YACHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 125, 28 May 1932, Page 15

YACHTING.

WORLD'S SPEED RECORD. MODEL YACHT AND OUTBOARD ACTIVITIES. ANOTHER KEEL YACHT BUILDING. . (By SPEEDWELL.)

It is to be hoped that within the next few days the cables will inform us that Kaye Don, racing Miss England 111., has succeeded in setting up new figures for the world's mile record on the water.

The record stands at 111.7 m.p.h., made by Gar Wood, the American speed boat "ace," at Miami, Florida, with his latest boat Miss America IX. The record previously stood at 110.28 m.p.h., which was attained by Miss England 11. at Detroit last year in competition with Miss America VIII.

Miss England 111. is now at Lake Garda, Northern Italy, and Kaye Don is enthusiastic about her ability to not only break the record, but to raise it over the 120 m.p.h. mark, equal to two miles per minute! This will give Gar Wood something to beat, for his latest boat only raised the record by VA miles.

Miss England 111. is 40ft long and was built for Lord Wakefield by Thornycrofts, at Hamp-ton-on-Thames. Her power plant consists of two 12-cylindcr Rolls Royee engines, developing 5000 h.p. The hull is lightly but very strongly built, and is the result of many tests with models representing the latest scientific development, carried out by Sir John Thornycroft's experts on water in his garden at Bcmbiidge, Isle of Wight.

I Lord Wakefield has set his heart on .regaining for Britain the world's speed supremacy on the water, to add to the existing records heljl ,by Britain on land and' in the air. It would appear that, bar accidents, in Miss England 111. he has the boat to : attain this object. New Boat Will Go to America. When Miss England 111. has completed her racing at Lake Garda, which includes the contest for the valuable trophy presented in memory of Sir Henry Scgravc, who lost his life when Miss England 11. sank on Lake Windeimere, she will be shipped back to England for a thorough overhaul and then be taken to Detroit, where she will , compete for the British international trophy, . the Harinsworth Cup, presented by the late Lord Northclifl'e in 1903. This prize is rightly looked on as the blue riband' of the motor boat world, as the America Cup is in the world of sail. It has been held by America continuously for the past. 12 years, and no doubt Gar Wood will make every effort to retain it. Kayo Don, Thornycrofts and Rolls Royco, backed by Lori? Wakefield, make a British combination hard to beat. PONSONBY MODEL YACHT CLUB.

The Pousonby district has always been to the fore in all boating matters, and now intercut about the boat harbour centres in model yacht sailing.

Kor'jjome weeks past trials have been held ;;pn-"the'.sheltered: water of the boat hafbbur of a number of -models, including.; boats built to the sahfe size by Mr. W.-T. Matthews. He has received many requests for plans and other details from a number of young enthusiasts, who now propose to form a club under the name of the Ponsqnby Model Yacht Club. A meeting* of those interested will take place to-morrow, about 11 a.m., when definite arrangements will.be made to get a cliib started if sufficient interest is shown. Mr. Matthews has the rules of the Hamilton Model Yacht and Sailing Club, which held races every Saturday in the season for a number of years with great success. .... It is suggested to keep the models to a reasonably small size, with' races for 2ft, 3ft and 4ft classes. The 2ft and 3ft models may be fomicl large enough for the first season. This matter will be discussed when the club is actually formed. Subscriptions, if any, will only be nominal. As Mr. Matthews is willing to undertake the work of organising a club for the boys, no doubt they will take advantage of his offer, and so help to foster a branch of our sport which is very interesting, and gives valued training in the art of boat sailing. The model yacht club started at Onehunga, under the auspices of the Manukau Cruising Club, has made • great progress. It was intended at first to confine its activities to the boys, but many older boys, some up to 60 years of age, have shown so much interest in model sailing that two branches have been formed for seniors and juniors. The races will be sailed on the basin, which is ideal for the purpose. A meeting will be held next week to pass rules and draw up a list of fixtures: With a club at Ponsonby, another at Stanley Bay or Bayswater, and the present Orakei Club, the sport should prosper next season.

IN WINTER QUARTERS. Hauling-out is in full swing at the weekends, but quite a number of the larger motor boats are still on their moorings. The holiday next Friday is an inducement for many, but after that moorings will be soon vacated. At the yard of W. G. Lowe and Son the following yachts aro safely stowed away:—Viking, Heartsease and Thelma (which were not in commiesion last season), Ariki, Rainbow, Rawene, Waitangi, 4orere, Moaua, Ngatira, Ida, Ladye Wilma and Little Jim. The motor boats are Duchess, Linda, Adelaide, Rona, Dorothy and Atatu. The Richmond Club boats are nearly all in winter quarters at Cox's Creek, at the bottom of West End Road, which has been in use for hauling-out purposes tor the past 20 years. The .boats are Nomad, Matariki, Mowai, Marere, Wild Wave, Leveret. Sea Crest, Namu, Mistletoe, Wairangi," Eema, Phyllis, Suzette, Comrade, Phaola and Marion D. on Mr. Jas. Donald's slip on the opposite Side of the creek The boats up at the Devonport xacht Club's hauling-out area include Kotuku, Kotiri, lona, Prize, Vida, Waione, Venus, Memory, Unice, Raira, Maid Marian, Ngaire Desdemona, Silens and Reljutai. Norana is being hauled out this afternoon. Waitui Omatere, Irene and Nga Toa are up at the back of Stanley Bay. Dione and Flying Cloud are on P. Vose slipway, and Rinaldo and Glennifer at C. Bailey's Only two boate are up on the Victoria Club's ground,: but the slip and trolley are in good order, and no doubt the usual 30 or 40 boats will be in their usual place within the next two or three sheds in Mechanics'- Bay are not being used for large boats, but Baby Lu is in No. 1. and several small cratt in the other, sheds. . , The beach, at Bay is nearly filled up to its full quota allowed by the City Council. In Hobeon Bay Ilex is safely stowed away, also Celox, >uobe. and a number of others. The new sheds on the eastern side are all filled, except Shenandoah's.- Two-boate are up in the far end of Mission Bay. It is understood the owners have received -orders to move them from here.

YACHT AND MOTOR BOAT ASSOCIATION.

A meeting nf delegates to the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association will be held in the Squadron rooms on Tuesday next. May 31, at B"'p.m. The business includes the consideration of the Rona plan and specifications and the recommendations of the sub-committee set up to report on tlvs matter before they are torwarded to the Southern Sanders Cun committees The amended restrictions for the mullet boat classes will also come up for confirmation, and the question of pnzenieht fixtures is also on the agenda paper This is only to avoid the possibility of dates overlapping, as clubs usually decide their own dates. ... ... A. meeting of the sailing committee will belield the ?ame evening at 7.30 when the nrotest of Waione against Speedwell will be dealt with.

OUTBOARD CLUB'S ACTIVITIES. \i

The Auckland Outboard Racing Club, which has only been in existence as a separate body tor two seasons, may be congratulated on its growth and activities in that short period. During the past season four meetings were held on the Panmure Basin and two oil the Tamaki River. All were carried out successfully, especially the races on the Basin. In addition, a number of club members competed at the Mercer and Rangiriri Regattas, at the Anniversary Regatta and the Tamaki Yacht Club's events for this class.

A competitor from Wellington, Mr. Alan Woodman's Bee Jax, gave additional interest to the third meeting, but the local speedsters proved too good for the visitor. Rags, a boat from Tauranga, competed at the fourth meeting, but her luck was out. Mr. W. l< 1 . Neal's hydroplane Pug put up the fastest time, gaining the champion speed pennant for the year. Pug also lowered the lap record for the Basin course from 1.11 to 3.6 2-5, equal to a speed on the straight of 44 m.p.h. Mr. J. Johnson's Phar Lap and Mr. C. J. Collings' Elto were the runners-up in this class.

Next to the hydroplane, or 2.10 class, as tlic club terms the fastest boats, the runabouts are most popular. Some of these arc quite big displacement craft and are capable of carrying half a dozen passengers through rough water with speed and comfort. Mr. "0. J. Melvern's Lady Eve divides honours with Mr. E. J. Schofield's Nymph and J. D. Ileilly and K. Wren's Chancit in this class.

The rest of the fleet is classed at the 3.0 boats, the best of which was Messrs. C. It. and It. C. Burcess' It-isn't-it, with Mr. J. 8. Dickson's Pegasus and Mr. C. 11. Turnbull's Itsit the next best.

The class championships were won by Pug in the open class. Hell's Bells in the 0 Class, Itsit in the B Clase, It-isn't-it In the A Class, and Pastime the runabouts. The most consistent competitors were Chancit, It-isn't-it, Miss Clevedon, British Maid and Pastime, their lap times seldom varying more than a few seconds. MODEL YACHT EXHIBITION. The New Zealand Society of Model and Experimental Engineers, which held an exhibition of model yachts, motor boats and sailing ships at the Winter Show last year has deckled not to exhibit in this year's show. The exhibit attracted a lot of attention and several inquiries have reached us requesting particulars of the entries. The decision to stand down for a year has definitely Tseen arrived at by the society.