mountie

"How's it feel to be dilly-dorked by a bargain-basement 30 footer?' Ben Bax,(Tauranga) mid 80's, Sarney memorial race as he rounds first off Whangaparoa in Ross 930 "No Worries", well in front of the entire creme of Auckland's contemporary race yachts.

"Anyone got any ideas?" Dennis Conner, race 7, Newport, Sept 26th 1983. "Take me to the house of twisted faces". Dennis Conner, Auckland airport, giving instructions to taxi driver to get to him to Panmure Cruising Club. "Its your watch, you sort it out." Trevor Dohgerty to Mike McCormick when rig falls down in a 2-handed race out the back of Cuvier in the middle of the night.

"I'm scared of the day that people find out how little I know". Mike McCormick. Kiwi (Tauranga) navigator on the top Admiral's cup yacht, when the Admiral's cup was the world's top yachting event (around 1980).

The bevelled edge is to improve airflow over the edge of the foredeck, when heeled. Where practical, a lot of race-yachts have rolled, or bevelled edges fwd of midships. It can give an increment of advantage upwind, and every increment is worth having.

A stunning re-hash job taking place here. All credit to the owner, builders and designer for showing the balls required to "cut and splay", as many of us did with skiffs and other boats over the years. Not for the faint-hearted, and the result will be a sparkling little coastal racer, re-birthed and rejuvenated.