AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 258, 6 November 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

AQUATICS.

It is about time that the Auckland Anniversary Regatta Committee held a meeting to make preliminary arrangements for the annual regatta of January 29th next. Past experience has taught that the annual regatta takes a lot of working up, and the sooner a start is made the better. The boating season is now upon us, and the committee have no time to lose if the 1898 regatta is to be made the success it should be.

Several new yachts are now in the water for the season, and others are to follow. The fine 40-footer Thelma, Jagger Bros.' new yacht, which was launched from Logan Bros.' shed last Saturday, is being rigged, and will be

in proper sailing order in time for the opening of the yachting season. The Thelma looks a very handsome craft in the water, and when under sail she should be a pretty sight. She will have a large area of canvas, and special care has been taken with the sails. The main-boom is 39 feet in length, The Thelma is to be fitted with a top-mast, and will set a 'jackyarder' top-sail. All her spars are of picked. Oregon pine. Below decks the yacht is divided into com-1 modious cabin, 12 feet long, ladies' cabin, 6 feet 9 inches long, and forecastle, and will sleep about fourteen persons. The 21 -rater, or 30-footer, class of yachts "should provide some very interesting races at the coming regattas this season. This event, always a popular one, will be watched with fresh interest this season, owing to the advent of the new rival 30- ---■ footers, the Kotiri (Mr Dufaur's yacht) and the Meteor (Mr Pittar's), built by Logan Bros, and Bailey Bros, respectively. The Kotiri has •been out for several sails since her launch, and gives her owner every satisfaction. The Meteor, which was launcheed from the Baileys' shed last Saturday, has also had several trials, and has sailed splendidly. She is snugly rigged with a pole-mast, and is a very '"handy boat. Her suit of sails, imported from England, fit splendidly, her mainsail especially setting well. On Tuesday the Meteor was out for a spin in a very light westerly breeze, and sailed exceedingly well, getting through the water very 'fine' and going about like a top. The races at the Ponsonby and Auckland regattas between the Meteor, Kotiri, iiarere, and Mahaki, will be ; watched with keen interest.

Mr A. B. Donald's 3G-footer cruising yacht will be launched from Bailey Bros,' slip next week. She has been painted white, with gold streak. I The boat has full lines, and should, prove a comfortable cruiser. Five tons of lead on her keel give her plenty of stability. She is to be rigged as a yawl. Two or three new boats have been built at Ponsonby for this season. The first of them, a 2i-rater, built by Mr Shaw for himself, was launched last Saturday, and is moored oil: Freeman's Bay. She has wedge-like lines, and looks very tender, which is explained by the fact that she has only 13cwt of lead on her keel. I hear she is to have several hundredweight of ! ballast put into her. The Rapu-i, a 2-rater, has been finished at St. Mary's Bay, Ponsonby, for Mr Brown, and was to be launched this week. Mr Carder will also have a new yacht in the water from Barton's slip. The steel yacht Thetis is being rerigged at Ponsonby, and is expected to do a lot of cruising this season, as well as entering for races. The Yum-Yum, Mahoe, Orewa, and Toroa were launched at Ponsonby this week. The Isirael was being fitted with a new spruce pine mast this week. The pioneer cruise of the season was made by the yachts Miharo.Merry Duchess, Mabel, Gorina, and Merrythought last Saturday and Sunday. The weather was very unpleasant, and the yachts had to beat back from Drunken Bay on Sunday afternoon against a very strong westerly wind, double-reefed.Several of them dragged their anchors for some distance in Drunken Bay on Saturday night,when a strong S.W. wind prevailed.

The Halcyon, which has been hauled up for the last eighteen months in Freeman's Bay, is, I hear, to be put into commission again this season, Mr Watson having hired her out.

The Princess Grisella, a yacht which was built by Mr R. Reid for a Ponsonby resident some time ago, has changed hands, and is now owned by Mr Harris, of Grafton Road, who has re-named her the Hauiti. Her new owner g-ot a real bargain in her, as he only paid £35 for a boat which cost £120.

Mr Bloomficld's Viking has been cleaned and painted, and is now ready for the season's sailing.

The West End and St. George's Rowing Club hold trial fours this afternoon, both clubs entertaining visitors at their 'At-Homcs.'

In concluding his evidence in the recent Zonobia enquiry at Brisbane, Captain Almond, the local portmaster, said his opinion of the sailing craft there was that too much sail was carried. The boats were simply sailing machines, and run the risk of being upset every time they went into the bay.

The Victorian Rowing Association, in answer to the usual invitation to send an eight to take part in the intercolonial contest at Brisbane, has replied that one will be chosen according to the amateur definition prevailing in Victoria. On the other hand, New South Wales has decided to only take part provided the crews all conform to the definition arrived at by the intercolonial conference. Queensland Association has now to decide.

The Sydney 'Referee' says :—'Jim Stanbury, the ex-champion of the world, looked us up the other day, looking young and fresh enough to be champion for many years yet. Just now he is devoting himself to something more solid and satisfying than champion honours, being after a contract for erecting telegraph lines out back, a work he was engaged in before he went to England to beat Harding. He still keeps an eye on the doings of the scullers, of course, and will no doubt be on hand to make a match when occasion offers. He does not fancy, with Town's admirers, that the Hunter River man is better than Wray, and he ought to know something about the latter, who trained with him prior to the Harding race.'

English files state that the Torquay Royal Regatta, which had been scheduled to start on August 23, was postponed until the following day owing to a heavy sea in the Channel the day before preventing the yachts from coming roundf from Weymouth. The fates, however, were altogether against the fixture, as on the 24th a strong S.W. breeze was blowing, with a heavy sea in the Channel, while rain fell during the greater part of the clay. The entries in the big race were : Meteor (Emperor of Germany), Aurora (Mr C. D. Pose), and Bona (Duke d'Abruzzi). At the end of the first round Meteor, allowing Aurora llmin 51sec and Bona 23min 48see, held only 12sec lead from Aurora; however, this she increased to 2min on the second reach. In the third round the Aurora carried away her bobstay and retired, leaving Bona to finish lOmin inside her time allowance.

The next day the three big yachts met again, Mr P. Donaldson's Isolde also being included in the match. Bona won by 17min on time allowance, with Isolde second, and Aurora third. On the same day Mr W. P. Burton's Penitent won the race for 52-raters, with Mr A. Coates' Morning Star second, and the Earl of Dun-

raven's Audrey third. The 30-raters (Lloyds) race saw Minniehaha a winner on time allowance, Hoopoe filling second place, and Vanda third.