AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 11 July 1925, Page 25

AQUATICS.

(By SPEEDWELL.)

In these modern days of hurry and rush which extends even to our sports, both afloat and ashore, the average Aucklander who intends to go cruising in the Hauraki Gulf generally builds or buys a motor driven craft, or if he has a fancy for sailing, a compromise is made by installing a more or less powerful oil engine under the cabin table or the cockpit floor. A few boating men who were content with sailing craft before the oil engine became of general use, beguile themselves into the belief that they can retain their seamanship by fitting a couple of masts and a juryrigged suit of sails to their otherwise modern, power-driven craft, but most of the time these useful adjuncts rest securely under their sail covers.

"Speedwell" fully recognises the many obvious advantages of the present day motor boat, with its compact and reliable power plant, and, like the majority of former sailing men, has gone, back on sails. For this reason it is all the more refreshing and worthy of note to find a genuine, dyed-in-the-wool sailing enthusiast, who sticks to his guns and will have nothing to do with "stink pots" in any shape or form, and who. when he finds his last season's sailing craft too small for his liking, has the courage to order another. Such ar enthusiastic sailor is Dr. Herbert Chesson, of Northcote, who has placed ar order for a very wholesome type ol cruiser with Mr. "Bob" Brown, of Sul phur Beach. The new noat, Whlcli Is of four tons dis placement, was started about four week; ago, and is now in frame. Her dimen sions are: 25ft overall,'2lft Sin 1.w.1. 7ft beam, and 4ft sin draught. The freeboard forward is 3ft 4in, least free board 2ft, and freeboard aft 2ft 4_in Sho has an iron casting, on the keel o; 33.5cwt, and will have live feet head room in the cabin. She is to be fittcc with a Marconi mast, setting a Bermu dian rig of jib and mainsail, the area ol the jib being 93 square feet, and the mainsail 297 square feet. A neat cabin top is to be fitted with a sliding com panion, ventilating hatch amidships, am a for'ard hatch. The cockpit will be roomy, and is to have a bridge declabaft the cabin entrance, which wil Keep the cabin dry in any weather, am also forms a convenient place, underneatl which the cooking arrangements an built in. The cockpit will be watertight and partly self-emptying. Five step: lead to the main cabin, which has t neat table, also two 7ft settees am side cushions. A bulkhead divides tin fore cabin, which is 9ft long, and con tains a Oft Oin cot, which folds up te the side. The usual lockers, and cookinj and pantry conveniences are neatly fit ted in suitable places, and the whoh lay-out of the little ship is well am carefully thought out. The construe tion is of the best, and includes sevcra of the builder's own ideas in the mattei of the frames and timbering. Foi instance, the floor timbers, which arc closely spaced, are through bolted botl vertically and transversely with J-incl bolts. Bent timbers are checked intc the top of all floor timbers, the inter veiling floor timbers, of ample dimen sions, going right round from gunwale to gunwale. The keel is a fine piece of heart kauri, Kin by Gin, and 17f' long, the iron casting being 14ft long There will be several new ideas of Dr Chesson's own design included in the boat's rig. the method of affixing tin mainsail to the mast by a sliding rail way being a prominent one. The desigi has been modified by Dr. Chesson fron the lines of a cruiser designed for use in the South of Ireland waters by tin late Albert Strange, an amateur designe of some repute on the South Coast o England. The new boat is to be pu afloat the first week in October, am will be christened Quest. We wish Dr and Mrs. Chesson many pleasant cruise in the new ship, and feel sure Ques will be quite a familiar fisrure on th '■ coast between here and Russell nex season. Wrising on the subject of cups an other trophies which run on from scaso: to season, a correspondent of the Otag

"Daily Times" records his disapproval of this system. He says: "In a month or two the various clubs will be holding their annual meetings, when matters pertaining to the welfare of the clubs will be mentioned. In years gone by it was an established custom to have cups presented to various clubs and regatta committees, with the conditions attached that a cup became the property of the boat owner winning it twice in succession or three times at intervals. Such trophies become moveable property, more often for an indefinite number of, years than otherwise. When governed by such conditions the only pleasure of winning was the holding of the cup perhaps for only a year nnd the responsibility of returning it. With tho formation of the Yacht and Motor Bont Association came a change, when in its wisdom it decided that in future all cups presented to clubs and regattas were to be sailed for outright, and so become the permanent property of the first winner. This had the desired effect of the discouragement of cup trophies which had become a source of dissatisfaction both to winners and racing committees. The advent of the Sanders Cup, however, has revived the custom of cup giving, and in such a classic event the giving of a miniature cup to the winner was a truly correct procedure to follow. But surely this was not meant as a precedent to follow with all and sundry cups that anyono might feel disposed "to give for club racing. In Otago harbour we have three cups raced for, and the winners receivo a miniature, which, I believe, costs £3 10/, and becomes an annual liability on the club for all times." Advice has been received in Dunedin from Messrs. Katsey and Lapthorne, England, the well-known sail-makers, tha C t the firm is verj> busy making sails to fulfil orders from all parts of England. This will probably result in tbe late arrival of the new sails ordered by owners of the Dunedin 14-footers from this firm. It is to be hoped that the firm will be able to execute the Otao-o yachtsmen's order without any delay, as all connected with .he sport wouid like to see the Sanders Cup trials carried out with all the boats on an equal footing as regards sails. The Point Chevalier Boating Club will hold their annual prize night next Saturday in the club house. Sir James and Lady Parr are expected to be present, and Lady Parr will present the prizes. Special buses have been arranged for the convenience of visitors from Auckland. .._._.__ The Ponsonbv Club's prize night had been fixed for Thursday, July 23. As this was the only evening His Excellency the Governor-General Sir Charles Fer-usson could attend, the squadrons prize night was fixed for the same ovenincr At a meeting of the Ponsonby Club held last Wednesday, the circumstances were recognised and it was decided to alter the date of the prize distribution to Thursday, July 30. This shows a very good spirit and helps to cement a bond of good fellowship between club members. ! There is a tendency amongst a small but growing section of small boat-tap-pers to cut all turning marks a bit too fine with the result that they often touch a mark with the boom or part of tho sail when in the act of rounding. Fortunatclv for the good of the sport there are "skippers who report to tne officer- of the day any such breach on their part, but there aro others who do not. These skippers carry on and when a protest is lodged they feel hurt and accuse tbe other fellow of not being able to take a beating, etc. -now, this is not right, as all should strictly obey the racing rules. If not it will necessitate a judge or umpire follow™* the boats round the course, with full power to at once, disqualify any competitor for breaches of the rules, and to order his retirement. This is the procedure followed in Sydney in the popular open boat classes. The Strict observance of the rules laid down for the conduct of the sport of boatracmg is essential. Last season there were many breaches of this rule, also the port" aud starboard tack rule. It should be remembered that a boat must go fairly round all marks, and when m doubt about clearing another boat which is on tbe starboard, the boat on port must go about in plenty of time to avoid any interference With the boat on tbe right tack. The onus of keeping clear is always on tbe port tack boat and it must be respected. The method of hanging on till tho very last second and then going about right under the lee of the boat on starboard is not fair to him as it causes him to luff to get clear, and so lose way. Besides being against the rules to cause the boat on starboard to luff to avoid a collision, it is bad tactics, for the boat mi doing this gets a bad blanketing and the lee bow wash of the starboard tack boat, and usually falls so far astern that when they next meet, with the positions of port and starboard tack reversed, tlie first boat, although now on port, can ~-uallv weather-bow her rival, whereas if the"other boat bad paid off or gone about in good time, she would more than likely have been able to take the weather position on the next tack. With 'the very even and keen racing now I evident" in the one-design and other classes it becomes more than ever necessary to unhesitatingly obey the strict letter of the rule. Tt is adm.ttcd that you cannot put old heads on young shoulders, but it is not always the youngsters who arc at fault. The following hints on the treatment of new sails is given by Mr. Ernest A. P.atscy to members of the Star class, and they apply equally to any class of sailing boat. Tic says: "Never reef a new sail until it has been well stretched, and when you do reef it do not pull too hard on the foot, or you will 'nig-ger-heel' it badly on the leech at the clew earing (outhauls). When laying up sails at the end of the season, if they are badly wet with salt water, give them a thorough rinsing in fresh water before putting them away, otherwise they will mop up the dampness from tbe" atmosphere like a sponge, and will remain wet all through the winter, even though they were apparently dry when put away."