Ideal Conditions For Wgton – Nelson Yacht Race

The 40ft Wellington sloop 'Savant' made the most of ideal conditions in the third Wellington-Nelson yacht race, to finish about four hours earlier than expected and five hours inside the record. Her time for the race was 15hrs 52 mins. 'Savant' was skippered by K. Cox. Second home was the 36ft Wellington yacht 'Aurora II,' skippered by L. McDonald. The two Nelson entrants, 'Nerita' (Doug Wards) and 'Spirit' (Ted Jones), had a neck-and-neck struggle to the line, with 'Nerita' getting there first by a narrow margin. 'Nerita' was second in the handicap section and 'Spirit' was fourth. Fifteen yachts competed.

'Nerita,' skippered by Doug Wards of Nelson, makes a pretty sight as she prepares to enter Nelson Haven. 'Nerita' was the first Nelson entrant to finish, and was second in the Royal Ocean Racing Club section of the two-part race. Doug is the commodore of the Nelson Yacht Club

Another close finish was contested by the ketch 'Viking' (B. J. Todd), Port Nicholson, and 'Renegade'(F. Patterson and J. R. Wemyss), Waikawa

The sloop 'Aurora II,' skippered by L. McDonald of Port Nicholson, was second across the line

'Crescendo,' skippered by 8. Barraclough, heads for the finish but was not able to emulate its effort in the first Wellington-Nelson race, which it won

The Nelson sloop 'Spirit,' skippered by Ted Jones, glides into the haven

Checking the results are Dave Bolwell, judge for the three annual races, Doug Wards, skipper of 'Nerita' and commodore of the Nelson club, and Capt. Frank Reeves, assistant judge and a life member of the club

Good cheer from some of the spectators

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The Nelson Photo News

No 136 : March 4, 1972

Ideal Conditions For Wgton – Nelson Yacht Race