Highly efficient cup-winning job

Press, 16 August 1985, Page 32

Highly efficient cup-winning job

NZPA-AAP Plymouth, England

The Germans make no secret of why they are firmly at the top of the prestige world of ocean yacht racing. The designer, Mr Rolf Vroltfk, was studying the progress of Australia’s Drake’s Prayer in the Fastnet race which ended the 1985 Admiral’s Cup . The Sydney yacht recovered remarkably after a parted mainsail halyard cost , 100 minutes in repair ‘ me to finish eighth acre:: l the line.

ihey’ve done very well,” Ki Vrolijk conceded. “But why did it take them so long to fix it?” He heard that a thin “mouse line” had to be delicately fed down the mast to retrieve the broken wire for resplicing.

“Our masts all have mouse lines in them already just in case,” Mr Vrolijk said.

That conversation revealed much aboiit why West Germany became the first nation other than the hosts, Great Britain, to successfully defend the cup, successfully, most yachtsmen regarding the cup as the pinnacle of ocean racing achievement.

Relatively landlocked — “not regarded as a great maritime nation” as the team manager Michael Iward, put it —- the Germans have found a new outlet for their renowned Teutonic efficiency.

In doing so they set new standards of organisation, thoroughness and consistency in this most unforgiving sport. In 1983 they won because they had the fastest boats, all designed by Mr Vrolijk and Mr Friedrich Judel.

This year there were seven Judel-Vrolijk designs in the fleet of 54, including the entire German team again and the three Austrians and the Australian, Sudpack, sailing for Papua New Guinea.

New Zealand’s cup team gave full credit to the winners for regaining the trophy with superb sailing throughout the series.

While the German’s closest rivals, the British and New Zealand teams, each lost a yacht during the Fastnet, the storm-swept and hardest test of the Admiral’s Cup, both were consoled in keeping their places of second and third over all. But New Zealand has also lost the Champagne Mumm World Cup according to the Admiral’s Cup headquarters, even though the team believed it was still within their grasp. Cup officials reported the United States was the World Cup winner by gaining the most points from five international series, including the Southern Cross and Clipper races. New Zealand was runner-up and Australia third. Final leading team results: Germany 1911, 1; Britain 1626, 2; New Zealand 1497, 3; Australia 1429, 4.