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The club's annual classic yacht race and display will be a highlight of the Pleasant Point Yacht Club's centennial celebrations over Waitangi weekend, especially as a special yacht will be present.
Started at the 75th jubilee, the classic yacht race sees classic boats of all classes and their equally-classic crews get on the water to compete in a Mark Foy race for the Epiglass International Trophy.
This year's display will feature Jest, the Sharpie boat Peter Mander and Jack Cropp sailed to Olympic glory in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. The pair were the first New Zealand gold medallists in sailing.
Three new Sharpies were built to create a local fleet in the buildup to that Olympic campaign - Jest, Quest and Impudence - and all were sailed by members of the Christchurch Yacht Club.
Pleasant Point Yacht Club’s connection to their Olympic campaign comes in the form of another Sharpie called Kestrel. She was built pre-war by club members Bob Christie and his good friend Ern Rountree and post-war was owned by another club member Bob Scott.
The selection trials, held over Easter 1956 on Lyttelton Harbour, also included Auckland and Wellington Sharpies.
Pleasant Point set out to find Kestrel in the hope she might feature in the centennial celebrations. The hull was found sitting on Pohara Beach in Golden Bay in a very derelict state.
But the search uncovered Jest and Quest, both now owned by Peter Walker of Golden Bay. Walker is in the process of bringing Jest back to her former glory and agreed to bring her down to Pleasant Point for the centennial celebrations and in particular the classic yacht day on Sunday, February 7.
Jest with all the paint stripped off her. Main photo: Peter Mander (helm) and Jack Cropp training on Lyttelton Harbour.
Two significant aspects of the weekend feature family connections back to the campaign. Graham Mander will judge the classic boats on display along with Jim Park, and the Rountree family will be represented at the celebrations by current members Graeme Rountree and his son George, making them the third and fourth generation of the family to be members of the club.
Pleasant Point Yacht Club centennial celebrations (February 5-8) programme:
Friday evening (6pm-10pm): Noggin and Natter at the club. Finger food supplied and a cash bar.
Saturday - PPYC Open Events, The Sullivan Cup (all senior classes), Arch Lamb Trophy, (Sunbursts), Bob Scott Pennant (Cats), Ray O'Brien Trophy (Firebugs), O'Brien Bell Trophy (Optimists, P Class and Shellbacks).
Saturday evening - 100 Years of Sailing Celebration Dinner at the Ferrymead Events centre.
Sunday - PPYC Classic Yacht Race, with classic yachts, motor boat and row boats plus classic cars.
Afternoon tea and prize giving in the Club.
Monday - PPYC club racing and a final wind-up to the weekend's celebrations.
For information about the club’s centennial weekend, contact Ian Douglas on 027 471 9208 or ppyc100years@gmail.com
