THE FIRST RACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 218, 15 September 1930, Page 7

THE FIRST RACE.

YACHTSMAN'S VIEW. Americans Make Most of Change Of Wind. FAIRLY EVEN CONTEST. . Evidently, when the competitors arrived at the starting line in tow of their tenders, prior to 10.30 a.m., the time, fixed for the start, there was little or no wind and' some fog. The course was to have been a windward and leeward one of 15 miles. This is usually started on the wind, finishing with a spinnaker run back home. The direction of the wind must have been offshore, and a glance at the plan of the course in this issue will show that with an off-shore' wind (anything from east/ round by north to west), the starting line dpes not allow of a 15 mile beat to windward as the land is only ten miles off. Under these conditions the only way to get a windward and leeward course was to start the boats "down" wind for 15 miles and let them beat back. This was done, the wind being about north-east as far as one can judge. At gunfire, Enterprise crossed first, carrying mainsail, jib-topsail and balloon jib. Shamrock would carry the same. As soon as the boatk squared away for their run to leeward, all hands concentrated on getting spinnakers set. Shamrock's crew were the smartest at this work and had their spinnaker up and drawing a full minute before Enterprise. The extra sail gave Shamrock a lift and she must have run up almost level with Enterprise, but Enterprise maintained the lead when her big sail was set. The going, was now rather slow and both boats kept well together, for the cable tells us that afttr an hour's sailing only eight miles had been covered (a little over half-way to the

lee mark). Shamrock was running level with Enterprise, in spite of having some trouble with her spinnaker, which was so low on the foot that it touched the top of the water occasionally. A Change of Wind.Evidently Mr. Vanderbilt, ownerskipper of Enterprise*, foresaw a change of wind coming and lie quickly dropped his spinnaker, gybed his mainsail to starboard and reset his spinnaker to port. Captain Heard still held on the starboard gybe in Shamrock, and it is quite possible this "s where Enterprise "got away from him, as he was later forced to gybe and reset his spinnaker to port, the same, as Enterprise.

The"wind veered still more to the east, and spinnakers were now taken in and replaced with balloon jibs. This change of wind was to the advantage of Enterprise, we are told, and it also altered the conditions so much that instead of a beat back to the finishing line, as intended, they wbre both able to lay their course on one tack. Rounding the Lee Mark. With their spinnakers stowed, the mark was rounded as follows: — Enterprise 2h 3m 0s * Sharm'ock 2h 5m 7s The wind, had now gone round so much to the east that the boats were unable to carry their balloon jibs, or "leaders" as we call them, and they were replaced with the ordinary working sails—jib, staysail and baby jib topsail, as the sail which sets high above the jib is called. There was now nothing to do but follow the leader, both boats keeping close to the wind in the event of it going ahead, which would have necessitated making one or more tacks to fetch the line. Enterprise was sailing faster than Shamrock, and she increased her lead. When eight miles had been covered on tho home stretch Enterprise had a lead of 950 yards, or 63 yards short of half a nautical mile. As every skipper of a fourteen-footer knows, the only thing to do when in the lead as Enterprise was is to keep on the weather side of your opponent. Shamrock's skipper could now see that his only hope was to work out as much to windward as possible in case • the wind went dead ahead and he appears, at times, to have let his headsails shake in the wind in his efforts to get the weather berth. The breeze was freshening all this time and was now 10 knots, but it held true, and both boats were able to fetch through to the finishing line without breaking tacks. '

By her first win, Enterprise has a decided advantage. It is difficult at this distance to estimate just how much of Enterprise's lead was due to the change of wind when nearing the lee mark, which her. skipper, Mr. Harold Vanderbilt, was the first to sense and trim his sails accordingly. It is evident that Shamrock ran fairly , even with Enterprise when they both had the wind the same in the earlier stage of the race." Nearing the finishing . line, Shamrock worked out on the weather quarter of Enterprise, but Mr. Vanderbilt might have done equally as well if he had chosen, but he again showed good judgment by keeping his boat "full and bye," straight for the line, thus gaining in "speed.—W. A. Wilkinson. To-day's Race. The race to-day starts" at 10.30 a.m: and will be sailed over three legs of the triangular course, the first leg of which is on the wind, if possible, but in any case one of the legs must be a beat to windward, the other two being off the 'wind.