AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 190, 12 August 1922, Page 18

AQUATICS.

j I By SPEEDWELL.)

A meeting of the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association will be held in tho coastal masters' rooms on Tuesday, when the conditions governing the 14----foot one-design class will again be the chief subject of discussion. A letter has been received from the Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Association withdrawing their objections to challenge for a onedesign class and agreeing to do so provided existing boats are allowed to com- ' ptte for the lf>__:j contest only. The position has been complicated somewhat I by the Port Chalmers Yacht Club challenging direct with a one-design boat, (four of which are to be built. It Ls possible that this challenge may be withdrawn, as the procedure adopted in the i lirst two contests has been to accept challengi'S only from the governing body when such a body exists. If this is done, it will help greatly to clear the air antl make it easier for the Auckland Association to agree to Otago's suggestion, which the writer hopes will be done in the best interests of the sport. The clause in the Otago Association's letter referring to a meeting to be held in Auckland next year to decide the type of the one-design class is out of j order, as tiiis has already been settled years ago. I Mr. Robert Farquhar writes from Napier saying he has an order to build a l-l footer to the latest plans which will I challenge for the Sanders Cup on behalf |ot Napier. Mr. Farquhar was in the j boat-building trade in Auckland 20 years ago, and since residing at Napier has I built several boats for the local club's -.7-foot I'atiki class, which was represented here in 1900-10 by Maroondah and ■ I Colleen. | PictOu is reported to be building a challenger, so that it" present boats ar°allowed to compete we may have representatives from Otago, Southland-, Canterbury. .Marlborough. Wellington, and INapier, which would create even greater interest than last year's races, and would cirlainly make us look tn our laurels. .With seven boats representing seven projvinees. and possibly all built by different ! builders, the necessity of a one-design type i.- made more apparent if the object of fostering skill in boat sailing ! is to be attained in preference tn |builder's ideas of what a fast 14-footcr i should be. The class has now attained such notoriety that it is deserving ot serious consideration, a« it promises, it rightly handled, to be the means of fostering the sport of small boat sailing throughout New Zealand, and providing annual contests which may continue for many years to bo the principal aquatic event of the season and as of much interest to boating men throughout New Zealand as the America Cup is to Eng- i land and America. If such prominence is achieved, and the writer feels sure it i will be, then a Dominion council, composed of representatives of all interested centres, should meet in Auckland during tho time of the next contest, with no less a chairman than his Excellency Lord Jellicoe, and the racing procedure and many other points could then be gone into and rules and regulations for I all future contests be thoroughly debated I and agreed to. This would put the class on a sound basis and assure the success .of all future contests. I The Victoria Club's twenty-first annual 1 meeting takes place on Wednesday. His .Worship the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, i will preside, and owing to the length of the order paper the meeting will commence at 7.30 p.m. sharp. Mr. T. L. I Thompson has been nominated again as I commodore, Messrs. L. Tercel and H. O'Gara for the office of vice-commodore, and Mr. G. Parker as rear commodore. Both tho present patron (Mr. G. H. ■ Davis) and president (Mr. W. Casey) aro the only nominations for these offices. Nominations for all offices close the day before the meeting. Amongst the matters to be discussed is that of | insuring ihe boats taking r.art in club 'c\cnts. This matter was fully discussed at a special meeting of the club held last week. As it was the last meeting of the year, the following recommendation to the incoming committee was carried: — "That a boat accident fund be created by voluntary contributions from boat owners taking part in the clubs races I and the conin.ittee he empowered to put I a feasible .diemo befoi'> the bant | owners. - ' Tlie Takapuna Boating Club's prize 'night will be held next Saturday in the ! parish hall, Takapuna. For the convenience of visitors from Auckland a .bus : will leave Devonport after the concert. The chief prize winners in the I:2ft Oin one-design class arc Kitty, which scored highest aggregate points' and won the Harris Cup and the Blomfiold Shield. Winsome secured the second highest aggregate and Tatariki third. Maybe__e I won the cruising race for yachts and Tarua that for launches. Twelve races ! were held during the season and two j picnic*. There are several new ontf- ! design boats promised for the coming ! season. The decision of the Harbour Board to i reclaim the present site of the launch Handings at tlie foot of Albert Street will I necessitate their removal, and the chairman of the hoard invited the opinion of I the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat |Association as to the suitability of new sites. The board proposed to remove the t«o landings at present reserved for pleasure craft to the eastern side of Queen's wharf, in the corner formerlyOccupied by Messrs. Bradney and Binns' steamers. This is a very suitable s.te. being at once well sheltered and removed from the ferry traffic, and right at the foot of Queen Street. There is very little tide in this corner, as the writer knows from over two years' daily experience of it during war time, and this fact should facilitate making a good landing. The hire boats will he accommadated with two landings in the corner of Prince's wharf, only a short distance j'rom where they are now located. Moving bollards will be provided as at present, and. possibly the waiting rooms will also be elected at the new stations, which 1 are to be permanent. The site for pleasure craft was approved iby those present. Mr. Mackenzie stated that new foundations would be laid in tho required positions, and after severing the landings from their present foundations, they would be lifted bodily by the floating crane and dropped into their new position. A point made clear at tiiis meeting was the fact ti;at yachtsmen arc at liberty to use the existing landing steps on all wharves to take on or disembark passengers. This will lie a great convenience to many launch owners, as very convenient stpp* are provided on the end of Queen's. King's. Central and Northern wharves. Iv.-ide- steps at 1 he shore end of Queen's. Cent nil and King's. Formerly these were looked on as "taboo," an.l if used, were clone so with a feeling that the}- were doing wrong, and liable to be called over the coals for it. Tha

saving of time to a boat coming from Parneil or Devonport being able to pick up their party from the end of King's wharf, or the new steps, will be considerable, besides being well clear of traffic. Owners of sheds and moorings in Mechanic's Bay can make their minds easy from the fact that no further reclamation is proposed to be undertaken there for at least eight to ten years. The committee recently set up at Russell to consider the revival of the annual regatta are losing no time, and nave written to all Auckland yacht and rowing clubs on the matter of suitable dates, etc. We are advised that the I suggestion made in this column to avoid clashing with Tauranga will receive every consideration, and local clubs have been asked to suggest a suitable date. The barefaced methods of boat tnieves was illustrated in rather an amusing manner last week (except for 'the owner 1. A small launch was placed in the hands of a Queen Street agent for sale.- Two buyers inspected her, ami one paid a deposit. He was advised by the agent to take the engine out of the > boat as she laj- in an exposed position, and tbe magneto and other gear had already disappeared. The would-be owners arrived on the scene one afternoon, and to their surprise saw two men busily engaged in removing the engine from its bed, also the tail shaft and propeller. Thinking someone had bought the boat over their heads they went back to tho agent, who informed them that they were the only persons with any right to the boat and gear, and the others must have been thieves. A return visit to the launch showed that the two who were trying to get olf with the engine had decamped, after purloining some of the loose parts. The new owners now see what a. chance they missed of making a good catch.