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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
57 fender on the Start Line.” Geoff Stagg: “We had a ball.The racing was extremely exciting and tighter than anything we have struck before.Although we have match raced in small boats we had not the slightest idea what a Stewart 34 sailed like.We couldn’t believe the floppy rigs were real but Patari’s owner, Lloyd Brookbanks, proved to our doubtful eyes that they certainly stand up and make the boats go extremely fast.To me,they seem faster than any keelboat up to 40 feet. We werealsoimpressedwith theefforts theSquadron Committee Boatmade inwaitingfor atrue breeze andalso their willingness to shift marks to keep the course true.In my experience fewYacht Clubs worldwide would take such care - Mighty! Make sure we are on next year’s list.” RayThompson: ‘ThemaincommentImakerethisSeriesisthatthisisbyfarthebesttypeof trainingthatanybuddingyachtsman can have. Most experienced yachtsmen know the importance of covering and do it reasonably well. However, in a normal longer race with more boats there is usually an opportunity by sailing better, or picking a new breeze, or using the tide, to improve one’s position. Proper tactical covering and planning plus the crew work involved is not practised as much as it should be. In match racing the penalty for not covering or an error in covering isTOTAL. That’s it! FINISH! In one good match series per year most yachtsmen would learn more than in the rest of a season. I commend it to all yachtsmen from‘P”Class upwards and particularly to coaches of our Olympic classes which we all hope are about to prosper in the next year or two. I enjoyed the Series immensely and as I never intend to sell my Stewart 34 I will leave others to comment on them.” With short windward/leeward legs, the crews were going flat-out most of the time. Another feature of a short racetrack was that other boats were always very close by, struggling to find clear air or disturb the air of their opponent. The Stewart’s match races lastedanaverageof 40minutes. If oneskippergotoff toanearlylead,itwasimperativetocoverone’sopponentandprotectthelead to the finish. If a boat fell behind,her crew would have to give it their all,tacking or gybing faster and trying to pick the wind shifts a bit better in order to claw their way back into the lead. Because there could be as many as 20 tacks in a ¾ mile beat, and a half dozen gybes on the run,the performance of the crew,helmsman and tactician were constantly challenged and honed by experience. Match racing was unquestionably more competitive,and an adrenaline rush for both crew and spectator. Win or lose, when one race was over, there was usually another one not far away. On some days, boats would race as many as ten of these short but intense sprints. If fleet racing on the Hauraki Gulf was a stroll in the park,then match racing on the Waitemata was boot camp. Becausethistypeof sailingwasnotonlyfun,itdramaticallyraisedtheskilllevelsof thecrew,somanyupandcomingsailorsbecame attracted to the Stewart Class and the number of people looking for crew positions quickly multiplied. Flushed with the success of the first Stewart 34 match racing event, Tony Bouzaid suggested to the Stewart Association that the following year they should raise the bar a notch and invite some top international skippers to come to Auckland and sail against New Zealand’s best. 4 - The Citizen Watch Match Racing Series 1979-1989 At the Annual General Meeting of the Stewart 34 Owners Association held on 16 August 1978, discussions were held in the interest of holding an annual Stewart match racing event. Bob Stanton, owner of Pampero and Rear Commodore of the Squadron, made a motion to purchase a trophy for the event that was to be called the Squadron Challenge Cup, which was to be presented by the Stewart Association to the winner of the match racing event. It was quite a bold proposal considering a suitable trophy would cost more than $350 and the bank balance of the Stewart Association at the end of the previous month was just $537.64. Nonetheless the motion carried, and a beautiful cup, as similar to the Congressional Cup as could be found, was purchased. It was recently valued at more than $5,000. Tony Bouzaid suggested that the Stewart Association take another bold step and send invitations to some top yachtsman from overseas to join in the competition. He said he could almost guarantee the appearance of his boss Ted Hood, a top sailor from