14FT CHAMPIONSHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 72, 28 March 1921, Page 2

14FT CHAMPIONSHIP.

HEATHER WINS FOURTH HEAT BT 12MTN. 25SEC. FINAL RACE TO-MORROW. The fourth heat of the Interprovineia! , Championship race between Otago's re- , presentative Heather and Auckland's, defender Iron Duke was .-ailed this morning over the triangular course, starting | between the yacht Mizpah and buoy off I Mechanics' Bay. The race was timer! to start at 11 a.m., and promptly at 10.33 tlie five /laps were hoisted. There was a hard breeze blowing from the south-west, both boats were carrying two reefs down in the mainsail aud a reefed jib. Lord Jellicoe was at tlie helm of iron Duke. Mr. J. A. Wiseman replacing Mr. \V. MeCulloch as .skipper of Heather. A few minutes I before the start both boats worked out to windward of the line, each skipper trying to tret on the other's weather. Heather cut the line rather fine, and had to go about to prevent being over too soon. Iron Duke also was too keen and had to gybe. Just as the last flag dropped they | both ran for the line, Heather's skipper ' judging it well, and she crossed three seen nils in the lead. Both set leading jibs for the broad lead to the mark in Orakei Bay. and after a luffing match, of which Tron Duke got the best, she i reaped He.til"!' iiur! r-d rr-„iul the first i mark, the times of rounding being: Iron Duke llh 12m, Heather llh 13m 7s. ft lead for Iron Duke of 67 seconds. Both carried leaders for the reach to Sandspit. Heather making a gain here, the times of lulling round this mark being: Tron ; Duke llh mm 2".".5. Heather llh 20m Os. Heather thus reducing Iron Duke's : lead to 44 seconds. ! It was now a dead slog back to the. starting line, and both stood for a short hoard or port tack towards Victoria i wharf, but this was the wrong shore to ; work, and they soon went across the j harbour for the smoother water under i the southern Jiore. Heather was nowsailing well, tlie breeze suiting her, ami -lie worked out from under Iron Duke's lee, and soon had the wetifier position, which she kept till the finish. The breeze was very- hard at times, both lying well I down to it and shipping a little water jin the puffs. Heau.er gained slowly each j board, ami completed the lirst round at il'2h 11m. Iron Duke following at l_h 14m 43—a lead for Heather of 3m 4os.

I 1 ending jil - - were again set for the !<)rak"i nmrk. which wa- _y!>ed round by Heather at l'2h 24m 15s. iron Duke follow mar at I_!i 2rm 25-. a lead oi 2m 40s. showing a gain for Iron Duke i.;n this leg 'of lm 3s. It was a broad lead again tr> [the Sandspit. and no change occurred in jthis stage of the race. Both made a short board after coming round this 'mark, but did pot stand nearly so far aa •in the first race, coming over to the ! southern shore out of the tide as soon |as they could. Heather was liking th» I'breeze, and made a gain on each board. fXearing the fnisb she _~t a nice lull out !of Mechanics' Bay. v.'ich her skipper . made the most of. but when Iron Duke J readied this point she was badly broken I ort', and hid to put in three extra boards ito weather the line. Heather came along at a great speed in :• fresh puff, and crossed the finishing I'ne ai Ih 21m .'J4s, j Tron Duke crossing at lh ,'J3m 595, ■Heather winning by 12m 255, the biggest j margin of the series. 1 As each boat has now two wins to her j credit, the deciding race will be sailed tomorrow over the windward and leeward course, starting at 12 noon. .-UMMAIRY OF THE RACE?. The first race was sailed on Thursday, in a hard breeze from the west. Heather winn : n_ by lm 14s. The second heat was sailed on Friday, in a moderate breeze from the south. After a close contest. Iron Duke won fov 50s. The third heat was sailed on Saturday, :n a whole-sail breeze from the north, Iron Duke winning by lm 40s. The fourth heat was sailed this morning, in a two-reef breeze from the southwest. Heather winning by 12m 2->sec