Calm put paid to yacht’s chances

Press, 31 December 1982, Page 3

Calm put paid to yacht’s chances

NZPA Sydney The flukey winds of Storm Bay and the Derwent River put paid to the chances of the Auckland yachtsman. Peter Williams, finishing in the first ten in the thirtyeighth Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Williams, sailing his 18.9 m ■ sloop, Fidelis, finished at 3 a.m. (New Zealand time) yesterday, being fourteenth across the line into Hobart. After a fast run down the east Tasmanian coast on Wednesday evening before 30 knot north-easterlies, Fidelis had been eighth into the entrance of Storm Bay. But the chancy wind obviously died in the evening and meant it took Fidelis ten hours to sail the last 56km. The former New Zealand one-tonner, Scallywag, was provisional winner on corrected time. Scallywag, an 11.5-metre Bruce Farr design. sailed for New Zealand as Smir-Noff-Agen in the 1977 Southern Cross Cup. She is now sailed by Ron Johnston of Sydney's Cruising Yacht Club. This was her fifth attempt at the SydneyHobart, and her most successful, having had a record 17th, 27th, and two retirements in previous races. The skipper of Scallywag. Ray Johnston, said he was glad to have strong winds, which he said were gusting up to 40 knots, during the race. “They really suited our boat with a lot of reaching and running legs,” said Johnston. He said the crew realised down the coast of Tasmania that the boat had a good chance of winning, and they had pushed the yacht to the limit. “I’m absolutely delighted with the win. I likened our win to winning a gold medal at the Olympics,” he said. On Wednesday, line honours in the race went to the international ocean racer. Condor of Bermuda, by only seven seconds from the Sydney sloop, Apollo.