Nelson Yacht First Home

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30956, 12 January 1966, Page 1

Nelson Yacht First Home

The long wait by Akaroa yachting enthusiasts in hope of seeing the local yacht, Calypso, cross the line first in the WellingtonAkaroa yacht race was frustrated when the Nelson sloop Caprice was first home at 6.30 a.m. yesterday.

Caprice won by the narrowest of margins, 2min 25sec, after the tough 180-mile race which provided conditions ranging from almost calm to strong south-westerly winds. Calypso, a 32ft cutter, led for most of the journey but spent part of Monday sheltering in Le Bons Bay putting on heavy gear. Caprice managed to overtake her and the two yachts battled out the five-mile beat up the harbour into a light north-easterly breeze. The 40ft Wellington yawl, Takohe, was also a leading candidate for much of the race

but lost her mainsail and jib and was put out of the running. Calypso also lost her jib but the only mishap with Caprice was a faulty battery, which prevented her from radioing her position and, consequently, prevented the spectators at the finish from knowing what had happened to her. All Monday afternoon and evening, the leading yachts battled against the southerly off Banks Peninsula and the sea was blown into whitecaps all the way to the horizon. Altair (Wellington) and Tainui (Christchurch) crossed the line within minutes of each other at noon. Takohe finally arrived at 12.30 p.m. but had lost all her sail and used her engine to finish. Charmaine (Wellington), Entreaty (Christchurch) and Janlyn (Palmerston North) all finished in a bunch at 2.30 p.m. When last heard from, Spree (Culverden), Ngatahi (Christchurch) and Ahurangi (Wellington) were still at sea. Line positions are: Caprice (N. Dimock) 1, Calypso (A.

D. Couling) 2, Altair (S. O. Moore) 3, Tainui (R. Lloyd) 4, Charmaine (B. H. Barrowclough) 5, Entreaty (D. C. Gould) 6, Janlyn (R. D. Stout) 7, Ahurangi (D. Scott) 8. Over-all platings for the yachts which have finished are Calypso 1, Caprice 2, Charmaine 3, Entreaty 4, Tainui 5, Altair 6, Janlyn 7, Ahurangi 8. Corrected times for the first three boats are: Calypso 2 days 1 hour 53min 57sec; Caprice 2 days 4 hours 17min 41sec; Charmain 2 days 5 hours 44min 28sec.

A Nelson sloop, the Tawhiri, owned and sailed by N. Brown, was first across the line and eventual winner of both the 1940 Lyttelton-Wel-lington race and the 195 J Wellington-Lyttelton event.