THE OCEAN RACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 302, 22 December 1933, Page 11

THE OCEAN RACE.

AUCKLAND TO TAURANGA.

SEVEN BOATS START TO-MORROW,

Seven yachts will start to-morrow ir the annual ocean race from Auckland to The Mount, at the entrance to Tau ranga. This is the smallest field foi several years, ten boats starting last year One of the boats missing is Queenie which has competed in almost every race since its inception in 1921. The hare easterly and north-easterly weather o: the past few days has evidently deterrec several entrants, while the attractions oi the northern coast, which is better knowi to most boating men, are not to b( denied. The entries and handicaps arc:—Xgf Toa, (Winstone Bros.), scr.; Waione (ft J. Thompson), 2h; Ladye Wilma (W. H Newcombe), 2h 30m; Tawhiri (R. Good win), 2h 30m; Mahaki (Wilson and Clark), 4h 30m; Janet (Tattcrsfield Bros.) oh 15m. The race will start to-morrow afternoon at 4 o'clock, between the starter's launch off the King)* wharf and the signal tower. The rive-flag system of starting will be used. The first prize is the Colin Norrie Memorial Gold Cup, held for one year and £15; second prize, £3 3/ and trophy presented by Mr. Arthur Brett; thirl; prize, £1 1/ and trophy presented bj Mr. W. A. Wilkinson. A champion flap will be presented to the boat making the fastest time. The course is direct to the finishing fine off The Mount, at the entrance tc Tauranga harbour. The finishing line will be between the blinker light on Xortli Rock, at The Mount, and flags on Mata kana Island, on the starboard side of the entrance. This line will he defined bj two white flags on The Mount and or Matakana Island, white lights replacing the flags at night. The distance is 121 miles. Previous Contests. There have been 12 races for the Colin Norris Memorial Gold Cup, with the following results:—The first race in 1021 was won by Waione, Restless second and Ngahau third. Victory and Heartsease alsc competed. In 1922 the winner was Restless, with Heartsease 2 and lorangi 3 other competitors being Moana, Ngahau. Celox, Queenie and Waione. 1923 saw Queenie win from Wairiki. with Restless 3. The starters were Delville, Ida, lorangi and Moana. The 192J race was also won by Queenie, with Moana 2 and Waitangi 3. The other competitors that year, were lorangi, Prize, Ida, Rawene, Rangi and Wairiki. The 1925 race was won by Vanitie, with Wairiki 2 and Queenie 3. The other competitors were lorangi, Moana, Lady Sterling and Ngatira. 1926 saw Wairiki the winner, with Queenie 2, Nga Toa 3. Waitangi, Ladye Wilma, "Heartsease and Lady Sterling also started. 1927 attracted nine starters, the prizewinners being lorangi 1, Nga -Toa 2, Wairiki 3. The other competitors were Queenie, Waione, Vanitie, Janet, Kestrel and Heartsease. The 1928 race resulted Nga Toa 1, lorangi 2, Mahaki 3, Queenie, Wairiki and Vanitie ateo competing. In 1929 the race was won by Wairiki, ■with Queenie 2 and Heartsease 3. Nga Toa was the only other starter. In 1930 eighty keel yachts started, Wairiki again ■winning, with Queenie second and Kotiri third. The other competitors were Nga Toa, Ladye Wilma, Janet, Iris and Waione. In" 1931 the starters included the Norwegian yacht Teddy, Nga Toa, lorangi, Ladye Wilma, Queenie, Scout, Janet, Ariel jand Naiad. The prize-winners were Naiad X, Ariel's, Janet 3. Last Year's Race. Last year the entries and handicaps were: lorangi scr, Nga Toa 6m, Waione lb. 20m, Ladye Wilma lh 40m, Queenie 2h sm, Mahaki 3h, Janet, Rover 3h 50m, Revel 4h 15m. The race started at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 24, in a hard easterly, which later went into the northeast and held steady throughout. Waione, Ida and Mahaki did not get beyond the Gulf and retired. Ida carried away her hobstay before clearing the harbour and Mahaki also had a mishap. It took pluck and endurance to slog all the way out to Cape Colville on such a dirty night. Nga Toa and lorangi led the fleet, lorangi being ahead at the Watchman, but Nga Toa kept closer inshore and at daybreak was five miles ahead. There was etill a big sea, although the rain squalls were not so frequent. Nga Toa stood down the coast close hauled to port and at 5 a.m. was abreast of Mercury Island. With the wind a bit less, the reefs were shaken out of Nga Toa's mainsail, and with full sail she went well, passing Castle Rock at 7 a.m. lorangi, which had an accident with her leading jib in the early hours of the morning, was about five miles asVarn of Nga Toa, Ladye Wilma being next another eight miles away, and Janet fourth about the same, distance behind Ladye Wilma. Nga Toa passed the Slipper at 9 a.m. with all sheets eased and made good time down the coast. For only the second time in the history cf the race the wind held steady and true from the start to the finish. The Mount was in sight at 1 p.m. Sunday and Nga Toa crossed the finishing line off the Blinker light, 22 hours from Auckland, an easy winner, at 2k 0m 15s, 1, followed by lorangi second at 2h 43m 12s, Ladye Wilma third at 5h 55m 27s and Janet at 8h 20m. Rover finished at 1.30 a.m., Celox and Queenie at 1.30 p.m. on Monday, both having put into the harbour at Mercury Island for the previous night, Celox leaving again at 1.0 and Queenie at 1:30 a.m. on Monday. Revel, the Whangarei entrant, was not able to reach Auckland in time to start with the others, but she got away some hours later and finished on Monday afternoon, making eight boats to complete the course. At the regatta held next day Nga Toa again beat lorangi and won by 2m. The second-class yacnt race was won by Janet, with Celox 2 and Moutere 3. Tauranga Regatta. The regatta will be held off the Strand, Tauranga, on Boxing Day. The programme inclitdes races for keel yachts, centreboard yachts, 18 and 14-footers, and the Tauranga 7-footers; also motor boat and swimming races; A big programme of rowing events, for which 60 entries have been received, will be carried out during the day, crews from all the Auckland clubs, also Hamilton, Tauranga and Whakatane competing. The shore sports include Highland dancing and piping competitions, which have also attracted large entries. Visitors are well catered for each evening, and although the number of boats will be less, the crews are sure of a hearty welcome. The progress of the yacht race will be known to the Tauranga committee by the liberation of several pigeons from the Nga Toa. kindly lent by Mr. H. Stevens. These bulletins are displayed outside the clubhouse, and attract a lot of attention. They also serve as a guide to the timekeepers and judge as to the time of arrival. The distances between the principal points in the race down the east coast, taking a departure from the King's wharf, are:—King's wharf to Emu Point, 7 miles: Emu Point to Watchman Island light, off Cape Colville, 26 miles; Watchman to False Watchman, 4 miles; Fake Watchman to Waikawau Point, 7 miles; Wai-' kawau to Old Man Rock, 21.miles; Old Man Rock to the finishing line, 56 miles. There is a flashing light on Ohena Island, close to Old Man Rock, visible 12 miles. The light flashes every six seconds. It has a dark sector over Mercury Island, but a course on the edge of the light takes you through, clear of everything. Ohena Island is 358 ft high, the light being 54ft high. Karewa, a small bold island, lies directly in the course, and is situated 10 miles from The Mount.