"ROYALS" RACING WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 224, 21 September 1929, Page 18

"ROYALS" RACING WEEK.

PROPOSED REGATTA OFF KAWAU. CLUB NOMINATIONS AND JOTTINGS. SAILS FOR ".MOTOR BOATS. (By SPEEDWELL.) One of the matters to be discussed at the annual meeting of the Royal New Zealand Yaelit Squadron next Friday evening will be rather a novelty as far as yachting in the Dominion is concerned. The proposal is to hold a series of races, extending over a week or ten days, which would complete the'racing for the seasOn and so leave 'lie other week-ends free for cruising. The proposed locations for the week's regatta is Kawau, and it is certainly ideal for the purpose. With plenty of deep water, good courses, free from the vagaries of wind, close under high land, can be laid out for any weather with a safe, quiet anchorage assured at the end of the day. Kawau also lends itself admirably to social evenings, and the ladies can have an outing as well as the men. A regatra was hold off Kawau about 20 years ago, and all who competed voted it a first-class course. _ The present proposal is quite an ambitious one, and smacks of Gowes week on the Solent or the Clyde Fortnight in Scotland. These two fixtures- are the chief events in the racing season at Home. The racing fleet usually takes part iu the regattas on the Clyde, and then sails South, competing at ports en route, concluding with the Coves Week, and a few other fixtures on the South Coast. It must be remembered that all the racing boats in England, especially in the big class, are owned by men who can afford to devote the whole of their time to racing. Usually they are skippered by an amateur, but they all have a paid crew who ship for the racing season. f Conditions are totally different on the Waitemata. Here we have no paid crew. One or two boats have a paid man on board, who is usually the cook, and he also looks after the boat all week. The racing crew are purely amateurs, and the first difficulty would be to get sufficient boats whose cr<3w could obtain holiday leave all at the same time. Certainly, February, the month suggested, is. generally recognised as the month for cruising, but it is doubtful if sufficient A and B class boats could get away together to ensure really representative racing. As a rule when a boat s ciew get their annual leave they aim to go further away than Kawau. It has been said that the annual race to Tauranga and Russsell takes the place of the cruise up the coast in February, once so usual.

Tliis is the case to*, a certain extent. While the idea of a week's regatta is to be encouraged, yet the difficulties in the way are many, and it is very doubtful if it can be carried out. Even if not practicable, it will be interesting to hear members' views on the subject. Nominations for the flag officers and committee of the squadron closed, this week and are given here. It will be noted that little change will take place. It is an unwritten rule that the "flags" hold office for two years only. To ta'ke " the place of Mr. A. H. Court, who is ; not seeking re-election as rear-commo-dore, Mr. J. H. (Jim) Frater has been nominated. The only election necessary will be to select ten committeemen from the dozen offering, and there are two nominees for- the office of hon. treasurer. The nominations are as follows: —Commodore, Mr. W v P. Endean; vice-commodore, Mr. N. L. Macky;. rearcommodore, Mr. J. H. Frater; secretary, Mr. J. C. Hewson; assistant secretary, Mr. J. L. Souter; treasurer, Messrs. A. M. Gilrnour and A. M. Mackay; com-. ■' mittee, Messrs. M; K. Draffin, A. N. Duder, H. J. C. George, A. E. Hodgson, G. McKenzie, H. E. Hume, J. 0. Owen, E. B. Wilson, A. S. Miller, W. J. Eeid, A. H. C. Lees, E. H. Nortlicroft; /hon. solicitor, Mr. J. Alexander; hon. auditors, Messrs. J. F. Hollinrake, G. D. Deery. ' ' . The annual meeting of the Akarana Yacht Club will be held in the clubhouse on Thursday next. The only nominations for flag officers in this club are commodore, Mr. T. McKay; vicecommodore," Mr. H. Howell; and rearcommodore, Mr. H. Smith. Since the clubhouse has been built the committee necessary; have grown and include:- 1 - General (12), sailing (8), house (10) and outboard (4). J The annual meeting of the Ponsonby Cruising Club* will be held in the clubhouse, St. Mary's Bay, on Wednesday next. There have been some proposals put forward to combine this club and the Richmond Cruising Club. The idea seems a practical one'provided the mem-' bers of both clubs are agreeable. It would make for fewer, racing fixtures and ensure better entries. No"doubt the mat-, ter will be fully discussed and a decision arrived at on Wednesday evening. .■ * The Eichmond Cruising Club will hold a meeting 911 Tuesday, October 1, when, the amalgamation will be the chief topic; If the Ponsonby Club decides in favour of amalgamation no doubt the Eichmond Club will , ratify the proposal. It is understood that in the event of ■ the proposal being carried the present clubhouse -of the Eichmond Club will bo retained for the benefit of members wlio live in this- vicinity. Work on the sea wall in front of the Devonport Yacht Club's building .lias been started by the borough workmen, and when finished will increase the area available for dinghy lockers. The next move will be to pet a short jetty built . out from this wall. It only requires a short one to give sufficient water for n or bouts to approach or leave "at dencl low water. The hauling out area ot tins club is already too small, every berth being occupied. The Devonpon Borough Council has decided to build'a nUmbei of dinghy lockers 011 the seawall immediately inshore from H.Mes Iris The Victoria Cruising Club will bold a reunion of past and present members in the clubhouse 011 Wednesday, October 3. It will take the form of a smoke concert, and representatives of sister clubs arc invited. At a special meeting held 011 Wednesday the following raeiny officials were elected for the ~'eomin<* season:—Starter, Mr. 0. Johnson; judge Mr. E. Griffiths; judge cruising races' Mr. L, A. Tercel; timekeepers harbour J races, Messrs. A. Perki'll, M. Maher, J. MeGeehan; timekeepers cruising races. Messrs: W. Walsh and J. Atford; sailing committee, Messt" G. Mobberley, L. 'ifa- v..,.. - •

Bennett. G., Parker, A. Perkin and F. Farrell. Handicappers: Keel boats, Mr. L. A. Tercel; 26ft mullet boats, Mr. G. Mobberley; 22ft mullet boats, Mr. G. Parker; 20ft mullet boats, Mr. E. Culhane; ISft boats, Mr. A. Perkin; 16ft boats, Mr. P. Farrell; 14ft square bilge, Mr. J. Brannigan; 14ft T class, Mr. Cottingham; launches, Mr. W. Utting. SAILS FOE MOTOR BOATS. The modern marine engine is so very reliable that breakdowns are rare, and a boat may run for several seasons without a serious stoppage, while a breakdown, necessitating machine-shop repairs, is even less frequent. Certainly, such mishaps which do occur, seem to come when the boat is in an awkward place, such as off Cape Brett or Bream Head, or making up for Whangarei or off the Barrier. The extra motion, due to the tide-rips off these well-known places, often accounts for a blocked petrol line, caused by an air-lock in the fuel pipe. Seaweed in the water intake is another cause of engine stoppage, and she gets hot. This cannot be blamed on the motor, but it is liable to happen, and it then depends on the resource of the engineer and the extent of the mishap as to how long the boat will be at the mercy of the elements. The intervening time is always an anxious one for all hands, and may easily be | dangerous. We have known of several narrow escapes, and at least one instance where nothing was ever again lieard of boat or its sole occupant. . The older type of engine, and some of the motor car conversions, are more liable to go wrong. This is just where a - sail comes in handy. The motordriven pleasure craft takes precedence, as far as numbers go, over sailing craft at the present time, and "Speedwell" has no wish to damp the ardour of anyone who may be inclined to take up this branch of the sport. On the contrary, it is doing "so much to bring into the sport many who would never be content with the uncertainties of making a passage by sail alone, and would prefer the car to a yacht. But the motor boat appeals to them, and the knowledge gained by handling a motor car stands them in good stead on a motor boat, as far as the engine is concerned. But this is about as fai\ as their knowledge goes. Seamanship cannot be picked up in a season.

If a sail is carried for emergency use, some of the awkward and often dangerous situations can be avoided, and < there is generally someone aboard who knows how to handle a boat under sail. The obvious advantage of a sail to fall back on in emergency should be sufficient incentive to all motor boat owners to carry one. „ This necessitates a fairly stout mast, set up with forestay, and at least two shrouds. • A backstay or preventer is an extra precaution which need only be set up when sailing right before the wind.

It is surprising how well a motor boat will sail. Of course, slie will not "look" at the wind, and requires to be kept well free. With a fairly tall mast, which is an improvement to any but the smallest of motor boats, a mainsail and jib can be carried. Some of our fleet have two masts, and can set jib, foresail and mainsail. This looks smart, and the sails are often set on a long run to help the motor. My experience has shown that as an aid to speed they are almost nil, but they have very decided steadying power, and help the motor when climbing a sea. Their small efficiency as a speed factor is due to the fact that unless half a gale is blowing the engine drives ther boat faster than the sails can be kept filled. One or two of our local enthusiasts, notably Mr. Percy Carter, of Helen C, frequently shuts off the engine and makes a passage under sail alone. Then the effectiveness of the sails are good, as by keeping the boat "free" she moves along at a four or five-mile gait in quite a moderate breeze, with the wind abeam or on the quarter, and you can always make for shelter somewhere. The cost of a mainsail and jib is not excessive—£s would cover them both. This supposes that a mast, properly stayed, is already on the boat. Where this has to be found, another £3 should be allowed, unless the owner can make the 'mast or rigging himself, in .which case less than half of this sum will be found sufficient. It is surely poor policy, for the sake of a few pounds, to be without a mast and sail, for one never knows when they Will be required, even with the best of engines. Sails may save lives, and they always give a sense of security when cruising, which is' worth while. While the good ship is up for the winter is the right time to have mast and sails fitted. Just as engines are useful in a cruising yacht as an auxiliary, sails are the best auxiliary for the motor boat. * ■■■■ l