Top yachtsmen matched

Press, 24 April 1979, Page 44

Top yachtsmen matched

Twenty-four yachtsmen who have already won Canterbury titles in their specialist classes have accepted invitations to sail in the champion-of-champions series, sponsored by the Powerboat Centre, at Lyttelton tomorrow afternoon.

Skippers who are more accustomed to racing at the helms of boats ranging in size from first division keelers to the comparatively tiny Optimist training dinghies will pit their skills against each other in twoman Sunburst designs. The youngest competitors will be the two girl entrants, Leanne Soper, the Canterbury and South Island age group Optimist winner, and Leslie Engot, who claimed a much-prized treble by gaining victories in the provincial, island and national P class contests.

At the other end of the

age scale are two of Canterbury’s most experienced yachtsmen, Roei Winters (Canterbury Flying Fifteen champion) and Harry Kingham, who has been the dominant figure in southern Sunburst sailing for some time.

In addition to Miss Egnot, Bret de Thier (Tornado catamarans), lan Jackson (R class) and Peter Kempkers (Lasers) advanced to finish ahead of New Zealand championship fleets during the summer.

Kempkers’s national suecess was in the youth trials and he further enhanced his reputation by finishing third in the world event in Australian waters.

Misses Soper and Egnot, Trevor Shapland (Hartley 16s), Freerk Kempkers (Finns), Don Le Page (Zeph-

yrs), Bryan Treleaven (Flying Dutchman), Chris Brailsford (New Zealand Moths) and Robert Capon (International Moths) are reigning South Island title-holders.

Boats have been supplied by the Canterbury Sunburst Associatin, and the owners will act as for’ard hands. The format requires the fleet to be ■ divided into two sections, and the top pointsscorers over two heats will qualify for the final. Scoring will be on the Olympic system.

The top prize is $2OO and a silver salver, the next two place-getters will receive $lOO and $5O, respectively, and the winning Sunburst owner will also be presented with a silver salver. Prize money is to be held in trust by the Canterbury Yachting Association and used for travelling expenses within the next 12 months.

The full field of starters is:— Trevor Shapland (Hartley 16), Jerry Smith (Happy Cat), Leanne Soper (Optimist), David Nesbit (Rothmans. Father and Son), Roei Winters (Flying Fifteen), Michael Andrews (Laser), Tony Wornail (0.K.), Barry Willcox (J.C.), Leslie Engot (P), Stewart Coates (Starling), Freerk Kempkers (Finn), Don Le Page (Zephyr), Gavin Walter (A catamaran), Bret de Thier (Tornado), Keith Drayton (second division keeler), Ivan Atkinson (first division keeler), lan Douglas (Fireball), lan Jackson (R), Bryan Treleaven (Flying Dutchman), Bob Auton (Noelex), Peter Kempkers (Laser, youth), Chris Brailsford (New Zealand Moth), Robert Capon (International Moth), Harry Kingham (Sunburst).