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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
19 A few weeks later she was the first home in the combined fleet in the Devonport Yacht Club’s Duder Cup race, again beating much bigger and supposedly faster boats, including several A Class. “Losing a man overboard when the boat was moving at speed with her spinnaker set did not prevent J.V. Davern’s Princess finishing first. . . Remarkably, the man overboard, Peter Kingston, retained his hold on a rope and after being dragged through the water a quarter of a mile, was hauled back on board. Kingston is an experienced yachtsman.” “At first rivalry between Jim Davern & Ron Neil was intense. Spinnakers got bigger, genoas grew and the early boats earned a reputation of rounding up in squalls. This did the class no good so at the request of the Owners’ Association I drew up a sail plan with maximum and minimum measurements plainly marked, as also were the measurements for a No. 1 & No. 2 Genoa and the No. 1 working jib. This seemed to quiet things down a bit.” Auckland Star (Bob Stewart). “On shore we were a friendly bunch, on the water, enemies. We were a great social group with functions and parties at Westhaven. Both Frank and I had big families of much the same age. The main reason for the Association was to keep the boat one-design, to save money as we were all young and most had young families, and to advance the value of our boats. And it was fantastic racing, there was nothing like it on the water. The first six boats were usually across the line within 2 minutes.” Bob Stanton ‘’Nowadays all sails must be signed by the official measurer, who is also responsible for checking the hull construction, position and weight of motor and any other thing that could effect the speed of the boats. The result is that there are some 20 starters in a race and they usually finish with about four minutes between first and last boat in a harbour race.”Bob Stewart ThemostcherishedtrophyintheclasswastheR.L.StewartChampionshipPlaque,donatedannuallybyStewartformanyyears, and awarded to the boat with the best line honours record for the season. This was first competed for in the 1965/66 season and was won by Frank Innes-Jones on Patea and then, for the next three years in a row, by the Squadron’s Rear-Commodore, Wilf Beckett on Panui. In 1965 the Patikis were still racing in the Light Displacement Division, making up more the half the fleet. Frank Innes-Jones took the case of having a separate Patiki Division - by then twelve boats were racing - to the Squadron’s flag officers arguing that, at the present rate of building they’ll be too many to remain in the Light Displacement Division. Bob Stewart donated a trophy, the Stewart Cup for the Northcote and Birkenhead Yacht Club for competition by Patikis at a time when the boats were not recognised as a separate class and to provide the best racing for these boats alone. The Stewart Cup was raced for until 1980. The Cup since has gone missing and anyone knowing of its whereabouts is requested to contact the Stewart Association. Innes-Jones commissioned the now very familiar Stewart 34 sail logo in 1966. Designed by Ted Tabuteau it was carried on the mainsail of the Stewarts in anticipation of gaining their own division. In 1965 the Patikis became the first New Zealand keel boat to be recognised as a separate class for racing. Pampero, Pim, Pegasus and Panui on the start line, c. 1967 Stewart Association collection A sailing calender photo from 1969 Stewart Association Collection