more tactically demanding sailing from the Horn to Mar del Plata. Taylor and his crew made some tactical errors on the Cape Town-Auckland leg, but have clearly benefited from the experience. Corrected times to date: Charles Heidsieck 554 hrs 3min 46sec, Ceramco 558 hrs 27min 27.355ec; Euromarch 568 hrs 33min 46sec; Flyer 570 hrs 38min ,19sec.