AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 32, 8 February 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

AQUATICS.

The Bowing Association regatta lasb Friday was so spoilb by bhe rough weabher thab any notes on the races would be of littio value. Tho fairest plan to have adopted under the circumstances would havo been to postpone all the races. It cannot be considered a race when bhe men'a whole energies are concenbrated on bailing out their boats and keeping them from swamping. Though I am pretty sure the best crew won the Champion Gig Baca, I believe the others were very dissatisfied ab its being started in such a sea, and would like to have another go at the Waitemata men. I am rather surprised that so little has been done by our rowing men in the way of entertaining the Poverty Bay crew since they came to Auckland. Our cricketers and footballers generally show more consideration for visitors. I believe some proEosal was made by one or two of the clubs, ut others threw cold wator on it.

The decision of the Waitemata men to go to Dunedin is worthy of all praise. In present form they are the besb gig crew in Auckland, and ib will be interesting to see how they shape with Southern crews. They will be badly handicapped by arriving only one day prior to the race; but if they aie at all good sailors, and keep in form on the way, they should still be able to give a good account of themselves. The protests over the under lOst race ab the Regatta on Wednesday were most unfortunate. The firgb protest would never have been entered against Sb. George's, who cerbainly won on their merits, but for a feeling which has been engendered in some outside clubs, and which has been made very strong on bhe Thames by various actions of the Regatba Committee in years pasb, thab it is very hard bo get fair play when a crew visibs Auckland. There is an idea bhab one or two cliques work the Regatta Committee fortheirownpurposes.andgettheCommittee bo make and unmake rules to suib themselves.

Yachtsmen generally have not been blessing the Regatta Committee over the muddle made in the yacht races. Instead of having the courses so defined that no mistake could be made and then forcing competitors to abide by those courses, they made them so that the oldest sailors in Auckland and yachtsmen who know the harbour like bheir ABC could nob bell where they were supposed to go. Then to make matters worse they forced boats to sail over again a race in which all had gone the same course, though ib was not quite the programme course.

Capt. Gibbs is one of our most popular yachtsmen, and his victory in the contest fortthe Mutual Life Trophy was received with satisfaction by most, though each would of course have liked his own yacht to win. The Spray was well handled, or she could never have stuck bo the Mabangi as she did. The sight at bhe start of the race was a most beautiful one, enough to make all who saw ib resolve to save up coppers and buy a yacht.

In our regattas it is all very well for the yacht races to be sailed under the rules of our Yacht Club; bub Ido nob see that boats wishing to sail in the races should be forced to join that body. The Regatta is a public one in which every boat should have an equal right with every other to compete. If bhe Yacht Club get up races then they may make the competing boats join their club.but nob in bhe general annual Regatta, surely.

The victory of Stephenson on Wednesday was not at all unexpected, and there can be no doubt bhe bebter man won. The conbesb should give an impebus to Eculling in this colony, where it has languished of late years. Amongst our visitors during the recent colonial Jubilee celebrabions were two enthusiastic yachtsmen from the Empire City, Messrs Jacka and McCallum. These gentlemeu were commissioned by several yacht owners in Wellington to make inquiries about, also to personally inspect and report on, the many yachts owned in our port. Auckland has already a splendid name for her abiliby bo turn oub first class vesselsf as these frequent inquiries from other parts

indicate, and ib is to be hoped the information obtained may result in further demonstrating that we have in our ranks of builders, men who are able to turn out craft equal for speed and_ finish to anything procurable in the colonies. The visitors wero greatly impressed with the scene as w ;-nessed froen the flagships on Jubilee Day.and also ab the sight presenbed on Friday, when bhe race for the Mutual Life Association's trophies was sailed. The handicap in the race for the Mutual Life trophies struck mo as being a very queer one. The idea of asking a 15 ton yachb like the Matangi to give the 2 tonners Doris, Maud and several others only ten minutes, whilo the four tonners received seven minutes, seems ridiculous in the extreme.

I think the protest entered against Mr Bindon's yachb was hardly sportsmanlike, for they all went the same course and virbuallv the correcb one, only about eighb miles further than they should have done. The cutters and scows all went the wrong course, yet we hear of no protests in these races. With regard to tho third-class yachts again, before they started they were all told what course to go, with the result that the Manola won easily, yet they were ordered to race over again, and W. Holder's crack again showed her superiority by winning. By-the-bye, I hear bhab bhe owner of bhe Manola determined nob to re-sail the race, but that the rest of the crew took the boat and-Holder knew nothing about ib till the finish. It was certainly the besb thing to do for both (parties, as the Regatta Committee would have had bo defend bhemselves in a courb of law if bhe Manola had not raced again. Ib was very hard lines on bhe Isca, which came second in the first race,to be seven minutes late in starting for the race on Saturday. In the other races the boats all divided and went different courses,and they too were ordered to race over again. Some of them wouldn't starb and intend sueing the Regatta Committee for the prizes.

The protest against St. George's under lOst crew was for their going round a boat instead of round their buoy in the race. As a matter of fact round the boat was a longer course for them.