AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 194, 14 August 1920, Page 18

AQUATICS.

(By "SPKKDWKLL,. , ')

The "Royal-," have now completed the measurement of all their yachts which compete, in the cltrb's races, and have worked out a 'handicap baeed on their rating. The handicap appears a very fair on« on paper, and it remains to be reen -ion- it will pan out in actual racing, for it will l)o used in the club's harhoiir races and all jrpecial races during tin' coming Reason. To show that this i-luh

is not alone in its endeavour to fret away from the dl<l syertom of Jiandicapping. 11)0 latest file* bring word that tho Council of the Yacht R-aoing Association of f;ren,t Britain has evolved a ryetprn nf handicapping, baeed on the new international rating rule by which h is hoped to bring together a great number of yacht* which do not usually enter in rhe class races held at the regattas round tlie coast of England and Scotland. 'Under this new system a boat's rating is the basis of her handicap time from which :t minus or plus facter is allowed. In one of the fairly modern boats, a few fi-econds J)cr mile ie deducted from her standard allowance, while in the case of an older boat an addition will he made to her rating allowance. This system of handicapping Iras met with some opposition on th-e ground that it casts a. pllir on the present handicap pens who have been doing- this work for years. It is pointed out, however, tliat those gentlemen wrll SftiH be ri-quired. ae the system calk for expert knowledge on the matter <if allotting the plus or minu-; fa-ctor, and adjusting same according to a boat* pcrformuncee. Many handicappers heartily approved of the system, an 1 welcome, some approach tn a uniform method, especially a* reports show that the majority of clubs will be dependent on the handicap clase thi~j season for their l>esi racing If Uic "Royals" system in a success it ie <pjite Kkely that other local clubs may adopt it for the larger keel boats if fche method of measuring , io not too complicated.

The X.Z. Power Boat Association Jβ niacin:! a strong effort to revive interc?x ',in the 31 -font restricted spe<?d boat claw which the association adopted about t>ix year;? ago. It will be remembered that Disturber, a Ohristolnrrch "21-footer, came up here and had two trial races with a local 21-footer birilt to the same c'ia?.= . 'Fl-eetwinjr. toho 'locaQ bosit, won 'both heats, her beet offk-.ial speed being -1 knot?. The contests bertween the two boats excited great interest, a very large fleet t<iming out to see the first race. some of Mie boats coining Ion;; dk--taii'W for the purpose. If the class is adopted by Southern clu-bs .ye may have other vrsttnre ilurin-jr the coming reason, an! already w-o hear of two luoal enthusiast,! who are ready to build to the class. A novfl suspejition ha< been made in FnrlaiHl for an Anpl'i-Amirktiii yachtinjr dn-o-t. which, if carrie 1 out.' wonll f-Piite .•iini(» ;- . iw much Oβ V.:o Am-erk'a Cup races. It is l):nt a team of three :Brttis!i boats po to America ami ! hold ;i scries of enntcets with three I AmorhTii boatr=. Tho next year three American bositti -Monk! come to England j and race •fh've and ko on. Quite email I Iwwts are ,i!p, v ;n,fn most t-iiitable. th(» I new international IS-footors, and annual ! contents between these bocts would create a lot of int<-rcst. and do more pood for the sport generally than a dozen cirp contests. The Port Nirholson Yacht Club are building a club house, and the work i> nearinjf coinplrtion. The bi;;Ulinn i.- limited to one efcerey, as h. is on the foreshore in the bout liarbour.

r.n 1 the height m:u.'t not exceed 10 feet. tin- level of the road. The building is liC'ft by 40ft. being- divided into v rim-mitt-re ron-m and ;i club room. with -.piwe for looker;- in front. All the fi»nd< have l)een siib~oril>ed. and n <rreat amount nf work done by members, anl an appeal hiis now boon ma<le for furtiur funds lo fiirni.-li th?* two rooTn-=. 'I hw s n stop in the risrlit direoiior. lor. ivhiK , the Port Xivk <.'!u:> is ovr :r» vpss old, it. has never !ia,l a homo of its own. tht> a room at a nnarbv hotel, and later nt (Vodbear's tea-

1 iio pros'H'i'Us for the season :n Wfllinsrt.on appear to be particularly yrood, c^p: , -."rnllv ainonu tiio power boafn, no ]e-s th.:.n s«r<<n tiow Luinchrs having been adtlert to the fleet last fmson. The wlirte winfrs "will race for ~.?.p

\nils Manorial Cnp and the Turnbull Cup. and already several yaohte have eliantrwl hr.nds. Mr. W. Duncan ha.* sold Viola to Mr. C. If. Xval. who recently sold to Mr. ('. Trinc'iam. jun. Mr. Thinean. who is i-ommrdore c'f the P.K.Y.C. has purchased the auxiliary A\y]o. ;inrl he intends nixijvinjj tiOinc rx-ton-~ivo trips in nor. including a visit io Am-kland. during the com-inj: sinnmer. Mr. .1. }:in.. has purehasod RoTia. (iala-tea has to Akar«a, her former owner? bu>Tir=r Aiku from Meearf. Tlamill Brrss. Mr. Fred Kiernan, sen., who owned the for many year?, but liar: bron out of the sport lately, lias jirinpj up. and bousrht Murrtai. letter known in Auckland a-? Roinie. Mr. late owner of Taniwha. has purvtu'.ecd a lßrpe au.viibary yacht iiame»l Psjv.he. Mr. .Tswkson always aers an mark at I\>rt Inderwoctl in the race across ('ookV strait held annup.Dv br the H'.N.Y. Clirh.

Mr. Holmes, of Kohimarairja, who built a 2+-foot launch of a very novel design, called in the Ptahv. the sea sled type, has taken out the four '20-h.p. encines with wliicli the hull was pr.-,-vided and is installing a TTall-Scott motor of 123-h.ri. The speed of this boat with lver four motors was actually 24 knots, or nearly 2S miles, and her owner cxnocts to get up to 30 knots with (he new engine. The lines of this type arc unite th<; opposite of tlve ■,!S.U4il boat, her bilgr-s being deeper than h£r keot. In place of the usual pointed bow, this boat's bow-is square above water, with a. hollow eomavc section running from bow to shorn, the hollow gradually flattoniiiß out a,s i(, gets aft. T!(V propellers arc only half submerged when at re«t, and at speed this boa.t rides a sea very easily, the hollow bow gathering the water under it and making a cushion of air and watc- over which she glides, t'ulikc some boats at top speed she does not sii on her ta.il but rises evcnlv out

"f the water for her full length. A* trial in this boat in a hard easterly hreeze proved a revelation. Not once did she slain down on a sea, but gM-ed from wave to wave with an springing motion and without shipping any wa.tcr, oven the spray from her double bow wave p-athernd under her hollow kcd. Commodore Blackton, a well known Arnerica.n boat owner, was induced lo take a trip in one of the*-e boat", and describing his feelings after«:t(L-; I!? an if!: "It is the most wonderful fii boat 1 was even on. You see a bic wave coming a<. you, and when you reach it. well, it isn't there." It is Mr Holmes' intention to build a number of these boats for th-e corning season.

The North Shore Yacht Club win hold their annual smoke concert in tbo Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, September 18, when the prizes won dur-

infj the past season will be distributed. Mr. F. I*. Montgomery has sold his 35----foot launch Jean M. to Mr. H. Attwell, who will keep her on her preeent moorings in Mechanics' Bay. Mr. Roy Lidgard, "of Xorthcote, has ' sold the well known 20-footer Celox to a. rcsidejit of Devonport. The la.unch Arab, lately owned by Mr. W. Orundv, of Orrehunga, has beeu purchased by Messrs. Bruce, Ferguson, and Maude, who brought her over from the j Manukau last Saturday. i Mr. ('. J. rollings lias nearly finished a 32 by Bft Oin fast cruiser for hi.; own use. She is built, on Mr. Coll ings' con- j cavc-conve?: principle, wiich is an im- i provement on the usual V-bottom, in , her owner's opinion. This bjat will have a 30-h.p. engine, and should do about 11 knots. She has been painted | a bronze green, and will be named Fleet- ■ \V. I'tting has purchast-d the 3>- j foot launch Loewe Victor from I', j Bailey, and she is now being extensively ' overhauled and her :>. r >-40 h.p. engine put in good order. Mr. E. Jt. Boucher left on Saturday for a fortnight's cruise in Luana, Ka.uau | being his headquarters, short trips being j made to other ports according to the | weather. W* axe assured by the representatives | of the three oil firm* here that there I will be no shortage of benzine during [ the coming summer. The marine motorist, wo are told, will have the choice of seven or eight different brands. L'nfor- : tunately little hoi>o is held out of a decline in price, but it is some comfort j to know it will be procurable at all. | While it is a bit early to speak of next sea.smi's prospects, yet judging by the amount of work already done , by some crews, we shall have a number , of extra en.rly birds down this year. The demand for anything in the Fhapo of a ! boat is very keen, and several well known yachts and launches have changed hands, or arc about to f]i •»<■, at record figures. j