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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
62 again start to sail. Unfortunately his anchor had become fouled with that of a nearby boat. “Not to worry” proclaimed Cudmore. Out came a knife and withinafewsecondsbothwarpswereslashed,sendingtwolotsof groundtackle to the bottom of the Waitemata Harbour. Cudmore went on to win the race! The New Zealand news media gave tremendous coverage to the event. TVNZ had placed cameras on North Head as well as on the 23 meter motor yacht Sirdar, whose owner had generously donated the use of her as the committee boat for the series. Though she was anchored on the course, she had to have both engines running and a man constantly on the helm in order to keep the camera pointed within 5 degrees of its target receiver in an outside broadcasting van on the shore. The print media were also quite keen on the event. Alan Sefton of the Auckland Star gave the Citizen daily coverage. There was scepticism as to how the event would look on television, largely because nobody in the world had ever successfully carried it off. The only time it had been tried before was with an Anniversary Day Regatta, apparently with less than stellar results. However, Doc Williams and his team from TVNZ, complimented by enthusiastic commentary by Peter Montgomery, turned the Citizen into a television success. So much so, that TVNZ agreed to cover the event on an annual basis going forward. Furthermore, television networks from all over the world requested copies of the tapes in order to study the methods established by Doc Williams of televising live coverage of yacht racing. Eventually these innovative methods became the benchmark for coverage of match racing world wide. Many of the visiting yachtsmen simply could not believe the amount of media coverage given to the event. This level of coverage of a sailing event was generally unheard of in their home countries, and they were highly envious. Citizen Watch, the Squadron, the media and the Stewart owners had worked effectively together to create a successful, world- class event. Despite the huge success of the first Citizen, there were those who were critical of the event. Jack Knights, recognized as one of the top yachting journalists of the day, had this to say in his column in the well respected British Sailing rag Sail Mail: Local Level Rating Ace Roy Dickson Wins New Zealand’s Squadron Cup Match Series, Cudmore Second. Conspicuously sponsored by Citizen Watches, the Squadron Challenge Cup attained international note this year by the invitation of The winning crew of the first Citizen. Front row: Chris, Roy and Keith Dickson. Back row: Jim Douglas, Hugh Burrett, Jim Lidgard and Bob de Fluitier. Stewart Association Photo Murray Jones and Andy Knowles co- skippered in the 1979 Citizen Stewart Association collection Ted Hood was one of the top overseas skippers invited to the 1979 Citizen Stewart Association collection