YACHTING

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 135, 10 June 1927, Page 12

YACHTING

RECRUITS FOR THE SPORT. | ADVANTAGES OF A BOAT HARBOUR. / BETTY'S SKIPPER AGAINST RE-MEASUREMENT. I ILEX AND THELMA FIND NEW OWNERS. (By SPEEDWELL.) The easterly gale experienced this week and the general wintry weather will discourage even the hardiest boating man from keeping his craft in commission much longer, and the already crowded hauling-out areas are likely to be further taxed to make room for the latecomers. The hauling-out problem has become so acute that a number of launches will remain on their moorings I until the spring, when they will be ! taken up on one of the builders' slips for j their annual overhaul. With the com- ! plelion of the St. Mary's Bay boat har- ! hour splendid protection will be afforded to yachts and motor-boats. Owners who may care to keep their craft afloat all the winter may do so without fear of damape, and we may then have all-the-year-I round boating. , Unles* much mistaken, the completion I of the l»>at harbour, which should be i possible within the next year, will give j the sport a great fillip. One of the greatest drawbacks is the fact that a would-be owner is faced with the necessity of trusting many hundreds of

pounds' worth of property to a single chain, and he is at the mercy of every pale that blow?. Not only this risk, but the added danger of other craft coming down on him is ever present. This has taken place repeatedly, a case occurring before. Easter off Ponsonby wharf, when both craft were damaged. With a proper boat these harbour risks will no longer exist and boais will be quite safe in all weather. If the proposed bn;it shed* and hnulinjrout facilities, together with a ynml approach, are provided, as no doubt they will be, then our sport will certainly uo ahead. As Auckland grows tho.ry will be plenty of recruits for the water, and while a yachtsman has to bo born and brought up to the spurt to make a real sailor, there should be no lack of newcomers who will no in for a motor-boat and enjoy the pleasure of visiting the many alluring spots of our incomparable Hauraki Gulf. Motoring has captured a few of our older boatinji men, but the time will come when they will pet tired of the road and turn again to our limitless cruising ground, which stretches away from North Head in almost every direction.

A bis help towards gaining recruits for this branch of the sport will be the standardisation of motor-boats. In America builders are turning out standard craft at.a very reasonable rate and they have been kept going building stock boats for new owners who have grown tired of the crowded roads. Something similar is taking place in England, the motor car enabling owners living many miles from a seaport to run down each week-end and enjoy a cruise. Motorboat racing is also gaining adherents in England, and Major Seagrave, who recently covered a mile in his racing car at the rate of 20S miles per hour, has expressed his determination to give up motor car racing and devote his time to putting motor-boat racing in England on an equal plnne to that which it has achieved in America. There is plenty of room for hundreds of new boats on our harbour and adjacent waterways, and no doubt they will come as the city grows.

It is not only the big boats which will be attracted by a boat harbour. All the small classes will aJso benefit. At present, unless an owner has the means of hauling his boat out of the water each week after a race, he is little inclined to continue in the racing game, but proper facilities in this direction will give a new lease of life to our small classes. The outboard motor boat, which promises to be very popular in Auckland, and has already made great will also benefit by sheltered waters. The recent decision of the Harbour Board to make an enclo?eu area in Hobson Bay should help in this respect. There is quite a big population located in the proximity of Hobson"s Bay, and if facilities are provided there is sure to be a further addition to the ranks of boating men.

To achieve this desirable state of affairs the first factor is real protection for boats while on their moorings, and the second is to so standardise the boats that they can be turned out at a minimum cost. The present slack state of our boatbuilding industry is due mainly to the high prices charged for new boats. \' d< übt this ". reed on the builders by the advance in timber, labour, and many other adjuncts, but the firs: builder to turn out a stock cruising boat will find that he will receive more orders than he can cope with if the price is right. When we consider that since 1916 the cost of a Jellicoe boat has gone up from £35, the actual cost of Desert Gold, to £ISO, in the case of Murihiku 11., built last year, it is no wonder that new owners are few and far between. The cost of motor-boats has increased, although not quite in the same proportion. Only this week we saw the bids of two local firms on a new 50ft motor cruiser, and the prices were in the vicinity of £3000. Of course this included the power plaut, and she is to be a very good job. It should be possible to standardise on a ,32ft cruiser with plain fittings and an engine of 20 h.p. for about £500. We admit this is a low figure and that the owner would find many tilings, such as dinghy,

necessary; but a boat at this figure would tempt many recruits to our ranks. Rona Turns for Home in the Lead. So much interest was taken in the picture of the finish of the fourth race for the Sanders Cup shown in this column last week, depicting Rona beating Betty bv two seconds, that we reproduce a view of the final race. It was taken at the weather mark on the last round, and shows Rona turned for the finishing line, fifteen seconds ahead of Betty. Rona's crew are busy setting the spinnaker, while Betty is still on the wind and just about to pass the mark on starboard hand. On the run to the finish, Betty passed Rona, fretting the pun eighteen seconds in the lead, thus winning the cup for the second year. Betty's Skipper on Re-measurement. Discussing the measurement of Sanders Cup competitors with "Rudder." the Aquatic writer of the '"Otago Daily Times," Mr. G. G. Andrews, owner and skipper of Betty, who visited Dunedin last week, said some yachtsmen had been Carried away with the idea that he did not wish to have Betty measured before the sailing of a Sanders Cup contest. He had no objection whatever, but at the same time he thought it was quite unnecessary to measure any boat that had been measured and passed when built. If a definite allowance were provided for any boat beincr out when measured at a contest, and such allowance was made to cover all boats, then he would quickly see that Betty came within that allowance. Every yachtsman knew that a boat was likely to go out of chape to some extent after leaving the builder's hands, and if boats entered for a Sanders Cup contest are to be remeasured. then due allowance must be made for this. He was of the opinion that nothing was gained by a remeasurement. moorings, extra ground tackle, etc.,

The position nt the present time was I very unsati>fartory. said Mr. Andrews. He had re;ul carefully the reply received by the Otajro Association from the | Auckland Association. This reply, after statin? that a boat complying with the specifications, and hnvin™ a certificate, would he eligible, ".ocs cm in say that the nonunion Conference could measure and have a boat thrown out, and mentioned steel moulds u< a method of measuring at a contest. This meat:- that a boat built as closely to the moulds as possible might be thrown out through some alteration in shape subsequent to her building. The specification, nfier stating where, in building, an error of :5-Sin i = allowed, gives other points where none is allowable, an accuracy which no builder could comply with or be expected to exact after the moulds had been removed, lie could riot speak for the Canterbury Association, but he believed that, there was a desire to contest the right of the conference to go past the specifications or to r< -measure and throwout any bout until the specifications were amended and a definite margin was laid down to allow for a boat going out of shape. Thelma Changes "Hands. After three seasons on the hi.rd.-lhe well-known first-class yacht Tfcelma, has been sold by Mr. Wally* Wilson to Messrs. K. Creagh and 11. Hume, who will pi:t her into commission next season. Thelma is our second largest yacht, 00ft overall, T2ft beam and draws Bft Gin. She was built by Logan Brothers, in ISOS, for Messrs. Jagger Brothers of Parnell, who raced and cruised her until 1012. when she was purchaser! by Mr. J. L. R. Bloomfield, formerly owner of Viking, who installed a 1- h.p. engine with a side propellor. Durine the war period. Thelma was beached at Devonport. and in the severe gale of February. 101$, she fell and was damaged. Messrs. W. Wilson and W. ii!. Alexander purchased her and she was in commission up till three years ago, since which time she has been hauled out at the Squadron's slipway. Her new owners, although young at the sport, are very keen, and have had experience with Mr. E. V. Miller, on Moana. Thelma will take part in most of the cruising races next season, and we wish her new owners every success. Another first-class yacht has found a new owner and will again be in commission after two years on the beach. This is the fine cruising yawl Ilex, which has been purchased by Sir. I'. 11. Northeroft. of Parnell. from Mr. 11. IX. Bloomfield. Ilex was also built by Logan Brothers about 1900. for the late Captain Stanhope and Mr. Shakespear. then of the Little Barrier. Later on Captain Stanhope acquired his partner's interest, and made Kawau his headquarters. Ilex was originally yawl rigged. On the death of Captain Stanhope, about 11)08, Ilex was bought by the late Mr. .1. C. Macky. who did a lot of racLfic: and cruising in her, going to the far north and east as far as White Island, making one or two long cruises each summer. Later Mr. Macky was persuaded by his very energetic crew to put a cutter rig on Ilex, and she then won many races, including the Devonport Yacht Club's fine cup, the final race being sailed by Mr. Macky just eight weeks before he was drowned, together with Mrs. Macky. in the sinking of the Lusitania off the old Head of Kinsale, Ireland. Mr. W. R. Ingram, well known as the owner of several yachts, was the next owner of Hex. and he only sold her to Mr. Bloomfield two years ago. Ilex is one of the best cruising boats in Auckland and the fifth largest boat. Mr. Northeroft is to be congratulated on his purchase. It is also a good thing for the sport crenerally to have two first-class yachts again in active commission. Mr. John Wiseman's Death. Mr. John Wiseman, whose death at California was reported yesterday was well known to older Auckland yachtmen. He was for many years Commodore of the Auckland Yacht Club, nowknown as the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, a title which Mr. Wiseman did much, to secure. The Matangi was

his flagship, particulars of which were given in this column two weelca ago. In this fine yawl, Mr. Wiseman, with hi* brothers James, Murray and Frank. Messrs. H. Wilson, D. and W. Bews. F. W. Gamble, G. M. Reid, and several others who have all retired from active participation in yachting, did a considerable amount of cruising and what racing was to be had in those days. About 24 years ago, Mr. Wiseman resigned office and left for England, later moving to New York, where his wife died. After this, Mr. Wiseman resided in San Diego, California, where his death took place. Mr. Wiseman, better known as John to his large circle of friends, took a keen interest in all the younger men who came into the sport and he was ever ready to help them in any way. The yachting season at that time, inveriably opened on November 9, with a procession of yachts to Islington or Home Bay. and Matangi looked a picture with her black topsides and white canvas as she led the fleet down to the rendezvous. It was always a very orderly, if small, procession, but coming home it generally developed into a friendly race, when the flagship was often left well astern.

Quite a number of prize nights and other social fixtures have already been made, and to help clubs which have not yet dooided o>ll a date, the followin? are triven: Monday. June 13. Manukau Yacht Club's annual meeting; Thursday. June in, Ponsonby Cruising Club's complimentary social to vice-presidents and donors of prizes; Saturday, uJne IS, Vorthcote and Birkenhpad Regatta predonors of prizes; Saturday, June IS. Takapuna Boatine Club"* mvimo r-arnival commences; June 2-5. Manukau Cruising Club's prize night; Wednesday, June 20. Victoria Cruising Club's prize night: June 20, Akarana Yacht Club's dance: July 23. Victoria 'Club's benefit concert to Mr. W. Tupp; August 31, Akarana Club's prize night.