Home is the sailor

Press, 23 January 1984, Page 2

Home is the sailor

Nelson reporter Many times Terry Gould has sailed through the entrance to Port Nelson but on Saturday he fulfilled a lifetime ambition when he skippered the s2.smillion international ocean racing yacht Condor into the harbour. The 24.4 m (80ft) Condor, dwarfing escorting yachts of Nelson’s keeler fleet, made an impressive sight for thousands of spectators as she cut through a light chop and raced before a stiff breeze into Gould’s home port. Gould, a member of a well known Nelson yachting family, and the eight-man crew brought the vessel 1200 nautical miles across the Tasman after competing in the Sydney to Hobart race.

Gould said yesterday the trip across the Tasman was all that could be hoped for. . “We left Sydney with some storm gear on. It was blowing 45 knots but within 24 hours we had a full mainsail and spinnaker on and that’s the way it was until just off Farewell Spit — 1200 miles in s*/z days even for us is pretty good going,” he said. It had been hoped the vessel could have entered Nelson with all sails set, including spinnaker, but Gould said the wind had dropped about 10 miles off. A short Mayoral reception was held at the wharf after the Condor berthed, then Gould was reunited with the family he has not seen for more than a year. He and his crew later attended a Nelson Yacht Club function to mark the completion of the annual Well-ington-Nelson race. Guests were taken sailing on the Condor yesterday. Gould hopes to leave Nelson on Tuesday night to be in Auckland on Saturday. The Condor will then be changed from its passage rig to racing gear so that it can compete in the Auckland Anniversary Day race on Monday.