AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1915, Page 7

AQUATICS.

£ leavy east nor'-east gale blew for gereral days last ueek. and <aiade yachting and life on the ~ea on our eastern coast rather miserable. 1 had the pleasure of n trip from the north in ont of the small .Northern Company boats in company with a squad of territorials who lor the past eleven weeks lave bpen guarding the northern wireless station. Thtn came away happy jind hearty, and ate water melon coming ioßii the river. When the little vessel itruck the opon water she gave two dives, a squirt, and rolled scuppers under twice, and the melon w<?nt back to the TOter. For a lime the territorials feir the white flair, but when the worst trie over they >ardined themselves alone ihe deck ami moved neither day nor taking only ship's biscuits for a refresher. It was an awful trip, but everybody smiled again when we passed the Ransitoto beacon. The Maranji dragged her moorings out and touched the hank in the blow, but no damage was done and she is now in Judge's Bay, or was. The Xgatira had also a little trouble, and numbers of the yachtsmen fonnd the boom swinging loose from the enitches when they went aboard on Saturday. It was a real good blow for tbe sailmaker.

The Royal New Zealand Yacht SqnadTon are leasing for their new rooms ihe top floor of Endean's Buildings, and inß have the whole of the floor facing (Jueen Street. The squadron have been for a long time looking for more suitable and larger ro-oms. and the new location should In- an immense success. The Yarht Squadron is onr premier yachting club, and with its big mamber«hip and income will be more suitably installed than it has been in the past. Tie decision to move has been made. and the legal part is now bein<j done, though the actual date of flitting has not vet been fixed.

Mr. \Y. M. Marks, of "Culwalla"' fame. }ias been appointed a lieutenant of, the Boyal Navy Volunteer Reserve in the Korth Sea. What the exact function of that body at the present time is I do not know, but 1 expect he will receive naval training now which will fit him for service in the navy if he is required iater on.

The New Zealand Motor Boat Reserve las been formed in Auckland, and has been gazetted a> such. Prior to the Keserve be-in;: formed launch owners had done quite a lot of patrol work, and done it gratuitously. Sow the owners iave been organised. and einre the organisation have done a lot of useful ■»rork for the Defence Department in •conveying officers and men to different j>arts of the harbour and gulf. It shows « strong feeling of duty on the part of the mesnbers. who freely offer their %>oats and their ecrricee for use in the furtherance of the work of the Defence Department. They ran only do useful work at present, but if Auckland were attacked they would, no doubt, offer •their lives as freely as they now offer iheir services. Prominent boats are the Seabird, Mavis. Oban. Jean. Emblem, 6eripps 111., Regina. Tahutn. Arizona, Doris, Pastime. .Speedwell. Arab. Ethel, Okere, Kenneth. Waiat.i. Leitnrr. Sterling, Girl, (iretcben.

The Auckland Regatta Committee iave fixed Saturday. April 17. for the re-sail for the champion flag for yachts. under 2oft 1.w.1., and may 1 1h- there to ccc it. Pacific. Mahaki. Wairiki and Speedwell will all be r;>.cinf:. and the contest will be extremely I hope the owners will leave nothing to chance iut give, the yacht a tOiormigh overhaul and cleaning, and the , * all that is wanted i~ a good eapfu] of erinrl. The first Tound. Mahaki, in tkG regatta won on a foul I in the hosing sense nf course). B.nd the second Paii.ic won last week an a ra<-e. but as it was not sor the flag it did not count. My idea *>f the relative hoat» is Paciti,-. Wairiki. Slahaki and Speedwell, but as one jourHal feelingly pointe out. I don't know •Everything.

One ot the part owner? of the Omatere 3s a member of the Fifth reinforcements Jiow undergoing training at Trcntham. •He got leave from Trontham and came ap to sail his craft in the 26ft mullet 'boat championship. He arrived on the morning uf the race and won it. and caught Sunday- ira:-i hick again to his Unties. May'his good Ufk still attend 3nm at the front.

This column v. iri.r.- to congratulate Jilr. J. C. JlaekT in winning the Devonfort cup on his birthday. His win was even more fitting than we knew, and we ■rish him many hjppy returns of the day, and may" he have to return the «up'next year to another winner. Our generosity' can"t stretch to wishing that %c may win it again next year, but in five Tears —why re*.

Pacific got another win on Saturday, in ihe Dunning Cup. run off under the auspices of thr North Shore Yacht Club. 3tte race star-ed from Stanley Bay -■wharf, thence round Rangitoto reef Duoy, keeping outside Sandspit buoy, thence south side of Squadron buoy, ilenee south side of Resolution buoy, -thence round mark boat above-Stanley wharf, back to starting buoy—in all 'about 10 knots. This i= Pacific's third or fourth nin this season. The field ■was a large one. and the starting line a hit narrow, and the competing boats -had some fun in the heavy nor-easter blowing. It was a good sailmaker's race, and several repair orders were placed on the Monday. Pacific won by 1 narrow margin after a fine raceSunday the wind "'ae mostly up and down, and very warm raTn showers. Most of ;hr yachts that were not racing ■with the Shore Club stopped on the moorings on Saturday afternoon, and a few attempted a sail on the Sunday. Moet of them got a short distance only, and several of our fliers had to be towed lack to their moorings. In the Pon-onby Regatta last week the flexibility race for launches was a featare of the programme. The rules sue-. Go as fast as you can. and at a given signal, the firing of a rocket, come tack a« slon o» you can without stopping, and xhc last boat wins. Fairplay men are placrd on board each launch, and if the engine stops the launch is out of &• A. good dea.l depends on the skill of tte engineer nho can get thp maximum speed out of his boat and then gpt the BHnimum on the return journey. Seven Janaches started, and the winner turned °P in Ethel, with Keabml second. Several of the engines stopped, to the fcuge amusement of thr /airplay men.

Talking of motor boat reserves. Ormany has one ar-cording to an Enplish yachting journal. It "was foundod as *he result of an Imperial order, and the owners of hrmrs recpivo commiseions. •Mc skipppr? and rate as petty officers. Sweden ha* also formed ' motor boat reserve, while the British ..ttotor boat reserve, jejoices, or other-

wise, in the large name of the Britiah Koyal >sax T Volunteer Motor Boat .hescrve.

CHELTENHAM SWIMMING CLUB. The above club intend holding a carnival on Cheltenham Beach, on Saturday next. Events to suit all swimmers appear on the programme. amon« others the final race for the Hart Cup, the 100 yds Handicap. At present E, Harty i> leading for the cup with a first in the 220 yds. Great interest centres in these contests, and good racing should be seen next Saturday. The club members were very successful in the recent Kahanamokn carnivals, and the standard of swimming is good.