Chaos on water

Press, 8 March 1984, Page 40

Chaos on water

PA Wellington One boat sank and seven capsized in a wild start to the A Class catamaran sailors world championship series at Eastbourne, near Wellington, yesterday. Soon after the start the 25 knot breeze blew to 30 knots, and the race was almost immediately abandoned as being too dangerous for the 46 starters. There was chaos on the water, with out-of-control boats colliding as they took evasive action in choppy seas.

Dave Dunn, of North Auckland, was rammed by another boat as he tried to retrieve his lost mainsheet. His boat Wild Oats sank and

during salvage the transom was tom from the hull.

Dunn hopes to be on the water for the re-run of the race, scheduled for 10 a.m. this morning, with the programmed second-day race set for a 2 p.m. start.

The series favourite, Brad Schafferius, of Brisbane, was lucky. He collided on the start-line with a fellow Australian, John Hawksworth, and lost valuable ground before restarting.

A West German entrant, Harro Knebel, came ashore ready to withdraw from the series after he broke a boom during a capsize. ’ Organisers assured him a s new boom would be found,' and he reserved his decision until today.