Cadets’ regatta abandoned

Press, 10 April 1979, Page 6

Cadets’ regatta abandoned

A late decision by the Air Force to cancel a naviga-’ tional exercise has caused the abandonment of a national regatta to have been held at Lyttelton during Easter week-end to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of formation of the Sea Cadets. Ten units from the North Island were to be represented and the Air Force had promised an Andover aircraft to bring the cadets down in conjunction with a training exercise. The Shipping Corporation and the Union Steam Ship Company had earlier agreed to bring down boats and equipment to encourage the work put in towards the regatta by more than 75 cadets. Five South Island units were to have paid their own way to join the 15 units Jn camp at the Steadfast training ship at Cass Bay during the week-end. The promised Andover aircraft was cancelled late last week after some of the North Island boats and equipment had reached Lyttelton. Another approach by the national Sea Cadets organisation in Wellington brought a further “no” from Air Force authorities respon-

sible for fuel conservation. ' A decision will ,be made today by the South Island units whether to join the Steadfast cadets for the week-end. The abandonment of the national regatta is expected to raise the question of whether the expenses for a reduced week-end programme will be worth while.. The executive officer of the Steadfast training ship, First Lieutenant W. Adamson, said: “My Steadfast boys will have a good show of winning what was to have been a regatta, if nobody can turn up.”