Wellington yachtsmen impress

Press, 10 February 1989, Page 40

Wellington yachtsmen impress

Wellington yachtsmen have thrown down the gauntlet to their rivals in the national R class championships being sailed at Lyttelton. Mark Berry and Kyle Radersma won both races yesterday, the first by the impressive margin of nearly 12 minutes. The titleholders, John Askew and Tony Crew, also from Wellington, managed placings of fifth and second and are second over all; Steven Hogg and Brett Linton, also from the capital, are third thanks to placings of fourth and third. Canterbury.’s best placed yacht is Crack R, sailed by Neil Fitzgerald and Mark McGregor, who finished second and tenth yesterday. Berry has good reason to enjoy sailing at Lyttelton, having won a previous Leander Trophy there with Guy Taylor-Smith. Radersma, who is in only his third season of sailing, owns the yacht but Berry is skipper. The pair looked set for another big win in the second race, but it was not to be. “We had a capsize down the last beat, just before the finishing line, and very nearly blew it,” Berry said. “The jib sheet got caught in my crew’s feet — fairly large feet,” Berry joked. “The same thing happened in the invitation race.” Radersma’s yacht has been the subject of some sideways glances from their rivals. It is not the most sleek looking of the fleet, but it is efficient. “It looks a bit of a wreck, but we’ve been concentrating on sailing it properly instead,” Berry said. One of the hard luck stories of the day belonged to Mark and Paul Macintosh. With all but the last beat completed, and a useful position of third, they were the victim of gear failure on their yacht. Race one: Grunta (Mark Berry and Kyle Radersma, Wellington) 1, Crack R (Neil Fitzgerald and Mark McGregor, Canterbury) 2; Mislead (Warwick Clarke and Kyle Johnstone, Wellington) 3. Race two: Grunta 1,/Y Worry (John Askew and Tony Crew, Wellington) 2, Totally Wired (Steven Hogg and Brett Linton, Wellington) 3. Over all: Grunta, 200 points 1; Y Worry, 130, 2; Totally Wired, 123.8, 3.