Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download
ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
108 start in the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club’s last race of the season. She had been out of the money in previous weeks, and at that stage the season championship appeared almost certain to go to the well sailed and superbly handled Aurora II.” “Aurora II, skippered by owner Les McDonald, also made a fine fastest time in the annual race across the (Cook) strait to Port Underwood. He beat home Caprice by half an hour to win this event in fine style.” “The Patiki is sailed by his son LesA.McDonald,JohnVause,DickVerry and John Lucas,who have shown steady improvement over the one and a-half seasons they have sailed the new boat.” She is 45 years old and Aurora is still part of the family with three generations now sailing her. The McDonalds have since moved to Tauranga and have recently given her a refit. The grandchildren now use her for local sailing in Tauranga, cruising to Mayor Island, Great Mercury Island and Great Barrier Island. Pacquita (ex Paradox) Sail No.242 Builder: Neil Mills Launched: 1967 Construction: Cold moulded triple skin kauri,glassed over NeilMillsbuiltPaquitaforhimself athisfather’soldboatshedonNgapipiRoadinOrakei. She was in the water in time for the 1967 Auckland Regatta. Mills had returned to New Zealand late in 1963 and by early the next year had begun work on his new Patiki. He purchased the plans from the Association and did the lofting himself. Bob Stewart, who lived nearby on Paratai Drive, used to pop in when he was on his walks chat with Mills about the boat’s progress. He flattered Mills by telling him Pacquita’s hull was the prettiest of all the Patikis. Mills had help from his wife Colleen’s father and other friends who’d spend the weekends down at the shed. The boys, too, would go down with Dad, not to help on the boat, but to fish and catch eels. Pacquita was two years of after-work slogging and fully-committed weekends. Mills did find the time to occasionally crew for Boyd Hargrave on Pim, which along with Panui,he reckons were the fastest Patikis of the time. The triple-skin kauri hull was covered with Dynel and turned over in the shed using Max Carter’s wheel. Jerry, a boatbuilder working forVos’s at the time,built the keel“after hours.” It was hollow at the top where he placed the fuel and water tanks. The hull was jacked up in order to attach the keel. She was one of the first boats to have coamings made of ply with teak veneer. The sheathing of the cabin tops and decking were done free of charge by Peter Colmore-Williams andTrevor Geldard who experimented with a variety of cloths and a new Epiglass one-pot adhesive. They gave Mills enough to finish the cockpit and he commented“it was great stuff and much easier to handle thantheoldtwo-potresin.” Thecabinsideswerevarnishedteakwithchromedbrasswindowframes. Thecabintopsanddeckwere painted a light green. There were no lifelines,no push pit and no pulpit. She was launched from the shed just before Christmas of 1966, on a cradle which was slid down the rails. The cradle derailed, as the rails were old and loose. Mills had to tie the boat to a launch moored out in the Orakei Basin and wait until the tide turned her round so that the boat and her cradle could come right.Then it was off toWesthaven where the mast was stepped and the winches and deck gear were installed. In the 1967 Night Race to Kawau Pacquita was 1st over the line in 4hrs 49mins 41secs,coming 3rd on corrected time in the Patiki Division, earning praise in the New Zealand Herald’s racing column:“Pacquita was only launched just before Anniversary weekend and Mills has done a good job tuning the boat in such a short time.” He went on to do well in the Squadron’s Round the Island Race: “Started off from Orakei Wharf and became becalmed near Brown’s Island. It was a while before a NNE breeze came up to help them on their way. Panui crossed the line 27 minutes ahead of the next boat Pacquita,with Patea crossing the line 3rd.The times: Panui l7 hrs. 47 mins. 38secs. Pacquita 18 hrs. 4mins. 10 secs. Patea 18 hrs. 5mins. 4 secs., but on corrected time it went to Pegasus,Phoenician and Patiki.” New Zealand Herald,Monday 27 February 1967 Pacquita enjoying a gentle day of sailing on the Waitmata Harbour Stewart Association Collection