A YACHING QUESTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 29, 3 February 1905, Page 2

A YACHING QUESTION.

I (To tbe Editor , Sir, —There has been a lot of discussion lately amongst yachtsmen on the 'subject of keel versus centreboard boats, ,and on the unfairness of allowing centreboard boats to compete with keel boats. ■In the regatta held last Monday, in No. 18 class the following keel boats were entered, viz., Hauiti, Kotare, Bona, Mavourneen, Vanora, and Rose, the lastI named being built like a patiki, but j having a keel; Aoma, Bellbird, Doreen, and Advance, centreboard, and of [the patiki type. * There was not much wind nor sea, and the whole thing was a gift to the patikis, which against the tide had only to lift their centreboards and skim oyer the water. Not so with the keel yachts, which had to fight the tide, owing to depth. I have never considered it fair for a keel and a centreboard yacht to be allowed to compete in the same races, and I am sure that last Monday gave us a practical demonstration of the unfairness of allowing such a thing, and 1 am satisfied that if this matter is allowed to continue by regatta committees and yacht clubs in the future, very few owners of keel boats will enter to compete against skim dishes.—l am, etc., MARCO POLO.