DUNEDIN DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1937, Page 5

DUNEDIN DISPUTE

SANDERS CUP BOAT

The Otago Yacht and Motor-boat Association is faced with the prospect of having to make another selection of a challenger to represent the province in the annual contest for the Sanders Cup in February, for the statement was made by E. Cuthbert, skipper of Eileen, which had been chosen to represent Otago,. that, under the conditions laid down by the selection committee, he was not. prepared to hand over his boat to the association. . The recommendation of the sailing committee was to the effect that Cuthbert should be the skipper in heavy weather and C. J. Pettit, skipper of Lynette, should be in charge of Eileen in light and flukey breezes, the manager o'f the crew to-be the sole and final judge in the matter. At a recent meeting of the association, the three chosen members of the crew —Cuthbert, Pettit, and W. Masonwere present by invitation, the firstnamed asking the president (Mr. "W. J. Bardsley) who was ■to be the official skipper of Eileen for the duration of the Sanders Cup contest.

. The chairman (reports the "Otago Daily Times") stated that that question ould be "in the hands of the man the association selected to act as manager during the trip to Lyttelton. The association was going to abide by the recommendations of the. judges, and that meant that the crew woul.l have to be prepared to accept the judgment of the manager. Mr. Pettit's ability as a skipper in light weather could not be ignored, and in the interests of the competition Mn Cuthbert should be willing to fall into line with the judgment of, the sailing.committee.. In reply to a question by Mr, Cuthbert for a definition of a light and a heavy breeze, the chairman stated that the manager would be the sole judge. After discussing the matter fully and deciding to uphold the recommendations of the sailing committee, the executive asked Mr. Cuthbert whether he was prepared to loan the Eileen to the association and at the same time to submit to the judgment of the manager of the crew. Mr. Cuthbert refused to hand over his boat unless he were given a definition of light and heavy weather, such definition the chairman refusing to give. The meeting later -decided to write to Mr. Cuthbert, sen., asking if he was prepared to hand over the Eileen for the contest, and to Mr. Cuthbert, jun., asking whether he would travel as a member of the crew, at the same time abiding by the decision of the manager. If favourable replies were not received, it was decided that the sailing committee should consider the selection of another challenger, and that is now being done. THE NEXT DEVELOPMENT? The decision of the owner of Eileen to withdraw his one-design boat from nomination as Otago's challenger for the Sanders Cup presents a new development strangely in keeping with the disharmony that. has. existed in

yachting circles in recent months, commented the "Star." In writing to Messrs. Cuthbert asking them to reconsider their decision, the association was doubtless actuated by a desire to see the challenge carried out by the best all-weather boat here, but it will be displaying weakness if one of the terms is that Cuthbert is to sail the boat. It was to circumvent such a development that some years ago the association required that the owner of each competing boat should, before the trials started, sign a document giving the governing body virtual ownership until the trials were concluded, and, in the event of a boat being selected for the cup contest, till the contest was over. Had the association required the owners to sign that authority again this season, another unpleasant incident would not have cropped up. In the settlement of this argument the association should, remember that unless a crew is in entire harmony the best results cannot be expected under sail The time for nomination of Otago's boat is still a fair distance off, and the association should, over the holidays, be able to reach a settlement of an issue that is, to say the least, unfortunate in its surrounding circumstances.