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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
126 of the fleet was ahead of us & we could see Queenie with a full bundle of sail up going like the clappers. Suddenly she slowed & started to take sail down. We didn’t know it at the time that she had lost a crew member over the side and by the time she got her sails down we were through and on our way for another gun finish for Patiki. That night we were still somewhat chilled with witnessing the incident on Shemara and after getting the anchor down we had lots of visitors who came over to Patiki to ask about the accident but also to inspect the boat to try and find out why Patiki was so fast. There was a fair amount of beverage consumed that night partly because of the experience and shock of what happened on Shemara but also just so exciting to be part of this great boat Patiki. Well that summer’s racing was something never to be repeated. We enjoyed our moment of glory and then along came Jim Davern to spoil our party. I was involved in the supply of glues, resins, fiberglass and paint systems for the construction of Princess (Jim Davern), Patiko (Ron Neil) and Pim (Boyd Hargrave). We were there for the launching party and that was really something to witness the three boats being launched together. It was also a defining moment and Patiki was no longer the winning boat. Jim Davern and Princess took over and Patiki never regained her earlier glory. Still we continued to enjoy sailing on her. As John [Lidgard] says she was a bit lively and even with a new spade rudder had a tendency to round up. I do recall on one occasion (before the spade rudder) her lying on her side cockpit full of water, kite still flapping, mainsheet free and yet showing no sign of wanting to right herself. Some one said we were on our side for over a minute. We never timed ourselves as I think we were all thinking what next!!! Of course we became familiar with Patiki’s little traits and learnt how to react and handle them. A year or two later the opportunity to buy Patea arose and Peter decided to sell Patiki and move on. Patea was different and I only crewed for a year or so. Peter on-sold her to the late Frank Innes-Jones. By this time the company Consolidated Chemicals had grown rapidly and there was less time available to go sailing. Logan commissioned Owen Woolley to build him a three skinned, glued & screwed 42 ft. launch & Peter had built a 48ft. steel launch called Te Wairoa,which is operating today out of Houhora as a charter boat. I went on to crew with the late Ron Neil on the Bob Stewart designed Carmen for a year or so before the pressures of building a business and all that implies became too much and finally gave it away for more time with a growing family. The conception, birth and performance of Patiki and the association with Peter and Logan Colmore-Williams is something I will always treasure. –Trevor Geldard Patiko Sail No.708 Builder: John Lidgard Launched: 6 November 1960 Construction: Cold moulded triple diagonal kauri, glassed over Maori: hurriedly Patiko was built for Ron Neil by John Lidgard at Neil’s Timber Yard on Portage Road, New Lynn along side Princess and Pim. The cost was £5,000. Patiko was the first of the three Lidgard-built boats launched from Prince’s Wharf on November 6, 1960, along with a fourth, Pania from another builder. They were launched without their engines, which hadn’t yet arrived from England. A fortnight later they were racing. Neil enjoyed some success racing her. On 29 January of 1963, in the Auckland Regatta B Div & Patiki classes, Patiko came in 1st , winning the Bailey Cup and beating Panui and Phoenician. In the Squadron Race to Te Kouma, Light Displacement Division, Patiko and Patea had a dueling finish ...“she (Patea) was leading 200 yards from the finish line but Patiko carried a breeze with her parachute spinnaker and drew level - bothPatiko on a cruise in the Hauraki Gulf Bernie Marshall