YACHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 230, 28 September 1929, Page 16

YACHTING.

ROYAL N.Z. YACHT SQUADRON. 58TH ANNUAL MEETINtr. The fifty-eighth iannu.il meeting of members of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron was held last evening in the club rooms, Queen Street, the commodore, Mr. W. P. Endean, presiding over an attendance of 97 members. The annual report, which has appeared in these columns, showed that the past season had\been a very active one, the club making steady progress. Membership increased to 010, including 13 junior 9 honorary, and 95 country members, the balance-sheet stated receipts to have been £3966. After placing £50 to the building fund and £5 to reserve fund, there was a credit balance of £177 6/10. Mr Endean, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, briefly reviewed the past season, and referred to tne early days of the club, when they were without a club house, and were said to have held meetings in the street lie contrasted their position at the present time, when they were housed in comtort, and were able to add a luncheon room, which was much appreciated by members. Here, he said, races were often sailed over again and knotty points in racing rules argued out Mr. Endean referred to the fact that owing to the high cost very few yachts had been built since the war, and he congratulated Mr. C. Wild, of Devonport, who was building a new first-class Marconi-rigged yacht. The matter of holding a week s racing at To Kouma or Kawau was touched on by the speaker, who said he thought the idea a splendid one if it could be carried into effect. The possibility of a boat harbour in Hobson Bay was also mentioned, and the efforts which had been made by Mr Geo Stitt and others to bave the bridge on. the waterfront road raised to give a minimum clearance of eight feet at high water, was commended. The commodore thanked the officers and committee for their loval support during the year, and mentioned that Messrs. A. .1-1. Court, J. Fotheringham and G. Deery, were not seeking re-election to various offices, and concluded by wishing all members a good season afloat. The election of officers resulted at follows:—Patron, His Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, Bart.; commodore. Mr. W. P. Endean; vice-commodore. Mr. N. L. Macky; rear- \ commodore, Mr. J. H. Frater; hon. secretary, Mr. J. C. Ilewson ; assistant-secretary, Mr. .T. L. Souter; hnn. treasurer. Mr. A. M. Gilmour; hon. solicitor, Mr. John Alexander: hnn. auditors. Messrs. S. Heighway and J. F, Holjinrake; hon. treasurers, Messrs. C. T. Trevithick and M. K. Draffin ; general committee, Messrs. M. K. Draffln. A. N. Duder, IT. J. C. George, A. R. Hodgson. H. R. Hume. A. R. Miller, Geo. McK>nzie, E. H. Northcroft, J. O. Owen and R. B. Wilson. Mr. .T. B. Johnston, referring to the commodore's remarks on the raising of the bridge at the entrance to the proposed boat .harbour in Hobson Bny, stated that the Harbour Bonrd were not unmindful of the wants of the yachtsmen of the future, and. they had agreed to a minimum clearance rf five f<>et above the top of snring tide. This would give a height of 15 feet nt low water. The remarks of Mr. Johnston were well received, but some members were still of the opinion that eight feet clearance 'diculd be the minimum. On the motion of Mr. J. H. Frater, £100 was placed to the building fund, and £25 to the reserve fund. The subscription was fixed at £4 4/. A proposal to make the fee for country members 10/6 caused considerable discussion, and it was decided that the subscription for members within the province of Auckland and beyond 20 miles from G.P.O. should be £1 1/, and for members outside the province 10/6. The commodore referred feelingly to the denth of Mr. J. L. R. Bloomfield. many vears cemmodore of the club, also Messrs. IT. J. Whitley, J. C. Buchanan and H. P. R. Foster, memhers standing as a mark of respect. At the request of the commodore, Mr. John Alexander . gave some interesting reminiscences of the early days of the club, and confirmed the idea that the first meeting was held in the street. lie traced the growth of the club and the onenlng of the first club house in Smeeton's Buildings under the oommodoreshln of the late Mr. Chas. P. Murdoch, whom the speaker referred to as a real optimist. The idea of a week-end club house at Matiatia was also recalled, and Mr. ' Alexander commended the pronosed week's carnival at Kawau, saying' it was the intention to hold races off Matiat'a if a club house had been built there. He was pleased to see the increasing interest taken in the club, especially in the good snort of yacht racing, in which money did not count, but all competed for the honour of winning the race. A vote of thanks to the retiring officers and committee and the Press concluded the business.