Cruising

Yachts

• Over 40 yachts will take part in the Whangarei-Noumea yacht race on April 17. Entries closed in mid-February with what looked like a record number of contestants. • Spirit of Barbary, 27 ft gaff rigged cutter, is to be sold by Jock and Bern Watt, who at present are working in Port Moresby and plan ning to build a larger boat. Former crew were John Cotter and his wife who sailed her from San Diego to Auckland. • Fiji Police and Marine officials in mid-February finally tracked down the elusive yacht Gannet, believed to have been taken without the owner’s permission by her Fijian crew and used for illegal passenger carrying trips be tween Vanua and Viti Levu. Gannet was found locked and deserted near Savusavu. She did not appear damaged.

In mid-February the 24 ft yacht had been gone six weeks and Ameri can owner, Mr. J. Crum, had also enlisted in the search the aerial sup port of Fiji Airways pilot, Captain Gordon Bretag, who originally sold him the yacht.

The last time Mr. Crum saw Gan net was when he left her with the Fijian crew in Savusavu. Since then she had been seen two or three times sailing near Cakaudrove and Bua waters, but had always vanished be fore she could be intercepted. • Westward, 99 ft schooner of the Oceanic Foundation, Hawaii, arrived Pitcairn recently from Tahiti, Man gareva and Oeno Island. Carrying an expedition concerned with marine biology and Polynesian archaeology, the Westward planned to go on to Henderson, Ducie, Rapa, Austral Islands and the Cook Islands. Physi cian on board, Dr. Guy S. Haywood, was able to provide Pitcairn with much-needed medical help. • Sea Spray, luxury schooner, well-known for its part in an Aus tralian TV series, “Adventures of the Sea Spray”, has been chartered for the Duke of Edinburgh’s March visit to Fiji to take him to Waya Island in the Fiji Yasawa Group. Sea Spray cancelled her normal itinerary for the day to be available. She recently had another distinguished traveller, Sir Alec Rose, the famous round the-world lone yachtsman.