AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 66, 18 March 1905, Page 12

AQUATICS.

A movement is on foot to arrange a championship race between the four 20ft yachts Seahorse, Nyanza, Roma, and Eileen. I hope that this event will not fall through, as at present it is undecided which of the four is the fastest boat. ~ , An 18ft tuck stern centre-board yacht will be launched next week by Messrs. Bailey and Lowe for Mr. Lepper, of the Wade. The yachts Thetis and Moana returned from an. enjoyable cruise in Northern waters on Sunday last. They visited the principal ports on the coast. The handicapping in the North Shore Yacht Club's race* on Saturday last calls for favourable comment. In several instances the differences in the finishing times amounted to only a few seconds. The club's next race will be held on Saturday next. The concluding race of the season to Mateatea Bay by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron last Saturday was uninteresting, except in on particular — the narrow margin by which the Ariki secured first place. She was allowing the Ida 18m, and finished just 18m 18s ahead. The boats stayed in the bay till the next morning, when most of them went out into the gulf for fishing. The' return to town was made in the evening. T7ie Tonsonhy Cruising- Ciub were holding their annual club races thi3 af- i ternoon, the last of the season. The North Shore Rowing Club were rowing races this aftemon. The Waitemata and Auckland crews which competed in the championship regatta at Wellington last Saturday re- 1 turned during the week. As my readers know, the Waitemata crew won the i maiden fours, and Auckland secured second place in the senior clinker fours. Auckland also entered for the champion f oxirs, but did not get placed. Describing the maiden fours race the Wellington "Times" says: "The Waite- \ mata men took the lead early in the race, and won easily by three lengths. Time, 5m 47 3-ss. This is the official time, and to account for the discrepancies between if and other times recorded over a mile course, it is assumed that the distance in this race was short. The winners were right on the outside, but were favoured by the fact that the course was an angular one, along the shore, from Korokoro to the Petone boatshcdß. The course' for the other mile events was further along the shore." Waitemata also won this race at the championship regatta at Wanganui last yearIn the senior clinker fours Auckland held a good lead until a short distance from the finish, when Wanganui Union drew level, and in a determined race hope won by about a length. TEe Stewart Dawson Challenge Cup, awarded for the greatest number of points gained in all events, goes to the Wanganui Union Boating Club. The points are: Wanganui Union, 15 (two wins, four seconds, and a third). Star Boating Club, 9 (one win, two seconds, and two thirds). Canterbury Rowing Club, 9 (three wins?). Wellington and Wanganui Rowing Clubs, 4 each, Waitemata, Petone, Christchurch Amateur, Christchurch Union, and Akaroa, 3 each. Auckland 2. Aramoho and Invercargill, 1 each. TTic champion 20ft mullet boat Emerald has been purchased by Mr. A. Braund. The boat, I am sure, will maintain her good reputation under the new ownership. As regards the race between Hetty and Mowai next Saturday, a yachtsman who calls himself "Fairplay" writes mc as under: 'Re the match between the 22ft yachts Mowai and Hetty, I would like to call attention (through the medium of your paper) to the fact that a number of yachtsmen propose to follow the boats round the course in order to get a better view of the race. After the last annual regatta performance of yachtsmen repeatedly sailing their craft around the finishing line, I think that something should be said to warn them off the course. If a number of pleasure seekers are going to get in the road of the competing yachts all the other t fl qUite POSBib,e that ODe or other of the racers might be forced to bout ship or keep clear, simply because ignorant amateur yachtsmen are no™ acquainted with th/ common ruTs ud courtesies of yacht racing The Petrel made an interesting cruise last week-end, having Ponsonby SS ten on Fnday night, Blind Bayf Great Barrier, was reached before daylight on Saturday morning. The crew were busily engaged trying to net a fresh breakfast when a local resident enmo rushmg down to the beach in an evidently excited state. It transpired that the bay has been infested with sharks throughout the season, and bathing and the local residents had been stralwers for months. However, on this occasion neither small fish nor sharks were encountered. Later in the mornino- the coast was closely skirted, and after a call at Whangapara, Fitzroy was reached early in the afternoon. The beauties of the harbour were fully investigated, and a start was not made for town till 5 on Sunday afternoon. A good trip of seven hours was made, and the moorings picked up at midnight after a really enjoyable cruise.