Yachting

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 254, 26 October 1928, Page 17

Yachting

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THE SANDERS CUR.

PROSPECTS FOR NEXT CONTEST. MANY CRAFT AFLOAT LABOUR DAY. AN EARLY HARBOUR PIRACY. The 1929 contest for the Sanders Cup, which carries the championship of New Zealand in the 14ft Jellicoe class, will be decided on the sheltered waters of Akaroa, Banks Peninsula next February. The same five provinces will be represented as at the last contest, viz., Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. There is also every prospect that Marlborough province will enter the lists. Mr. J. Hislop, who recently visited Picton, reports that a few enthusiasts there are keen to get a boat built by E. R. Lane, and it is hoped that they do so, as it would add to the interest. Hawke'd Bay apjjears to have dropped out for keeps, although it was hoped Neil Gillies and his friends would come at it again. With the commencement of the racing season, each centre will shortly make arrangements for the trials. Dunedin usually starts trials at, the end of November, but Wellington and Auckland much later. There is -no immediate hurry, as challenges, which are due on December 1, are not required to name the boat, this being optional until one month prior to the first race, or about the middle of January. Auckland's interest will be centred on the new Rona, now completed by C. Wild, for air. C. G. Macindoe, which is waiting for tlic arrival of her sails, and air. F. Clone's Avalon. The conditions for the contest are that the cup goes to the boat first winning three races. After the fourth race the contest is continued only between the boats which have won during the first four races These conditions may be varied. In the first six contests the rule was that all boats, which had not won a race after three heats, were excluded. This is a matter which is decided prior to each contest by the delegates who form the Dominion Council.

Wellington will make a bold bid for the cup this year, a new boat, named the Clyde, having just been finished by Ted Bailey, tlie local boatbuilder, and brother of Charles Bailey, of this city. She is finished in varnished kauri and is a handsome boat. Like Rona 11., she is to have Lapthorne's sails, which have not yet arrived. A surprise boat is also in Wellington, and will appear in the trials with Wellesley I. and 11. It is just about time Wellington won the coveted cup. At Lvttclton the new beat being built by F. Dobbie is almost completed. It is stated that she has boen very carefully measured and fmnd absolutely exact and 'her certificate issued. Whether Betty is really tu drop out of the content has not been confirmed, nut Christchurch writers seem to tako it for granted that such is tha caso. Dunedin is content to trust again to last yeur's representative, Eileen, handled by George Kellett, although there has been some talk of a new boat. Southland will have one or two boats to pace Murihiku 11., which has not-yet shown her best form ;h "Speedwell's" opinion. Coming back to the Waitemata, supporters of Avalon can rest assured that Frank Cloke has got his little ship "in the pink." He has been working off and on at her all winter and she has this advantage over the new Rona that her sails and gear are well tried out and stretched into shape. Rona fell off so much in speed in the last trials that she is practically out of the hunt, but her new namesake looks a real champion and the trials are sure to be hot ones. It has been said and "Speedwell" now admits with truth, that interest in the Jellicoe class has waned on the Waitemata. We have so many good racing classes here for the present at all events. The M class of restricted 18-footers are. easily the most popular racers, and they certainly deserve it. But the 14-footers will come again. The new Ross Cup, presented for this class to the Anniversary Regatta committee by Mr. C. G. Macindoe to replace the original cup given by Captain W. Ross some eight yeans ago and won outright last year by Rona, will arrive next month. It is a very handsome pfece of work, made at Sheffield by Messrs. Walker and Hall, and it may help to revive interest in the class. To win such a cup and the possibility of the Sanders Cup, there are sure to be other boats built next season, for it is safe to say it will require a new 'boat to be in the running with Rona H. If Rona U. does prove the better boat, in the hands of Alex. Matthews and his smart crew, she should have a very good chance of giving Auckland another look at the famous cup, which has not been possible since 1925, when lona ran off with it to Dunedin. Following is the record of the contest since its inception at Auckland, Easter, 1921:— _ Where Year Winner. Sailed. 1921 .... Heather (O) Auckland 1822 .... Desert Gold (A) Dunedin •••• ona (A) Auckland , Rona (A) Wellington '.... lona (O) Auckland .... Betty <C> Dunedin inolJJetty? etty <(-') Lyttelton 19-8 .... Betty (C) Stewart Is.

STILL MORE MOTOR BOATS.

j All our l ocal builders are busy on I power-driven craft. Mr. Len. Heard's 3Gfooter is just about ready at Slattery's shed. Her power plant is a 40-00 h.p. Ailsa Craig. Mr. E. Archer, of Ponsonby, 1 is having a 26ft v-bottom day cruiser built by P. Vos. She will be christened Ramona, and will be ready for opening day. Mr. H. O. Wiles' new 42footer is in the water, and will be competing in the opening day races. Her job is a 160 h.p. Stearns. The new schooner Baileys are building has her two diagonals on, and the fore and aft planking will be completed next week. The deck beams are in, and the boat is beginning to show her true form. She will have a 15 h.p. Kelvin Sleeve engine as auxiliary power. A number of these engines have been placed lately into local and Southern boats, including Mr. Richardson's 28-footer Haku, and two 30 h.p. in the Centauri. A long-distance race for power boats was lately completed from Olympia, Washington, up the northern coast to Juneau, Alaska, 908 miles. Dell, a Scripps powered boat, won.

AN EARLY HARBOUR PIRACY.

The recent thefts from yachts an< launches recall certain events of a simi lar character which happened 40 yean ago, when a gang of youthful miscreants known as tiie "Waitemata Pirates," com milted a series of looting which culnii nated in the appropriation of the yaelii Malua, to which the stolen property wai transferred, and a voyage undertaken. The following account of the searci and subsequent capture was told tc "Speedwell" about ten years ago by the late Mr. Tom Henderson, one time ownei of Rita and later Voluntet., the largest yacht owned on the Waitemata. Mr Henderson, as the narrative shows, took a very active interest in the search foi the pirates. It will interest present daj yachtsmen to find that yachts even then cruised to the Barrier and many of the places well-known to us all. air. Arch. Buchanan is ttill cruising in the saint waters, now in the Rainbow in place oi Ai iel. The yacht Glance as a straightstemmed, short countered, dark green painted boat, owned by air. Featherstone.

On tlie morning of December 28, 1887, it was discovered that during the previous night visits had been paid to the yachts Rita, Matangi, Merry Duchess and Maritana, and a considerable quantity of stores and outfits stolen, including the family plate of Binden's Maritana, while the Malua, of some seven tons measurement, had altogether disappeared. On tlia following day the Rita (Mr..T. Henderson) left in search of the pirates and proceeded out-si do Waiheke, culling at the various bays, and at Hook's Bay met the Customs launch with police on board, which had gone inside Waiheke. No signs of the missing yacht were seen. The Rita then proceeded round Ruthe's and Ponui Islands, and returned to Auckland at 5 a.m. on Friday without any result. During the trip several boats were spoken and the theft reported. During the day subscriptions from yacht owners were liberally made, and a reward of £50 offered in the "Star" for the capture of the culprits. On December 30 the tug boat Awhina was chartered, and left Auckland at 2.30 p.m., having on board Mr. T. Henderson, armed with a revolver, two police constables with carbines, and the late Captain C. Sainty. The tug had the barque Lurline in tow bound for Napier, and cast her of? about three miles beyond Rangitoto Reef. The scow Norah was spoken, and she reported having seen a small yacht towards the Barrier on the preceding evening. The brigantine Lady Mabel was also spoken, but she had not seen anything. At 0 a.m. a cutter was sighted under Cape Colville, which proved to be the Mercury, seven days out from the East Cape. She reported a,small yacht standing in to Tryphena at 10 p.m., the wind then being light. A course was set for Tryphena, where wc arrived at 8.30 p.m. We boarded the cutter Watchman, and learned from her that there was a yacht anchored under Blairs. The harbour was crossed, and sure enough, there was what iu the darkness appeared to be our prize. The dinghy was lowered, and Mr. Henderson and the police embarked, with weapons ready for use if necessary. Oars were muffled and we approached the yacht. When alongside, Constable Luke Macdonnel jumped into the cockpit and flashed a lantern in the face of and shook a sleeping figure, demanding who he was. Half dazed, the person in question was uncertain of his identity. However, he was able to say that his name was Brown, and that the yacht was the Glance, with a party from North Shore on board. Mr. A. Buchanan's yacht Ariel was also in the harbour, but neither had seen Malua.

On January 2 information was received that the Malua was ashore in the mouth of the Wairoa River. Rita was got ready, and with a crew of volunteers, assisted by a police oflicer, started at 1 p.m. for the Wairoa.

Malua was discovered high and dry just inside Bailie Point, with sails unbent and a quantity of her gear thrown in the water. Sho was brought tip to town. On the same day Simon Joe, a barber in Albert Street, reported that one Maloney had told hini he was one of those who had stolen the yacht. The police were informed and Maloney was arrested at 10.30 that morning. Later information led to the arrest of McDowell at Henderson on January 10. The prompt action of the yachtsmen of that time appeared to have struck terror into the hearts of the thieves, as for many years after there were no waterfront thefts.

OUTBOARD RACING AT BUCKLAND'S BEACH.

The New Zealand Outboard Motor Boat Association held the first race of the season on Monday at Buckland's Beach. Three events, in which five boats competed, were carried out, these little bucking bronchos of the sea causing great interest to a big gathering on the beach. A fresh breeze from the south-west made a short, choppy sea, and no records were made or broken. Humbug did the best, her time working out at 26 miles, Miss Akarana being second, about a mile slower. Much was expected of a new boat, Miss Arawa, but after making some great dashes in the earlier part of the day she met with an accident and did not compete. Her owner has issued a challenge to race Humbug over a mile course for a stake of £23 a-side. Miss Akarana won the first race, Humbug the second, and Chancit the third. The boats and [their power plants and ratings were: Humbug, Elto Quad (39.92); Miss Arawa, Evinrude (29.92); Miss Akarana, Lockwood (19.92); Chancit, Evinrude (19.92); Miss Tamaki, Lockwood (19.92); Miss Invincible, Johnson (19.92); Sea Devil, Johnson (19.92); Vave, Johnson (27.50). The boats will nearly all be competing at the Tamaki Yacht Club's races; off Kohimarama, on November 24, as well as several others.

The British challenger for the world's motor boat speed championship, the Harmsworth Cup, has been unlucky. She capsized and sank on . September 1 at Detroit. Miss Barbara Carstairs, her plucky skipper and owner, also the mechanic, were hurt. Gar Wood, the veteran American speed boat driver, held the trophy again, his' best time being 68.411 statute miles maintained oyer 309 mile course.