Chapter of accidents in Noumea yacht race

Noumea yacht race

The 1,000-mile Whangarei-Noumea yacht race this year conducted by the Onerahi Yacht Club of New Zealand, turned out to be of unexpected interest.

THERE was confusion for some time over which yacht had actu ally won, some amazingly inaccurate navigation by one yacht, and some adverse reports about the behaviour of some of the yachtsmen when they reached Noumea. Then, on the way home, two yachts got into difficulties in Fiji, and one of them became a total loss; while a third yacht went aground at Norfolk Island.

The race was held in the second half of April, and was won on handi cap by the Auckland sloop Rainbow 11, skippered by Chris Bouzaid.

Fidelis, the first yacht to reach Noumea, was widely reported to have been the winner. But she lost the title because she failed to cross the finish ing line “correctly”.

Fidelis, a 61 ft Auckland sloop, which won the last Sydney-Hobart race, reached Noumea about 6 p.m. on April 19, miles ahead of the rest of the race fleet. However, the race judges immediately ordered her skipper, Mr. J, V. Davern, to put out again and cross the finish line “cor rectly”. The order cost Fidelis the race by H hours.

Off course

During the race, Corsair, a 30 ft sloop from Picton, NZ, got hopelessly off course because of a compass or sextant fault, and ended up in Fiji, about two weeks after Fidelis reached Noumea.

Meanwhile, an unsuccessful air search had been made for her.

Her owner-skipper, Mr. J. Wicks, of Blenheim, NZ, said on reaching Suva that he had made a mistake on his compass course and had had trouble with his navigation lights.

He added: “We found we were about two-thirds of the way between Noumea and Fiji, and as the wind was with us, we thought we might as well head for Fiji.”

Takohe, a sleek 45 ft yawl, ran aground on a reef near Wilkes Passage in the Mamanuca Group of Fiji on May 6 on her way to Lautoka from Noumea after the race.

Owner-skipper “Snowy” Gatehouse and his crew of two escaped in a dinghy to the nearest inhabited island.

Malolo. From there they were takej by villagers to the Castaway Hotel on Qalito Island.

Returning to the stricken yawl next day, the crew opened a doorj flames immediately shot out and the yawl was gutted.

It is believed that escaping chlorine' gas from water-soaked batteries ignited when the opening of the door created a draught.

Hull damaged

Portobello, a 43 ft yacht, also got into trouble in Fiji after the race!

At one stage, when she was making for Suva, she was reported missing and an air-sea search began for her| Meanwhile, she was limping slowly towards Suva after hitting a reef of!

Mana Island in the Mamanuca Group. Her hull was damaged and her radio telephone was out of action!

Skippered by Mr. W. Endean, with a seven-man crew, Portobello wal eventually found and towed into Suva Harbour by the pilot launch Senicevai She reached Suva on May 11 and was to remain there for two weeks to undergo repairs before returning to Auckland.

Rosina, which came fifth in the B division of the race, went aground just north of Cascade Pier on May 12 when she called at Norfolk Island on her way back to New Zealand.

However, with assistance from various quarters, her crew manager to get her off again.

The crew—Frank Marks (skipper)J Ray and Frank Munns, Peter Millar and John Jacques—unbolted and re moved the fin keel with the help of several residents. Then the Jacques del Mar's crane lifted out the mastl the Administration launch towed the? yacht to Cascade Pier; and the stricken vessel was lifted out of the water by the pier crane.

Complaints about the behaviour in Noumea of some of the yachtsmen who took part in the race were pub-1 lished in the Noumea newspaper,!

France Australe.

The paper said that police were called to many disturbances and that some nude New Zealand bathers re-| fused to dress after the police hadl been called.