AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Issue XXXVI, 21 October 1905, Page 12

AQUATICS.

The first rowing regatta of the season in Sydney was held on Saturday week last-

On Saturday week last, in the open sea, on the Ulawaxra coast, a 'boat .race

ok place which deserves some notice, ./scause it is probably the first of its kind to be held in this part of the world (says the Sydney "Mail"). The course of about six ntile3 was from the jetty at Bulli to Austkrmer jetty and 'back. The sea was rough, owing to a fairly strong breeze from the south east, but the two crews appear to. have rowed well, and the contest was of much local interest. At the turn the larger boat was about a length ahead, but on the way home the Dolphin gained considerably, and won by about 150 yards, not so much, however, for a race over a course of the distance, which took 60 minutes to row. If the length of the course is correct, it is a remarkably good performance. The prize was £5.

The St. George's Rowing Cbab have chosen the following crews to row for the commodore's trophies at the "At Home" next Saturday: Dunne, H. Steele, Laird, Peaeocke; Richards, Grant, Flower, Taite; Totten, Bach, Robertson, Taylor; Stone, Nponan, Brassey, Palmer; Hume, Tattley, Innes, Rackstraw; P. Steele, Harper, Sommerville, Horricks.

The mouldings for Mr. C. Henning's mew schooner-yacht are now finished, and a start on the constructing of the vessel will be made by the builder, Mr. C. j Bailey, junr., as soon as the hardwood keel arrives from Sydney.

The marine superintendent at Auckland, Capt. Fleming, is having a 25ft oil launch built by Mr. C. Bailey, junr. The vessel is to be fitted with a 4 h.p. engine.

A 25ft oil launch was shipped by Mr. C. Bailey, junr., for Nelson last week.

1 Messrs, Logan Bros, launched the new 35ft cruising yacht Wanderer on Tuesday last. The yacht, which is for Mr. Mppre, of Nelson, will be sent away by one of the coastal steamers next week.

J The rowing season in Auckland was j officially opened by the Auckland Rowling Association this afternoon.

Mr. A. T. Fitter's new 40ft yacht Rawhiti (Sunshine) left for Sydney on Wednesday in charge of the following crew: Capt. O. Shuke and Messrs. John Bell and Harold Bettany. The crew is an experienced one, and Bettany, who is the youngest of the party, has sailed round tbe world in big vessels. He is a nephew of the late Commodore Bettany, of the Ponsonby Cruising Club. ■The crew of the Rawhiti expect that, provided favourable winds" are met with, they will reach Sydney in about a fortnight's time; but if the weather proves unfavourable the voyage might occupy a month or more. The distance between Auckland and Sydney is 1280 ! miles.

The Auckland Rowing Club has just received from Australia a large order of practice and racing oars.

A paragraph in the annual report of the Auckland Rowing Association recommends to the affiliated clubs the desirableness of their obtaining for next season p.iir-oar boots so as to encourage this class of rowing amongst the members. The suggestion was very favourably received, and already the Auckland Club is negotiating for the building of one of these boats.

The receipts of the Auckland Rowing Association last season amounted to £44 14/, and the expenditure to £34 7/. leaving a credit balance of £10 7/.

i With a view to securing the most com petent men for the committee of th< ARA., the delegates at the last annual meeting decided that the executive shall be elected at the annual meeting by those members of the rowing clubs present. This was introduced as an amendment to a motion that the executive be elected by delegates from the various clubs, and I am not quite sure if the latter is not the better proposition. What would happen if the members pf one or two clubs, taking advantage of .the indifference of others, attended an annual meeting in full force and transI acted business in a manner which was jnot approved by the majority of oarsjmen. That the opinion of oarsmen was 'divided on the two propositions placed j before them is shown by the fact that the amendment was carried by only one vote.

The competition this year for the Dewar Shield will take place at the Ponsonby regatta.

| The West End Rowing Club's new cap|ta.in, Mr. H. Lander, has had wide ex perience in rowing matters both in Eng land and the colonies, and it is pleasing to note the keep interest he is taking in the welfare of the club. No less than fourteen crews were put last Saturday afternoon training hard for coming events.

j Messrs. Bailey and Lowe are building" ;a smart little 20ft centre-boat for Mr. W. Speedy, of Isorthcpte. A contest between this bqat, Roma, Nyanza, and Seahorse would prove interesting P'.Mr7C. .J, Parr, the Cit^'"Gouncillor, has placed an order -with Messrs. Glare and pollings for a 25ft launch. She will ; have a iromfortable little cabin, and will! be fitted with an 8 horse-power double | i cylinder engine. " , i r THe well-known cruising yacht Spray, | 'of the Victoria Cruising C3nb, Jias been sold to fisherpiep." Messrs. Clare and Cpllings have nearly completed a smart "lopking 24ft tuckstern boat for Messrs. Keys and Jackson, pf Nprt-hcote, late owners of the Oxapgi. . She yiU havp a aid a fine suit'of saib|, and judging by £p-' jjearsmces be' very ; last,'"....

It is probable that Mahald ana Miharo will npt be commissioned this season. -

Several boats are to be launched "from: St. Mary's, .Beach during next .week." Seahorse was launched on Saturday last .and went out for * spin. ■ Mr; Parker and his crew have taken a iot pi trouble to improve their boat. She ; bas a new pine mast, and a fine of sails made by Mr. Boonstra.

A meeting of gentlemen interested in the Auckland Anniversary Regatta will be held at the Waitemata. Hotel on Tuesday ntgrt.

Larchmont Race Week is one of the three great events of the American yachting season. It, is aquatics on a leviathan scale. Commencing with a gigantic open regatta one Saturday, -the programme continues till -the following Saturday,, when there is a grand finale. Four of the days' racing axe open toeall classes, while two are limited to yachts 30ft, or thereabouts, waterline. At the recent Larehmont Regatta .the largest number of starters in any race was 62.

After all, iSays an exchange, rthe racing match between Ford and Towns will take place oil the Hunter River on November 11, as originally arranged, for £200 aside. It will be remembered that Towns' second deposit of £.50 miscarried through no fault of his, and Ford claimed the forfeit as provided by the articles. Towns offered to pay him £50 extra, representing tb* deposit in question, provided he (Towns) won the race. Ford declined the vdjer, and wanted the £50 win or lose. Towns vng. at this office .last week quite satisfied that all chance of a race" was subsequently Ford agreed to his Offer, and the race will now take place a* stated. While Ford had right on his side, he would have been foolish, to stick to it, and lose the race. He had been in training rSome weeks, obtained a new boat, and had to put a man in iis place, so that he would really gain nothing out of the £50 deposit after paying expenses. Besides, he would lose the chance of £200 in stakes, also wages. He must think he has a good show of winning or would never nave made the match. -It would have been j bad for the sport, too, if the match had fallen through in such an unsatisfactory way.

The new Motor Launch Club, which is j called the New Zealand Power Launch Association, has a membership of about 60, while there are 28 boats on the club's register, which is very .satisfac-1 tory indeed, seeing that the club was formed only last week. It is estimated that there" are fully 50 oil launches alone in Auckland, and there is also a large number of steam launches. Both 1 type of vessel are eligible, and as the' new club has 'been formed to further the interests of yachting in every legi; thnate way, I hope to see a big increase in the number of members and boats In the course of the next few weeks.

The official opening of tbe motoring season in Auckland will take place on November 9.

The Ponsonby Regatta Clnb have elected Mr. E. C. Blomfield chairman of committees. Mr. Blomfield is a most enthu- ■ siastic yachtsman, and with his 'legal know-ledge will be of great assistance to j the committee. The collectors for the regatta are working very hard, putting in all their spare time canvassing from house to house, and it is to be hoped; that the public will recognise the endeavours of those gentlemen by subscribing and helping to make the 1905 regatta a brilliant success. A revised book' of rnles will no doubt be soon procurable, as -the committee found it necessary to make a few alterations to the old rules, which will be beneficial to yachtsmen in general. -

According to the latest accounts of that interesting quartette, the racing 52-fpotcrs, Maymon leads the way in points. Moyana held pride pf place for the greater part of the season, but bad luck struck her at the Royal Southern Regatta, and she has not recovered. Out pf 34 starts, both Maymon and Moyana have each secured 12 firsts, but the former has 10 second te the latter's 8. and her percentage of flags is fi4.7 tp the other's 58.8. Out of 31 starts Britomart has obtained six firsts and. 10 seconds, while Sonya has started 25 times and taken three firsts and six seconds.

Brynhild, Sir James Pender's 156-ton yawl, won tbe £50 prize of tbe Royal Southampton Yacht Club, and the £50 prize of the Royal Dorset Yacht Club, during the latter end of August. Zinita, 92 tons, also added several flags to her number. Rosamond, 63 tons, scored a win and a prize of £60 at the Royal Torbay Regatta pn August 20.

The Rochester Club of New York retains tpe Canada Gup. In the series of races which took place pn Lake Ontario in August, Iroquois, the Anierican representative, won three out of the five sailed. The Canadian boat Tenieraire, designed by Fife, was beaten, but, as the result shows, not disgraced. The Rochester Club have now beld the cup for three years.