Yachting Popular At Lae, NG
p. 111 · Read in the full issue
A popular rendezvous in Lae these days is the new clubhouse of the local yacht club at Voco Point. The clubhouse was opened last January, and the club now has about 100 members, including sail, power and water ski enthusiasts.
One of the members is well-known yachtsman Des Ashton, who has built his first Heron-class yacht, which is also the first of this type to be built in Papua-New Guinea. He has given it the Motuan name for heron, “Nanagai”.
In “Nanagai”, Des won the first of the handicap races sailed on October 24, and he won again on the following Sunday. So he now looks like having the scratch boat when the race for the Lea Ashton Trophy (a very elegant cup) is held in December.
Three Hornets and three Herons raced on October 24. Two of the Hornets are locally owned and locally built. Ron Dixon built his own, and one owned by Norm Endicott and a partner, was built by a local electrician, Ralph Phillips.
The Hornets are sailed by two people, which means that wives have the uncomfortable position on the sliding plank, to balance the boat. Herons are sailed by one person. • The picture shows some of the yachts in front of the clubhouse
at Voco Point-