Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download
ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
84 1989 International Match Racing Series, overseas plans for a Match Racing World Championship went forward. The Stewart Association had offered its support to American Gary Jobson when he was advocating the idea during his participation in the 1986 Citizen. The Squadron held a meeting on 28 May 1988 to discuss their participation in the inaugural of the World Match Race Series. Despite twelve years of experience in organizing match racing events, the Stewart Association was not invited to participate in the meeting. The first World Match Race Series was held in Perth, Australia in December of 1988 and was won by Chris Dickson. The Squadron’s Officer on Deck, Richard Woodyear-Smith was sent over to observe the event. He submitted a very interesting four-page report in which he noted that“a tremendous amount of input is necessary to get everything right.” Even though brand new boats were used for the event, Woodyear-Smith commented that they were“too new-too many bugs.” He went on to say that the organisers“need to have all boats fully checked before the regatta” and that“not having a spare boat was a real cause of concern.” Could he have been saying“perhaps the Stewart 34’s and their Association were not so bad after all? What came next was the worst and last major confrontation between the Stewart Association and the Squadron. In a Match Race Committee meeting at the end of October 1988,Richard Endean spoke briefly about a confidential deal brewing with DB, but a couple of months later, nothing appeared to be happening. 1989 In mid January 1989, Richard Endean announced to the media that DB would sponsor the 1989 New Zealand Match Racing Trials,offeringbigprizemoneyandanentirelynewformat. Thisrepresentedamajorchangeof tackonthepartof theSquadron, because up to that point in time, the Squadron had been completely opposed to awarding prize money. The Stewart Association was horrified. Why would there be prize money offered for the New Zealand Trials, which was nothing more than a qualifying heat for the Citizen, but none for the Citizen itself? It appeared as if DB was trying to get as many big-name sailors into the New Zealand Trials in order to“out-publicize”Citizen Watch in its Match Racing Series. Furthermore,they wanted the world’s top-ranked match race sailor,Chris Dickson to sail in the New Zealand Trials and“hopefully”qualify for the Citizen. In previous years, due to his status, Dickson had automatically been invited to race in the Citizen without having to qualify through the NZ Trials. This then left another spot in the NZ Trials for another promising, up-and-coming Kiwi sailor. The Stewart Association called and Emergency General Meeting to discuss the issue. A motion “to write to the R.N.Z.Y.S (the Squadron) and also to every individual R.N.Z.Y.S Match Race Committee member, advising them all that we cannot accept the radical new proposals announced on 23 January 1989 regarding the New Zealand Match Racing Trials was passed unanimously.” A six page letter was hand delivered the next morning to the R.N.Z.Y.S and all the R.N.Z.Y.S match race committee members explaining their reasoning, which was ostensibly the Stewart Association’s objection to much of the DB format, as well as the specific conditions under which the Stewarts would agree lend their boats. For the first time in history,the StewartAssociation decided that they would no longer be pushed around,and if they were going to lend their boats, it would be under their conditions, not the borrower’s! Panic ensued, and by 10:00 am phones were ringing off the hook. The media, who had not been informed of the situation by the Stewart Association, began calling the Squadron to enquire about the fate of the Citizen. TVNZ asked has the only great and live TV yachting contest in New Zealand been cancelled? TosaythattheSquadronwasannoyedisanunderstatement. TheycastigatedtheStewartAssociationforsendingcorrespondence directly to the Match Race Committee members. Furthermore, it can only be surmised that one or more of the Match Race Committee members must have leaked the news to the media,as the Stewart Owner’s letter was sent only to the Squadron and the Match Race Committee. The final result was that the Squadron Flag Officers, without even calling a Match Race Committee Meeting, capitulated and most of the Stewart Association’s suggestions were included in the event’s hastily rearranged format.