Yachting season opens

Press, 5 September 1988, Page 6

Yachting season opens

Canterbury yachtsmen and women had their first official racing for the new season when the Pleasant Point and Waimakariri clubs held their opening days at the weekend. The weather, at least the lack of a suitable breeze, played havoc with the Pleasant Point racing on Saturday, and ultimately resulted in the race being declared void. A good fleet of 40 took to the water, on a Mark Foy handicap start. The 470 of Neville England and Dave Kennett was first to finish the course, which the race organisers had shortened in a bid to thwart the light, flukey

conditions. England and Kennett finished in under 2>/ 2 hours, the time limit, but they crossed the line 10 minutes after the limit had elapsed from the time the first yacht had started. The result, therefore, did not stand. Those who went to the Waimakariri River yesterday fared considerably better, as there was a steady northerly of about eight knots to sail in. The mist did not affect racing. Trevor Ballard, of the host club, had conditions to suit in his zephyr and won comfortably. The zephyr fleet overall was prominent, taking three

of the first four placings — Dave Langton and Hank van Peer finishing third and fourth respectively — the Phoenix of Wayne Mawson and Diana van Peer being the runner-up. The junior fleet was headed by Milton Bloomfield in his P class dinghy. Results:— Senior, T. Ballard, zephyr 1; W. Mawson and D. van Peer, Phoenix, 2; D. Langton, zephyr 3; H. van Peer, zephyr, 4; N. Aitkin and R. Thomas, 470, 5. Winner’s time: Ihr 24min. Junior: M. Bloomfield, P class, 1; N. Briggs, P class, 2; O. Powell, P class, 3; S. Ellis, Optimist, 4.