OCEAN RACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 307, 28 December 1934, Page 3

OCEAN RACE.

N.Z. TO MELBOURNE. TE RAPUNGA THE WINNER? ARRIVAL IN 19 DAYS 2 HOURS. The yacht race from Auckland to Melbourne, a distance of 1030 miles, in which the Auckland-owned yacht Xgataki and the German yacht Te Rapunga started at 3 p.m. on December 8, has been apparently won by Te Kapunga! which finished at 5 p.m. yesterday. The finishing line was off the GclliJjrand lightship, Williamstown, Port Melbourne. On arrival, Te Kapunga finished on the wrong side of the lightI ship, but when notified of liis mistake he returned and crossed the line on th: correct side, losing 10 minutes by the mistake. The Te Rapunga'g first question was about Ngataki, which the crew expected to L.e ahead of them owing to le Kapunga's delay at Russell. Reporting on the run across, Captain G. Dibbern stated that fine weather with good sailing breezes prevailed after the stoiin on the New Zealand coast, the rest of the race being uneventful. On board Te Kapunga were Captain Dibbern, master-owner, Messrs. Hunter Schramm (who sailed with Captain Dibbern from Kiel), A. E. Vailc, J. N. Tattcrsfield, and F. J. Norris. Messrs. Tattersfield and Norris are well-known Auckland yachtsmen; Mr. Vaile joined the crew for the experience. The crew of the Ngataki are Mr. John W. Wray, owner-skipper, his brother, Mr. G. B. Wray, Messrs. R. Hunt, M. Robinson and I. Graham. Both boats are about tlie same size, Ngataki being 34ft long and Te Kapunga 33ft. Handicaps were worked out by the niles of the Ocean Racing Club of Great Britain, which encourages a bigbodied type like Ngataki, and she had a time allowance of 17 hours from Te Rapunga. Te Kapunga finished at 5 p.m. yesterday, New Zealand time. Ngataki's handicap expired at 10 o'clock this morning, and in the absence of news of her arrival it would appear that Te Rapunga is the winner of the race. The prize is the Trans-Tasman Cup, presented by the Akarana Yacht Club, and £100, presented by the Victorian Yachting Association. The amount allotted to the winner was not fixed, but it was generally agreed that it would be £75 for first prize and £25 for second. Creditable Performance. By completing the course of 1030 I miles in 19 days 2 hours Te Rapunga has put up a creditable performance. From the winner's sailing time must be deducted fully two days, which she lbst by having to put into Russell on her way up the coast. This gives a net sailing time of 17 days, equal to an average speed for the whole distance of 1030 miles of 4 knots. After the yachts left Auckland a very hard easterly blow was experienced on the northern coast. Te Rapunga put into Russell leaking at the rate of SO gallons per hour. It is believed that Ngataki, which is a much slower sailer tlian Te Rapunga and was left out of sight astern by the time Te Rapunga had reached Cape Rodney, 40 miles on the course, kept steadily on her course up the northern coast. Neither boat was sighted from Cape Maria Van Diemen, the conditions being foggy, so that both would give the Cape a wide berth. After leaving Russell at daylight on Tuesday Te Rapunga was seen off tlie Cavallis at 0 p.m. the same evening heading north with a north-east wind. The lightkeeper at Cape Maria reported easterly winds for the week after the yachts left, and judging by conditions locally and reports from steamers crossing from Sydney, the easterly has prevailed throughout the race. The Race to Sydney. In the race to Sydney in March, 1931, Oimara, Teddy and Kangi competed. They left Auckland on Saturday, March 14, and all three boats were sighted next day off Cape Brett. The Oimara was fitted with an engine, which she was allowed to use for 70 hours' running. The race resulted: —Captain Erling Tambs' Teddy (handicap 96 hours), ]j Oimara, Mr. W. J. Bennell, scr, 2; Rangi, Mr. A. Leonard, 73J hours, 3. The Teddy beat Oiinara on handicap by 47 hours, but Oimara was the first to finish, doing the passage in 12 days; Teddy took 14 days, atyl Rangi, wh<ch was becalmed off Sydney Heads and got well south of her course, 20 days. Teddy's crew consisted of Captain Tambs, Ralph Goodwin (who sailed his yacht Tawhiri to victory on Tuesday last in the race from Auckland to Tauranga), H. Brown, E. W. Bone and W. G. Parkinson, four Auckland yachtsmen. Keen interest was taken in the race, and the boats were given a great send off. Teddy and Rangi sailed back to Auckland a few weeks later. When the Ngataki was sighted by the s.s. Kalingo at 4 a.m. on Wednesday her position was 240 miles cast of the finishing line at Port Melbourne. If Ngataki continued to make only four miles per hour, the speed at which she was handicapped, she would be due at 4 p.m. to-day.