Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download
ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
141 The Stewarts then and now were a great proving ground not just for the skippers and helmsmen but the whole crew as many who have raced have gone on to sail internationally with great success. I for one will never forget those days and the lessons learned that I still use today. Regards, Brad FromGaryJobson Bill: First, it was nice to hear from you. Glad you are still going strong. On the Stewarts: It was my first time to New Zealand, for the Citizen Cup. It was a rainy day at Westhaven. I joined my designated crew aboard the Stewart 34 Pionnier. No sooner did we get the sails up, but I noticed the rig was laying over. Ah ha, I thought, we need to get the rig tightened. Bill Miller said that would be okay, but we would be the first to make it work. With that comment, I decided to let Bill, Robin, Glenn and the rest of crew guide me, it was a great series, lots of wind, big crowds, and evenlivetelevision. Wow,itwasimpressive. Wewonafew, and lost a few. That year there were 10 skippers. The 8,9 and 10th finishers,were theNZLteams. Wellthatwasthen. NZLsailorshavecome a long way. Very impressive. I was invited back one more time andplacedthird, again in the Stewart 34’s. It was a magic time in the City of Sails. Gary Jobson BillMiller-Godfatherof theStewart34’s In 1968,Bill Miller at 43 years had played many different sports,but had done no yachting. He was fielding a second slip in a cricket match along side the New Zealand cricket legend Verdun Scott,who was at least ten years older than Bill and still ten times a better cricketer. Miller nevertheless could concentrate, and his eyes were firmly on the ball. Verdun tapped Bill on the shoulder and said “forget it Bill, the ball went past you a half an hour ago.” On that sad note, he decided to give cricket away. At the same time, Miller was selling a block of six furnished flats in Ponsonby for $20,000. A Mr.Vellenowth from Herald Island offered $10,000 in cash and a 40’Bailey designed ketch. As Miller had lived on the shore since 1934 he thought he should give yachting a try, so he did the deal. Being a competitive sort of guy, he of course had to race her. In those days, the Akarana had just started winter racing and had one hugedivisionof 110yachts. Miller’sketchEurydicesailedintwoof theseracesandplaced109th and110th . Theworstpartof the110th place finish is that the officials were out waiting to pick up the outside starting mark and they growled at Eurydice because she was a half an hour behind the 109th place boat. Miller felt that after sailing two races he had more or less mastered yacht racing,so the poor resultscouldonlybe attributedtoaslowboat. HesoldEurydice as soon as he could. Miller went to seek consultation fromSquadron CommodoreWilf Beckett,whoheknewthroughbusiness. HewasadvisedtobuyaStewart34. Heboughtonecalled Pavo,perhaps under somewhat dubious circumstances,but that’s another story altogether. Sailingthrough“PionnierPassage” Half waythroughtheStewart1986/87Championship,PrinceHalsailedbyChrisPackerwasneckandneckwithBillMillerandRick RoydenonPionnier. DuringtheChristmasHolidays,forareasonnoonecannowremember,MillerandRoydendecidedtoseeif they couldsailaStewartthroughtheshoalareashorewardof theRangitotoLighthouse. TheymooredPionnieratoneendof thesupposed “impassable”passage. In a dinghy,using a lead line at low tide they conducted a careful hydrological survey. At one stage Royden said “It’s no use Bill. It’s only 5’8”anywhere round here.” “Not to worry”said Miller. “A Stewart only draws 5’6”!!” They carried on and drew a“mud map”of the zigzag passage. At the start of the last race of the season Pionnier and Prince Hal were in a dead heat, tied for first place. Whichever boat finished ahead of the other would win the coveted Stewart Championship. Suddenly this little tidbit of information about the Rangitoto shortcut became very pertinent. The facts are as follows: About 18 Stewarts started at Orakei Wharf in the Round Rangitoto to Islington Bay Race, and the recall signal was fired. Miller, thinking Pionnier might have been over early, dipped back over the start line, losing quite a bit of ground. The crew then noticed the recall flag was still flying and thought perhaps they had not dipped enough. They sailed around the outer start mark and once again crossed the start line. The damned recall flag was still flying! Pionnier had not been over at the start!! It was in fact Phantasy who had been over early and she had not come back. One can only imagine the language that must have been flying at the time. The rest of the fleet was now at least 200 yards ahead and Pionnier