YACHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 102, 2 May 1931, Page 17

YACHTING.

A WELCOME TO TEDDY. RACING R.TJXES EXPI4AINED. THE OVERTAKING BOAT. PRIZE-NIGHTS ARRANGED. (By W. A. WILKINSON.) Although arrangements have been made for a fleet of yachts and motor boats to assemble off Eangitoto beacon at 4 o'clock this afternoon to welcome back Captain Tambs and the crew of the Teddy, Messrs. Ralph Goodwin and E. W. Bone, it is somewhat doubtful .whether he can make port in time. After a rough passage of 22 days from Sydney, Teddy put into Mangonui on morning, where her skipper and crew were given a hearty welcome. Naturally they were elated at having ion the race, the first of its kind, which may not be repeated for a long time. The Teddy was never pushed to her limit in the race; all the same, she was not allowed to 'loaf along." When the breeze was fair a spinnaker and a topsail were set. Without seeing Captain Tambs' plotting of his course, it appears that he kept well to the north of Cape Maria, and then made straight for Sydney Heads, meeting nothing in the Way of exceptionally bad weather; in &ct, he reported quite a good passage. He was at anchor in Sydney Harbour three days before the southerly gale Mt in which gave Rangi such a bad time. Twice on the trip back Teddy had to be love-to, losing nearly a week, while head ■Grinds were the rule all the way across. ■ |t would appear as if head Avinds still Md, as instead of the westerly wind which prevailed when Teddy left Mangottjjj light winds from the east have been toe rule, later changing to south-east, V'hich ia dead, ahead for Auckland. The writer suggested to Captain Tambs that he should time his arrival W<i p.m. on Saturday, actually seven from the time he left. The capfajn at once acquiesced in the arrangement, and wired that he would do his . "Wt to be on time. Tt is quite possible I Jet that Teddy will be on time, or "ewly so. The two local men will, no doubt, be glad to be home again. Captain Tanjbs also has reasons for a quick Jfifc and proposes to stay here and refit leaving for the Islands in continuation of his four-year voyage around the world. With Teddy even as far off as Rodney by 10 a.m. to-day, she will s °t disappoint the big fleet which have expressed their determination to go out t0 tteet her and give the crew a real Jwhtsnxan's welcome. r As Captain Tambs will be here for the ! a ext two months, no doubt he will be a familiar figure at some of the local P social gatherings. The "Royals" * U1 he the first to entertain him and a * crew, while the big event will be the |fesentatior. of the Cup by the Akarana I ***. Needless to say, Mrs. Tambs and ' Teddy will be amongst the first ™ welcome "Daddy."

RTHE RACING RULES. frequently during the season the Jaaug rules come under discussion, due '-an infringement by one or more comretitors. It is the intention to go carer"% through the racing rules of the under which our local clubs eoui- ****> and explain by diagram, where the rules aud their footnotes ded b y toe council

A short summing up of the fundamental rules of yacht racing is as follows: —■ 1. Port tack always keeps out of the way of starboard tack. This rule is generally understood and obeyed, except that boats at times tack when too close to an opponent. You can tack on a yacht's weather or under her lee, but not when you are dead ahead unless so far ahead as to be able to gather full way on your boat before the other comes up to yon and involving risk'of a collision. 4 2. Windward yacht must keep clear. Windward yachts must keep out of the way of yachts to leeward of them. The yacht or yachts to leeward have the right to luff as they please, provided there is no obstruction to sea room. Overtaking yacht must keep clear. This rule applies only when there is risk of collision, for if there is no risk of collision one need not bother about it. In fact, it is only when there is risk of collision that the penalty comes into all rules of the road. Risk of collision exists when two yachts at the same time put their helms hard over and their courses intersect, or, in other •words, they would foul each other. This is the Y.R.A. definition of risk of collision, and any skipper can usually see when he is in such a position. If they are inside this range, or if there is a doubt about being clear, then the rule of the road must be observed.

There are two essentials to the position of an overtaking yacht. She must be sailing the same, or nearly the same, course as the other, or she must have been clear astern and outside the risk of collision. Clear astern means that the bows or the bowsprit of the boat astern is behind a line drawn square across the boom end or counter of the yacht ahead. Then one is "clear astern and the other "clear ahead." It is the duty of the overtaking boat to keep out of the way until she has drawn clear ahead. Directly she has drawn ahead she in turn becomes the overtaken boat. She may draw clear by opening out wide abreast and outside the danger circle, or she may fall astern and so keep clear. The overtaking boat is allowed a free passage on the lee side of the other yacht, which must not bear away to hinder her passage. She must point her course for the next mark if off the wind, or, if close-hauled, must sail "full and by " This is the next most important sailing rule to the port and starboard tack rule, and should be fully mastered by the young skipper early in his career. Many of the older hands seem to lack a full knowledge of the rule and its application. The next rule to be reviewed will be that much-abused one of giving room at marks.

PRIZE NIGHTS. It would appear to ba a bit premature to announce prize-giving nights, with so manv of the boats still in commission, but some of the clubs are lookjng ahead, and wisely, as last year there were several fixed for the same week, and one or two on the- same night. The Victoria Cruising Club has decided on Wednesday, July 15, as the date for their Pl The n Northcote and Birkenhead Regatta Committee will distribute the prizes won at the regatta held in March, also the side-show events, at the Palais Theatre, Northcote, next Thursday evening. H. H. Sergeant, patron of the club, will make the presentations. The Otahuhu Sailing Club will_hold their prize-giving this month. Mr. W. G. Parkinson a. member of the committee, SJ who formed one of the Teddy's crew in the race to Sydney, will be the guest of honour. Captain Tambs and the memhws of his crew will also be wyited. The tot of the Akarana Club's Saturday night dances will take place in the clubhouse this evening. -..,., The Devonport Club's fortnightly dance will be held next Wednesday They are becoming quite popular at the marine *

ANOTHER QJJD REGATTA INCIDENT. Very early in my career I was invited one regatta day to go aboard the cutter Janet, owned by Henderson and Spraggon. The wind was light, and ous skipper, Captain Matt Hooper, got bis crew to rig a ringtail. This sail was set on a b'ght spar, which extended beyond the end of the main boom. One of the crew wa* busy at this job as we worked down harbour against a light northeaster. One end of the full coil of rope was bent on to ihe end of the spar, and then led on board, aft, where it was intended to be cut the right length. All at onee the skipper i shouted, "Lee-oh," and we went about to clear a competitor. I think it was the Teviot (at all events she was painted green)- We had cut it a bi'« fine as we were On the port tack, and Teviot poked her bowsprit close enough to our stern to put the end of it under the rope, which was made fast to our ring-tall boom. She was on opposite tacks to us, and as we separated, Teviot carried on with the rope over her bowsprit. A half-turn had been taken under a 'belaying pin, and the rope ran out to the full length of the eofi, when a knot in the end jammed under the pin, and Teviot*s bowsprit snapped off short. This lost her any chance in the race, and I ea'n remember the torrent of "cuss" words which the skipper and crew of Teviot flung at us before we drew out of hearing. THE MEASURED MILE. It is not generally known that there is a measured mile laid off in the harbour. The old mile course was originally on the north side from Calliope Dock buoy to Sandspit, but this was discarded when the buoy off the dock was lifted. In September, 1921, Captain Sergeant, harbourmaster, realised that a measured mile was necessary, both for merchant vessels and pleasure craft, laid off a course of one nautical mile. It is on the southern side of Hobson Bay. The starting point is a black buoy, known in yachting circles as the Resolution buoy, 'lying north-east of Pojnt Resolution, Parnell. A course of exactly one sea mile lies between this buoy and the north-ea*t corner of Orakei wharf. To ensure a fixed position for the black buoy, unaffected by tides, it is moored with two 3 moorings, one laid to the east, and the other to the west. Owners of motor ] boats can easily pick up these marks, and by making one or two runs either j way and taking the average, an accurate estimate of speed is obtained. Before any speed is recognised by the Admiralty, the mean of six trials is j' taken, three with and three against the > current, but a run down and back should j be sufficient for local nee. The racing officials now recognise the mean of two c runs only. c