AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 18

AQUATICS.

(By PPRBmVETJL.)

T.a=t Saturday afternoon was fully occupied with tlie Victoria Ciub'a rejratla. Acolti*. (lie wind god, was in lino of his freakish moods and pipe.d up good and strong, causing no less than tlircß capsizes and several minor accidents. Conditions wore in striking contrast to the. previous Saturday when ideal weather prevailed. Looking back on the pa at, live or six weeks, the same alternations of hard, squally winds and splendid sailing weather have prevailed consistently. If this order continues, I o day should be. tine ;,lid Ihe had weather come along iißnin next week. As this will he Kiii.tor ii is to he hnped the continuity will he broken. All hands like to get iiwav for llie four days and mtlll.V exuiies in company have heen planned. Kuwait, us usual, holds most attractions, Im-t Coronuuidel is coming hack as a favourite and to help it along there will he a liiiz picnic at Tawliiti. (hetter known v* WuuUhed Rayl on Beeson's Island, wliicli form- the northern entrance to Coromandel harbour. About I>."> years a;.-.., the I'oromnndol reprtitta was a popular function uml the race for keel yacht* very keenly contested. Like other fixtures, ii had its day and dropped out. Old hands can recall some warm limes in the old town at night, lint those bad old daya arc long past and ;;re letter forgotten. The effort to revive a yacht rac-e is a good done, as the run across* t lie Calf is very popular, especially imionjj-t the centre-board classes. ' A rare down to Coromandel was suggested by the -ports committee in charge of the" picnic at Tav.hiti, but a prize for a sailing race for 20-footers and under on Ka-ter Saturday would be more likely to meet with the approval of the hoys. 'I'll'- Akarana flub, which is holding a cruising race to C'owes" Hay to-day, has arranged for nn orehe.-t ral concert on tin! pavilion this evening and they should have a pleasant week-end. This i-> the only fixture for the day. Tomorruw the Point Chevalier Club will hold a race over the usual course, for a cup presented by the patron, Mr. I'.rne-t lUvis. A proposal has been mooted to hold one or two sweepstake races for the small classes during the holidays. A? a rule the crewa are fully occupied with picnics at Kastcr, while many get a berth in something larger for the four days. However, an effort may he made to hold two or three racea jit one of ;!ie popular seaside resorts, in which the boats could take pare on their way home on Easter Monday. Mr. Peter Ilickson, the popular owner of C'ountt'.-s, had his hands full last Saturday rescuing the crews of the capsized boats and towing the boats to safety. Miro was first to go. close to the flagship. Leveret next emptied her crew out off Shelly Heach, and linally another one did the same pit Xortheote Point after all the race.-* had finished. The ferry Albatross picked up t ,c crew of thi's boat, but she was drifting when MY. Ilickson made fast to her and towed her ashore about 7 p.m., much to the ownere relief. Tin , record number of 142 entries were received b\ the Victoria rluii for their regiuta. Of this number a little over half started, and less than half finished. The prize-money totalled £100, ;md the pntries represented some £"Jl. The largest number of non-starters was in the launch race. This may he due to the. method Df making the handicaps sealed unfTi alter the race, although the club's contention that this system tends to keener racing seems right. Xo matter what method of handicapping is used, scaled, "pen. or Mark For system, there is no dinkiug the fact that something wants In he done to awaken more interest in the power events among tTTe various •lul.s. The Akarana Cluh seldom hold j i rave for launches, while the squadron iave few . ntrics. The bogy of tlie liicrli •ost of fuel was at first held responsible, j ■hi tjii* i.s slowly but surely being remedied, or a: least modified, good ben■t:i.- hcMicr obtainable at 20 ' per ease Iffilinst :») a ease a year ago. The j rouble i- not altogether heiv, but just ! A-liul it is lias piiz/.1e.l not a few. ' If j iur readers can suggest a way to get I iver this growing di.-like to race among i aunch owners we should lie glad to ■eceivc their suggestions. Xn doubt nilifiv rein, handicapping has « lot to do ! vitii it. There have been cases where | ■oats have been asked to give handicaps j vhieh would essitaie tliem doing lenrly double their possible speed to iave a winning chance This is cerJiinly disheartening, especially when it I lappens time and again, but if the ban-I licapping could be done by onu or two j ret, who kept ac, ■urate records, it might ielp matter.*. Often owners who growl o are tiicnisohes to bin mc for not >tartiig, and so giving ncuiar demonstration if their possibilities or impossibilities. Ihen again the substitution of a pro- I ■eller may make a difference of a knot I o a bout's speed, and hnndieappers | ion't know where they aiv. Few \ iwneiH realise tlie importance of gettfci<» j u>l. the right diameter and pitch on j heir propeller If require? expert I ■ dviec to determine this. The fact re- i nains that out of n total of 400 or 300 I aiinehes owned arouiii! this harbour, I mly about five per eer.t. ever race. j The IS-fnot patik; Mawhiti turned the. aides on tin: Ih-f-.oi, .-juaie bilge, boats ' n>l Saturday wining easily. It must.; i<il !,e overlooked 'i:at '.Vizard had an \ Cfident. t.ut the nay the j.atiki shot! way a: the start rlearly showed she is : letter in hard hree/es i.'iari the S'juare- j 'jlge type. Jicina had another ruii-a'.vav ' iit.irv. taking the prize in her e!a.-- and he JJurns Cup. which shi; wrested from j ion "Juke, which has i, o ;,i it f or t ;. ( , [>ast j wo years in succession. Inlesa some | iew bouts of the l;ona type .-we speedily I 'iii 1 1 it is more than fii<e!v tnat owners ' ■ ill ct tired of racing a-rahist her. ami | [ir this reason t lie sooner the whole latter of the nlliriai phin is published' he bitter for the future prospects of j he cla.-s everywhere. We have received i . request for the plan from Tauranpa, ' here My. Nielson is ready to '.uild one j r two boat.-, and there are others. The ' etunl riesi-n of Itona has been Unani- I lously agreed to by delegates represen- I in- nil the centres, but a few necessary ■ •tails have yet to be mutually agreed \ n. fnimriliiitelv after Kaster "" the j latter will be di finitely fixed up., \ Tie Xoitlicnte nji.l Bi'rkeiihra.l Regatta [ omniittcc. in a true sporting spirit, de- Ii ided to pay out fir.,t. second, and third J rizes in oxiry c ; ,. M . where tiie boats ' nished. irrespective of the number of I. tarters. The ownet of Kariri. who!! as late in -t.irting owing to mailing-In he crew of Swiftsure, which capsizea I ■ efore the start of tlio race. a-ke,l f or a ' [■sail. it was derided to ti:unk Mr. I 'owler for his prortipt action in .stand- , ig hv Sniftsure. but the suggestion to i ?s:iil liis race was not entertained. Prize ' ight was iiicd for .April 28. ;