Yachts shake out sails

Press, 24 May 1988, Page 44

Yachts shake out sails

PA Tauranga The fleet in the Tauranga to Brisbane yacht race was yesterday shaking out its sails in fine weather and getting down to some serious racing. After a drifting start in light airs on Saturday, crews had to find their sea legs fast as they pounded up the Northland coast in strong easterly winds and uncomfortable seas.

Several yachts ran for shelter on Sunday evening, seeking the lee of Great Barrier Island, Cape Rodney and elsewhere.

But yesterday conditions were Improving rapidly with fine weather and a steady south-west breeze of about 15 knots pushing the fleet to North Cape for the start of the run across the Tasman. The leader over all yesterday was the Tauranga ketch, Karaka 11, which was just north of North Cape. However, she is competing in the cruising of the race and has been motoring for part of the time. Among the serious racers the 10.8-metre Auckland keeler, Touchdown (John Richardson), was doing best and lay just short of North Cape yesterday. Designed and navigated by Tauranga’s Bill Mitchinson, Touchdown was the first boat in the lOR PHRF division tq round A buoy at the entrance to Tauranga Harbour on Saturday, and yesterday morning had 1110 nautical miles left to travel to Brisbane. But coming up last was the big 20 metre Australian entry, Dreamtime (Alan Dart). She was 18 miles behind Touchdown but lost time putting in to Tukukaka to land an injured crewman. Don Hewitt, aged 34, was aloft in Sunday’s rough conditions and is understood to have struck the mast heavily, breaking a collarbone and a rib. He is now in Whangarei Hospital in a comfortable condition.