Smith holds slender lead over Cromie

Press, 22 September 1983, Page 36

Smith holds slender lead over Cromie

By

FRANK DUGGAN

Only 16 seconds separate the leaders, Howard Smith, of Christchurch, and Mark Cromie, of Rakaia, after a dramatic opening to the South Island section of the Citizen Watch world jet boat championships on the Rakaia River yesterday. Cromie won both heats, while Smith, who had led the marathon in the North Island until the last day, drove steadily to keep a slender lead over a rampant Cromie.

The Canterbury pair are now more than eight minutes ahead of the Canadian, Fred Chrunyk, who had a disastrous second lap downstream yesterday, and the 350 cu in class boat of Tony Ward, of Tauranga, is a further 26min back, smin clear of another champion class boat driven by John

Heslop, of Southbridge. Most of the drivers will never forget both 70 kilometre runs up and down the Rakaia. In the first lap in mid-morning a howling north-westerly had most of the boats in difficulties and as they progressed up river were also met with blinding sand and dust storms.

Then just as the afternoon lap started from the Rakaia Gorge, thunder and lightning prefaced heavy rain which limited the drivers’ visibility and resulted in a few boats running out of water and finishing on shingle or heavy stone banks. Three or four boats did not finish, including the highly-placed Nat West Finance, driven by Paul and Darryl Isaac, of Taumarunui, which had started off the South Island leg in fourth place over all and had finished second to Cro-

mie in the morning. He was “lost” somewhere mid-river in the afternoon.

The Stallion, driven by Bruce Snow, of Mount Maunganui, blew its motor 15km after the start of the second lap and now drops out of its previous sixth ranking. Another Champion class boat to run into trouble was Steinlager, driven by Reg Benton, of Featherston. Before the start of the morning leg, mud and weed filled the grate of Steinlager, and although cleared, had a repeat of the trouble and pulled out. Weather conditions and a failed motor did not stop Ross Murdock, of Ashburton, and his crew member, Dennis Warner, of Christchurch, from finishing. They successfully paddled St Albans Real Estate from the lagoon shortly before

the finish. Five lap records were broken yesterday. Selwyn Paynter, of Christchurch, and Hovercraft Manufacturers who lost a lot of time in the North Island, set two records in the Hamilton Marine class, the morning run being exceptional in the conditions. John Watson (Christchurch) and Motogard II posted yet another lap record downstream • in the Savage Marine class; Brian Smith (Geraldine) and Rowley Aviation set fresh figures for turbochargers; and Cromie gave his second warning of the day in smashing his own downstream record by just under a minute.

Cromie started yesterday 6min 42s behind Chrunyk, the -leader of the North Island section, and Smith was only 10 seconds away from the Canadian.

Cromie, somewhat a master of South Island rivers, particularly his "home” water, the Rakaia, not only made up nearly 6min on the leaders but heralded his determination to add another world title to the one he gained in 1980. “I had no trouble,” he said later. “The weather was really bad — it was the worst I’ve ever seen on the Rakaia -- and occasionally I remembered I had just placed in a new jet unit the day before.”

Smith could also not remember worse conditions. “It was the roughest I’ve ever seen,” Smith said. “At the half-way stage I had a bit of a heart flutter when I took a wrong back channel and Fred Chrunyk followed me. The good part about it was I got out, Fred got stranded.” The Canadian could still

smile, however, at the end of the runs. “I may have lost the lead, but I bad a lot of fun,” he remarked. “That river certainly keeps you guessing. When I was going into the lagoon and realised I was in the wrong channel, I eased off the gas, but she cut out. That’s when we grounded and lost between five or six minutes,” Chrunyk said. Mr Kwik Kraft and Tony Ward continued one of the success stories of the marathon. They clearly lead the Jockey class and are poised in fourth place over all in the championship.

Class leaders after eight laps are. —

Champion class: H. Smith (Christchurch), Guthreys NZ Tours, 7hr 15min 265, 1; M. Cromie (Rakaia), Commodore, 7hr 15min 425, 2; F. Chrunyk (Canada), Canadian Club, 7hr

23min 3s, 3; J. Heslop (Southbridge), Spirit of Southbridge, 7hr 54min 395, 4.

Jockey class: A. Ward (Tauranga), Mr Kwik Kraft, 7hr 49min 495, 1; R. King (Palmerston North), Thystyme, Bhr Bmin 535, 2; R. Goldsmith and S. Baird (Whakatane), Radio IXX, 9hr 3min 16s, 3.

Turbocharger class: P. Muff (Christchurch), Konvekta Air Conditioners, Bhr 7min 275, 1; D. Matterson (Belfast), Selleys Works, Bhr 14min 30s, 2; R. Harrison (Christchurch), Bumip Elliott and Co., Bhr 19min 395, 3.

Savage Marine class: J. Watson (Christchurch), Motogard 11, Bhr 19min 48s, 1; John Borren (Palmerston North), Mr Altberm, 9hr 395, 2; B. Inwood (Christchurch), 9hr 38min 455, 3.

Hamilton Marine class: B. Harvey (Queenstown), Top Priority, 9hr 22min 225, 1; M. Cox (Christchurch), Green Finger, 9hr 53min 335, 2; K. Frederickson (Inglewood), Dynamite, lOhr 4min 40s, 3.