YACHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 189, 12 August 1933, Page 14

YACHTING.

THE AKARANA CLUB.

ONE OP THE PIONEERS,

AUCKLAND TO MELBOURNE RACE

The Akarana Yacht Club was formed | at the North Shore in November, 1894, and ranks as second in seniority to the "Royals" on the Waitemata, but the Manukau Yacht Club was formed two years before the Akarana. The North Shore Sailing Club was its title for its first eight years, but with the increase in the size oZ Its fleet in 1902 the word "sailing" was altered to "yacht," and as the North Shore Yacht Club it continued to prosper for the next 20 years. Members were drawn irom all' round _ the harbour, and eventually it was decided to remove to the city. The next change was to drop the title North Shore in favour of Akarana Yacht Club, which it has retained since 1925. In 1927, after much negotiating with the Harbour Board; a site for a clubhouse was granted 011 the eastern . waterfront, and without delay funds were gathered, an art union helping to the extent ot £450, and a start made to build by voluntary helpers, with one or two paid men as overseers. The club continued to prosper with unvarying regularity. With a home of its own, club functions were held ■regularly, and the rentals from 40 dinghy lockers on the ground floor were a source of revenue which has been the means of paying off the majority of its debentures, the last of them falling due at the end of next year. One of the secrets of the club's success was the encouragement given to cruising races. The race to Awaroa Bay, Waiheke, was instituted over 25 years ago, and is to-day the most popular event of the year. Another race also started when Mr. Wilkinson was commodore was a race around Waiheke, finishing at Matiatia. The competitors seldom finished before midnight, but it never lacked entries. Kawau and Waiwera were also favourite rendezvous, while a cruise in company was usually arranged at Easter, embracing Coromandel and Kawau, with a run to Little Omaha and back, or out to the Little Barrier. The Waiheke race has been abandoned for a number of years, but before it was' dropped even longer races were carried

out. On three occasions a race was sailed round Canoe Kocfc, thence round a mark boat off the Cow and Calf, Coromandel, and back through the Sandspit passage to Matiatia, or to Victoria wharf, Devonport, the distance being just under 90 miles.

Another feature was the club's regatta, held off the Victoria wharf, Devonport, when 90 to 100 boats of all classes competed. The club was the first to hold a race for motor boats. This was about 1904. One or two of the competitors wero steam driven, notably the Queen of Beauty, owned by Mr. Chris. Harris, and driven by Dick Spinks, and the Ruru, the Ferry Company's night boat. The most popular of the club's fixtures 25 years ago was the annual picnic which was invariably held at Kohimarama, the use of a steamer being donated by Mr. Alex. Alison for the afternoon. The short distance gave a long afternoon for sports, the dinghy events having to be rowed in heats, there being so many entries. The North Shore Club was the first to adopt the 14-ft one-design class, and to put a race on at each fixture. This was in 1916, and it has stuck to the class ever since, some of the best racing last season being in this class. Next to the cruising races, the most popular fixture of the year was the big general handicap for the Dunning Cup. This was instituted in 1898, when it was won by Captain Henry Parker's Mavis, and was finally won outright by Mr. Wilkinson's Thistle in 1910 after 13 races. Mr. Dunning presented a second cup, which was won by Waitere 11. Mr. Eliot Davis presented another cup, which is still competed for. The club has been most fortunate in the number of donors of cups for annual competition. In the view taken last Saturday of the prizes, there are nine cups which are competed ror annually. The ■ Tasman, Balokovic and Ailsa Craig cups carry miniatures, which are retained by the winner each year. Last season three cups were donated for the Naval whalers. They were keenly contested .by the whalers from all H.M. ships on the station, and two crews from the R.N.V.R. section. The principal cup was won by Commodore Burges Watson, who sailed his whaler home ahead of eleven others. There was no competition last season for the trans-Tasman or the Balokovic cups. The latter is sailed over a course of 180 miles, round Sail Rock, Cuvier and back.'lt was won in 1932 by Mr. H. George's Victory.' There is every possibility of a race for the Tasman Cup eventuating next season from Auckland to Melbourne, and already two boats are certain,- Oimara and J. Wray's new boat. Early Officers. The meeting to form the club was called by Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, who was secretary and treasurer for the first ten years. It was ; held in the Devonport Borough Council Chambers, Mr. J. C. Webster | being in the chair. Mr. W. , Edmund Bennett, at the time joint-owner of the l'our-rater Ngaru with Jack Webster, was elected first commodore, and Mr. Webster vice-commodore. He was followed by Mr. Alex. Alison as commodore, then Messrs. Jas. Dunning, Captain H. Parker, J. C. Macky, M. A. Jenny, Jas. B. Graham, W. A. Wilkinson, F. Smith, W. R. Ingram, E. B. Webster, A. Braund, F. W. Jcffers, and the present holder of this office, Mr. Tom McKay. Several other gentlemen have held honorary offices, including Messrs. Ernest Davis, Eliot Davis, H. R. McKenzie, and Captain Sergeant. The club has also numuerecf amongst its vice or rear-commodores a number who were well known in the yachting world, and many still continue their activities in the sport. They include Messrs. J. W. Frater,' C. P. Murdoch, F. E. Jackson, A. E. Alison, W. Swinnerton, C. J. Coliings, Captain Gibbe, Geo. Grimmer, Gordon Miller,- W. Bondi W. H. Oliver, Dr. E. Stephenson, A. C. ("Barky") Wild, Colin Wild,-R. H. Blott, Dale' Spencer, W. J. Quelch, W. T. Shaw, Len Cunningham, E. S. ("Tecky") Gittos, W. A. ("Farmer") Willette, E. and F. Spraggon, John Parker, John Collis, Geo. Honour, Alan Hudson, Tom McKnight, W.— I. Wood, E. Daniel, Alec Sutherland, Frank Bennett, ,H. J. C. George, E. Felth.-yn, and Frank Chalmers. The secretaries were Messrs. Wilkinson, A. Warbrick, W. A. Parker, W. Sin ton, Len.- Fleming, Harry Hill, G. E. Laycock, and W. A. Ure, the preseiu holder. Thei

office of treasurer was combined with secretary for the first ten or fifteen years, but later was separate. Jack Sykes, Harry Hill and H. Howell, the present holder, were the treasurers for many years.

The club has steadily progressed under its various officers, who liave at all times taken a keen personal interest and pride in the affairs of the club, and strove to keep the familiar red and blue pennant with a white cross flying with unabated vigour, and the respect of their brother yachtsmen. May it long continue on these lines is the sincere wish of "Speedwell" and its many friends.

CLUB NOTES

At the annual meeting of the Manukau Cruising Club on Tuesday a novel method of marking tlio ballot papers for the election of the committee was suggested by a member. There were twelve men nominated for the nine vacancies. To save each member writing the names of the chosen nine, it was suggested that only names of the three men for whom they did not wish to vote be written. The chairman, Mr. R. H. Auger, ruled this out of order, and the nine names had to be written on the ballot papers, which took some time to count.

This club is also fortunate in having no less than eleven cups which are competed for each year. They are the Fearon Challenge Cup, Fearon Handicap Cup, N. W. House Cup, Jordan Cup, Ormrod Cup, McGahan Cup, Briscoe Cup, Norton Cup, Walter Dennison Cup and two for model yachts, the Kent and Evans Cups.

The Wakatere Canoe Club will hold their distribution of prizes- in the clubhouse. Narrow Neck, next Wednesday. The Speedwell Cup will be amongst the prizes presented during the evening. The fifth annual meeting of the Orakei Basin Model Yacht Club is being held this afternoon in the clubhoifie. A report will appear in our Sports Edition.

The Ponsonby Model Yacht Club had a successful season, judging by the report submitted to the annual meeting on Mondav. Sixty-four races were held, for which 431 boats started. The season will commence next week-end^ The Richmond Cruising Cltfr!> has fixed Tuesday, September 19, for file date of the annual meeting.

TRANS-TASMAN RACE.

AUCKLAND TO MELBOURNE. Judging by correspondence received from Mr. F. J. Bennell, of Melbourne, by the Akarana Yacht Club, there is every, prospect of a- substantial sum being offered by the Melbourne Centennial Celebrations Committee for a race from Auckland to Melbourne. Mr. Bennell states that it is liis intention to again visit Auckland in his yawl Oimara, and take part in the race home. It was cabled last week that Mr. Bennell is fairly confident that a prize will be forthcoming, and that two entries are expected from New Zealand, two from Sydney, and one from Suva, in addition to his own boat. It should be possible for the centenary committee to offer quite a good prize, up to £500, for such a race. This sum might induce several prospective owners to build suitable sea-going boats to compete in the event. -Three boats that should give a good account of themselves, if their owners decided to race, are the new staysail schooner Morewa, the yawl Restless, and Johnnie Wray's big cruiser that lie is building at Lucerne Road, Remuera. . She is not <a bit like Teddy, but follows the lines of the Seafarer, or rather the "Seabird" type of square bilge craft, made famous by Thomas Fleming Day, editor of the "Rudder," who sailed the first of this type across the Atlantic in very good time. Rangi is another likely competitor, but Seafarer, of Suva, is not likely to revisit us for a period of two years, as it was only this year that her cruise of over 2000 miles was completed. Mr. Hereward Pickmere, owner of the ex-Auckland cruiser Arethusa, is in Suva at present, and should be due for a holiday next season. He may consider coming down to start, while the Heartsease should be another entrant. And what about the schooner Lady Sterling, and Jimmy Reid's schooner Vision, in which he cruised among the Islands for several years. Francis, Victory and Ariel are possible starters if sufficient inducement offers. Given a really good prize, entries will be forthcoming.