British yachts close gap

Press, 18 December 1985, Page 8

British yachts close gap

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney Britain turned the Southern Cross Cup into a real battle yesterday when its three boats combined to put together the best set in the second race and move into second place behind the New Zealand B team. And until the light winds freshened on the final leg of the triangular course off the Sydney Heads, it looked like the British were going to give the fleet a taste of Kiwi and fill the first three places on handicap. The fates however were smiling on the New Zealanders, and it was again Mad Max which took the vital handicap points by less than a minute from the Australian yacht Marloo 11, with the British boats Cifraline 3 and Panda

only seconds away in third and fourth place. , Fifth on handicap was the New Zealand A team boat Exador, followed by. Drake’s Prayer and the other British boat Highland Fling. The British came away from the race with 383.33 points to take the team honours on the day and move into second place, still 121 points behind New Zealand B which was second yesterday after Thunderbird finished ninth on handicap and Barn Storm chipped in with a fifteenth. The New Zealand A team finished fourth yesterday, with Exador fifth, Switchblade twelfth and Swuzzlebubble V fourteenth. The Australian national team finished third and maintains its fourth place over all.