Sea Spray June 1951

Strong, puffy winds were encountered by competitors in the final Leander Trophy R class race conducted by the Christchurch Yacht Club on the Estuary yesterday. The trophy was won by Petite (E. Rountree, with 240 points, 40 points ahead of the nearest competitor, Vivid (A. Stemmer). The conditions for yesterday's race were the worst experienced in the contest. A handicap cup was raced for in conjuction with the Leander Trophy and was won by Vivid, with 190 points.

Fifteen boats started in the first race. The course was a windward and leeward one over about four and a half miles. Petite, always among the leaders, sailed exceptionally well on both the first and second runs to beat Heather by 28sec.

The second race started with the 12 boats getting away well. On the beat to windward, Petite, Vivid, Serene and Feather fought for the lead. At the weather mark Petite led from Vivid, with the rest of the field closely bunched, about half a minute behind. Poor spinnaker work cost several boats valuable places. Petite finished 51sec. ahead of Feather, and Vivid, which moved up rapidly, was third.

Sailing a steady race, A Stemmer in Vivid had a well-deserved win in the final. E. Rountree, in Petite sailed a conservative race and took no chances of losing his points lead gained in the first two races, and did not risk a capsize. Seven boats started in the race, held over a windward and leeward course, between Tee Stake and Skylark. The race started at 2:40p.m. The wind was gusty from the south-east, about 20 miles an hour. Heavy rain fell during the race. On the next beat Feather lost two of her crew overboard, but quick work saved a capsize. Vivid increased her lead on the beat and led Serene, Frantic, Heather, Petite and Nimbus around Skylark.

Results of the Leander Cenotaph races were:

Points Scored were:

Points scored in the handicap cup were: