ROYAL NEW ZEALAND YACHT SQUADRON.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 47, 25 February 1924, Page 7

ROYAL NEW ZEALAND YACHT SQUADRON.

I _ __N--r____ OCEAN RACE. WON" BY VICTOR*. The lung distance yacht race, held annually by the Hoyul NW Kealrthd Yacht Squadron started on Saturday Off the King's wharf. The course was fre— ■» starting line, between the tower on el>' of wharf and murk bout moored norththence through tho Motutapu-M-tul-! Passage, round Bird Rock, about mile south of Elephant Cove nn the CorPmandel coast, thence ruund Canoe Itm'K off Kawau, thence through the Tlri n!|J Motutapu-Rakino to ilatlntla. flnlshiiiS between the northern point of the bn.v and launch Avis, a distance of SI nautical miles. The entries and handicaps were : Waitungi sir, Hawene fim. Prize llui. Moana 12m, Victory 15m, Windward lh 45m. All frot away to a really good start at 2.45 p.m.. the order being: Prize, Walton—gl. Rawene, Victory, Moana and Windward. There was a fresh breeze blowing, -which gave the Hi* contestants a long leg down harbour on the port tack. Off Devonport whnrf Victory was leading, with Prize and Rawene clooc up to her, Waltnngl, —oaua and Wlndwtird following in this order. After passing North Head Rawene passed Victory and took the lead. Shortly after this Prize also paßßed Victory. Thin order was maintained to the Motutapu Passage, where all the boats had had to make a board on starboard to clear the north-west point !of Waiheke. The order here was : Kawene, | Prize und Victory, with less than one I minute separating them, Moana following , about three minutes and Waltanugl six minj utes behind the three leaders. Windward | being well astern, and she finally gave up. ! Off Ouetaugi the wind went nearly Into ; Hie north-east, being more ahead, und Victory passed to windward of Prize and i closed up on Ruweue. There was a pretty ] high sea on outside Waiheke. especially off 4 Gannet Rock, outside of Hook's Bay. The wind now backed a little to the north, and all were able to ease their sheets n bit for the lead across the CJulf to Bird Rock, off the Coromundel shore. The three boats. Rawene, Victory und Prize, were now on even terms until about a mile off Bird Rock the wind fell a little lighter, and Prize passed the other two and was now leading boat, while Mouna and Waituugi caught lip on Victory. The times of rounding Bird Rock were : Prize, 8h 5m ; Rawene. Sh 10m ; Victory. Sh 14m ; Moana, Sh 15m, and Waitunagi. 8h 2_i. Bird Kock wa svery hard to pick up. as the moon was only seen intermittently. The five boats now had a long sail of over M 0 miles to Cunoe Rock, off Kawau. and they had to keep their sheets well aboard, as It took _ieni all their time to lay the course to the rock. After opening out Cape Colville the wind and sea Increased considerably, and the water was flying übout a lot. Victory and Moana had been carrying -their topsails up to this stage, the other three boats being content with their lower sails only. These conditions held till nearing Canoe Rock, where Victory had again drawn up with the two leaders. Prize und Rawene. all three rounding Canoe Rock at midnight within 30 seconds of each other. Rawene being inside. Victory next and Prize outside. Moana rounded at 12h 13m a.m., and Waltangi at ' 12h 40m a.m. ' The wind was still fresh northerly, and • a big sea was rolling down the coast. It i was :i flat run in through the Tiri passage. Victory only setting a small spinnaker, but i Rawene held on for a bit. und about half 4 way in to Tlri she set her usual spinnaker, but Prize had the bad luck to carry away the goose-neck ot' ht-r si.innak.-r lx,om. Vlc- - tory was now leading boat, with Itawene '. second. After passing Tiri the wind went " round to the west in a heavy squall, cau- 4 - --' ing Victory to gibe. Nearin™ th.- Mom- . tapu-It ukino passage the wind again fell light and went back into ;!i.. 4 north-east. which continued to the finish off Matiatia. ' the contestants finishing with topsails and ■ leading jibs set. Th.- finishing times wire : • Victory 4h 35m, Rawene 4h l.""»_ :HK I r:/." • 5_ Sm. Moana 5_ Sin 20s, Waltangi .Mi 4 22m 40s. Corrected times place \ ictoi-y first, Rawene second und Moana third. The tim.-s were 'taken at liaiiatia hy Mr. . W. A. Currie and crew of the launch Avis.