Maxi may return to race on Tuesday

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 1

Maxi may return to race on Tuesday

NZI Enterprise may be back in the Whitbread round-the-world yacht race by Tuesday, says the f chairman of the Enterprise campaign committee, Mr Max Jones. The section of faulty rigging which caused NZI Enterprise’s mast to break during the third leg of the race yesterday, had been changed at Cape Town and later X-rayed in Auckland, said Mr Jones. “It was changed because we thought it prudent, not because we had to,” Mr Jones said last evening. “It just let us down when it shouldn’t have.” Mr Jones said the yacht was on her way to the Chatham Islands, under jury rig sail, and should arrive tomorrow night or Saturday morning.

The campaign committee hopes to have all the necessary equipment for a new sail in New Zealand by Saturday night, and flown by the Royal New Zealand Air Force to the Chathams early on Sunday, and the maxiyacht ready to rejoin the race on Tuesday. The original part of the rigging has to be flown in from Cape Town, and rod rigging has to be obtained from Los Angeles. . Mr Jones said he hoped a crane on board the Union Steam Ship vessel Holmdale, which he believed was on a scheduled run to the Chathams, could be used to install the new mast It would now be up to the race committee to decide whether Enterprise would be disquali- . fied for using the motor, he said. “You are not supposed to use motors in yacht races, but they will have to take the whole situation into account, including the safety of the crew.” The mast broke yesterday morning 375 nautical miles south-west of the Chatham Islands. Last night the yacht was using engine and sail to reach the islands. The accident occurred about 1200 miles, out of

Auckland as Enterprise was battling for the lead with ÜBS Switzerland and Cote d’Or. She was sailing in a fresh 20-knot north-north-east breeze when the mast fell into three pieces, said Digby Taylor aboard the yacht yesterday. “About 50 feet of mast fell above the deck and the other two pieces fell into the water. It has taken us four to five hours to retrieve the two broken-off pieces and the sails,” he said. Mr Jones was in touch with Taylor, who said that after clearing up on deck the yacht was motoring towards the Chathams at a speed of 10 knots. The crew had been in no danger and all were well apart from one sprained finger suffered during the accident . . Support from the public after hearing of the news was “thrilling,” Mr Jones said. “We have had a lot of support from up and down the country and apparently an appeal has started to help us get another rig out to the yacht” The mood in NZI offices throughout New Zealand was one of disappointment