McBride to keep in race?

Press, 4 March 1983, Page 2

McBride to keep in race?

PA Dunedin The New Zealand solo yachtsman, Dick Mcßride, may be able to continue in the round-the-world race if his 12.8 m schooner City of Dunedin can be repaired, said a member of his organising committee last evening. Mcßride who is 38. is nowreported to be at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands after being rescued by the Royal Navy on Wednesday. His boat had run aground during the night at Porpoise Point, in the south-west of East Falkland Island. He was given a check at Port Stanley’s hospital and was reported to be fit. The organising committee member, Mrs C. Cosgrove, said yesterday, “I understand that the yacht is by no means written off. “It has suffered a hole in the hull, but it appears this may be able to be repaired.”

The boat has survived two tides and is still in the same position. It has a steel hull and the seas are apparently calm.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed that he will be back in the race again,” Mrs Cosgrove said.

Mcßride has no insurance for either the yacht or its contents, according to. a Dunedin solicitor, Mr Jim Lewis.

“The premium for a year’s cover was going to be about $9OOO for a yacht of his size, which was simply prohibitive for Dick,” he said. The City of Dunedin is worth about $70,000, most of which was Mcßride’s, although about $20,000 was raised by firms and individuals from Dunedin. Mcßride had about $lO,OOO worth of radio equipment on board, but during the stopover at Sydney had returned an extra radio worth about $4OOO because he was running

short of funds. He was fortunate that there was such a large British naval presence in the Falklands area, Mrs Cosgrove said. Before running aground, Mcßride had spent the day trying to repair a broken forestay, which supports the main mast, according to a radio ham, Mr Matthew Johnstone, of Owaka, South Otago, who was listening to Mcßride’s transmission just hours before he ran aground. “I am sure he was very tired. He had been up the mast four times that day to try, to fix the mainstay...! understand he went off to sleep, and then at 10.30 p.m. he ran aground.” Mr Johnstone said McBride may have been caught in the strong currents which are present round the Falkland Islands, causing him to drift further east than he realised.