RESCUE OF EXHAUSTED SKIPPER

Evening Star, Issue 25699, 24 January 1946, Page 7

RESCUE OF EXHAUSTED SKIPPER

SWEPT AWAY FROM CAPSIZED GRAFT (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Jan. 23. Hard westerly conditions prevailed for the third race in ' the New Zealand idlealong championship held at Westhaven, Wellington winning from Canterbury by 6min 3sec. Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty were the only other boats to finish. The Nelson boat, Invader, was badly damaged and cannot be repaired in time to take further part in the contest, but an endeavour is being made to find a substitute. The next race will be sailed at Westhaven at 10.30 in the morning, and the fifth race in the alfternooD The conditions were too boisterous for the small P class boats to commence. North Auckland was responsible for a good rescue and a very sporting gesture in not entering a protest which might have prolonged the time of the contest. The Nelson skipper went out without a lifejacket, a foolhardy act, and when the Nelson boat capsized he was washed off. The boat righted again on the next wave, but he was speedily swept away, and was in an exhausted condition when the North Auckland boat stopped- and picked him up, returning to the boat harbour and taking no further part in the race. North Auckland sportingly refrained from protesting, a gesture that was commended by a meeting of delegates. The fact of the crew's sailing without lifejackets was condemned by the delegates. The race started at 11.32 a.m., and the finishing times were as follows: —

hr. mm. sec. Wellington 1 35 13 Canterbury 1 41 16 Hawke's Bay ... 1 56 22 ' Bay of Plenty ... 2 4 16 Keen interest will be taken in the next two races in view otf the following positions of the boats in points:— Canterbury . ... 266.67 Wellington . ... 200 Bay of Plenty .. . ... 131.67 South Auckland ... 112.94 Hawke's Bay . ... 96.75 Marlborough . ... 74.17 Nelson ... ... .. . ... 67.82 Manukau . ... 60 Auckland . ... 53.89 Otago . ... 51.16 North Auckland ... 50.45 Wanganui . ... 30.76