AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 76, 31 March 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

AQUATICS.

Yachtsmen rev .1 in a fine day with a good breeze, and they got ifc for once last Saturday and Sunday, when nearly every yacht in fche place was out. The Rita, Wenona, Marafcea, and Tawera had a slashing run to Waiwera last Saturday, doing thp trip in excellent time, while the Maritana paid Kawau a visit. Coming home last Sundayafternoon, anyone would have thought the big yachts were having a race round Tiri, «s they all came through tho passage within three mjles of each other, having topsails set. The Maratea had a long lead, with the Tawera second, then the Maritana from Kawau joined in, while the Rita and Wenona, close together, were last through. The wind being S.W. the Maratea, Tawera and Kita stood on towards fche east end of Rangitoto, while the Maritana and Wenona worked up by the Wade. The -wind shifting, and coming more from tho west, allowed the Maratea and Tawera to make the beacon at the reef, without having to make two boardß. The Maratea was first round the North Head, the Maritana second, closely followed by the Tawera, and some distance behind by the Wenona. The Rita went to leeward of Motufcapu and came up through the eastern passage. The wind dropped as the tide turned, and it was late before the two white yachts picked up their moorings. Young Scheriff, who won fche senior swimming race at the Judge's Bay Regatta last Saturday,,is a bit of a hummer, as his performance in beating such an acknowledged flyer as Nicholson will show. Ifc is only fair to say.in reference to the latter's defeat, thatwhen turningthe mark-boat he lost several yards by swimming into, instead of past the bo^t. There is some talk of the young winner deserting the paths of amateurism, and I hear fchafc several sports would aofc mind backing him against; Bynes, the champion, for a reasonable stake over a reasonable distance. Flying rather high that, I fancy.

All yachtsmen who havo the real interest pf things aquatic afc heart must rejoice at the action the Yacht Club Committee have taken in establishing bhe challenge cups for the members of the Club—a £50 cup for the large yachts, a £25 cup for the yachts over four and under six tons, while a separate race is to be made for the yachts under four tons. The] prize in the latter race will probably be money, but I think it a pity that the Club cannot do as for the other two classes. The cup need not be valuable, but it wpu'ld infuse more life into the small yachting fraternity to have a challenge cup. It has been decided to bold the races on the 24th of May, a most ill-advised date I consider, as fching6 afc present stand. I hope tho Club Committee will take immediate aotion fco have the date altered, as the Queen's Birthday is bhe day fixed for fche most important fixture of this year's football season—viz., Auckland's firsfc match with Lilly white's English Fifteen.