Roland Lennox-King Onboard SV 1966 to 1967

Roland Lennox-King       May 07, 2020

I do not know how many times I have thought of CB over the years, for the crafty old guy certainly changed my life. ”I wrote to CBs advert for crew in Yachting World , whilst only18 and still at school. He kindly agreed to take me as far as Hongkong for free as I could not affford to pay a pound a day , as was the going rate (didn’t want any one bumming off him) I joined in Sydney straight after the S/Ho art win, and in HK told him I could not afford to pay and made plans to fly home. He had met my father and said after sailing one day “ I’d like to speak to your father before you go” .I gave him the ph# in Auckland.” Oh you come to the hotel and you can say hello. I duly did and passed the phone to CB . He then says to my old man” oh I have discussed the future with Roland and we have agreed he will stay on as long as he wants .I will pay him a pound a day and fly him home when he is sick of it” I was speechless as we had at no time had that discussion. Typical CB!! I stayed for another eighteen months and did all the races. HK / Manila was my first.( I think I am up to 11 China Sea Races now) . I did two Big Boat series in San Francisco, Transpacific ‘67 , when we won, and all the Los Angeles Mexican Races. CB then told me I was NOT coming round the Horn and it was time I got myself an education .I left the boat in October ‘67?. to attend UCLA , before returning to NZ some years later , wanting to be a Kiwi, but that’s another story.”