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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
51 part two – racing 1 - The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Inter-Dominion Series In 1968 one of the Squadron’s Stewart stalwarts mentioned to an Australian yachting friendabouthowfasttheStewart34’swere. IntrueAussiefashionachallengeensued. The followingyear,theRoyalPrinceAlfredYachtClubfromthelovelyPittwaterBayjustnorth ofSydney,sentagroupofskipperstoAucklandforsomefriendlytrans-Tasmancompetition intheStewart34’s. Theeventwasagreatsuccessandplanswerelaidforafuturecontest. The Aussies arrived in 1969 and presented the Association with a trophy for competition among the members of the Patiki fleet. They were here for a four-race challenge this time. Each of the 15 boats taking part had two skippers - a New Zealander and an Australian, takingturnsatthehelm.ThefifteenAustralianstakingparthadonlyafewcriticismsof the boats such as the cockpit layout. Mr. Pratchett,“Things can get a little cramped in there. But,thatabout,thePatikiisreallyafineclassandwe’vehadawonderfultimesailingthem.” The R.P.A.Y.C. reciprocated and in Easter of 1970 the Auckland skippers were invited to Sydney to compete in Soling Class boats. These proved a bit flighty for some of the older Aucklandskippers. The Sydneysiders returned to Auckland during the Easter period of 1972, this time with a team of 16 skippers to answer the Squadron’s invitation.Unbeknownst to the Squadron untiltheyarrived,threeoftheskipperswerefemale. AtthatpointintimetheSquadronwas still a male-only organization. Out of courtesy to the visitors,standing rules were suspended and so the Squadron began opening its doors towomenforthefirsttimeinitshistory. Racing was extremely close. Twenty knot southwesterlies blew for all four days of the regatta. The local sailors won by a narrow margin. The best performing boats were Panui,skippered by Wilf Beckett,Paprika,skippered by JohnTaylor,and Princess, skippered by Ian Littler. Bill Miller’s newly launched Pimpernel got her first gun as she finished first in the last race which was held on Easter Monday. All in all, it was a well run contest by the R.N.Z.Y.S. The R.P.A.Y.C. once again tried to reciprocate with an invitation to the Stewart skippers. To overcome the Soling issues, they advised that the boats to be used would be a fleet of mixed designs and results would be decided on handicap. This didn’t go over well with the one-designmindedStewartskipperssounfortunatelytheserieslapsed. The R.P.A.Y.C. had donated two nice trophies for the contests, both of which now sit unusedinacrowdedSquadrontrophycabinet. Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club trophy Charles Scoones Wheel Trophy Presented by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Charles Scoones