Canty pair second in 470 class yachting

Press, 17 January 1986, Page 3

Canty pair second in 470 class yachting

The Canterbury pair of Mark Milburn and Simon Mander relished the windy, choppy conditions to win the final race of the Mahan Marine, 2001 wetsuits 470 class yachting championships, sailed at Lyttelton yesterday. Milburn finished the series with 14.4 points to be second in the championships, with three wins, a second, two thirds and a fifth, 5.7 points behind, Terry and Peter Nicholas, of Auckland. The Nicholas brothers, who notched up four wins, a second and a third, withdrew during the final race.

The seventh; and final race was sailed in 24 knot north easterly winds, with Milburn leading the fleet round the top mark from Nicholas. Milburn then increased his lead over Nicholas at the wing and bottom marks, and by the end of the triangle Nicholas withdrew after having trouble handling the rough conditions in his boat. From that stage on, Milburn began to dominate the race and his lead was never challenged by Jon Bilger and Phil McNeil, of Auckland, who moved up to second place and finished 4

min 31s behind Milburn. Brett Steel and Richard Nicholson, of Auckland, finished 2 min 59s behind Bilger, to take third place. Results:— Race seven: M. Milbum, and S. Mander (Canterbury) 1; J. Bilger, and P. McNeil (Auckland) 2; B. Steel, and R. Nicholson (Auckland) 3; I. Stewart, and C. Watson (Auckland) 4; D. Broad, and M. McElwee (Auckland) 5; T. Smedley (Auckland) and G. England (Canterbury) 6. Final over-all results:— T. and P. Nicholas (Auckland) 8.7 points, 1; Milburn 14.4, 2; Bilger 31.4, 3; L. J. Egnot (Canterbury) 37.7, 4; I. Stewart and C. Watson (Auckland) 64.7, 5; S. Bull and M. Shapland (Auckland) 70.7 6.