ROYAL HARWICH REGATTA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1935, Page 21

ROYAL HARWICH REGATTA.

ENDEAVOUR'S NARROW WIN. The racing season for the big "J" class yachts opened in England on June 1, with "the annual regatta of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. There was a big gathering of yachtsmen to watch the "J" class, and the weather was fine with a light, variable breeze. There was great disappointment at the absence of the King's yacht Britannia and the American cutter Yankee, both of which, however, joined the racing fleet later. The race was sailed over a course of SO J sea miles. The starters were : —Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith's Endeavour. Mr. C. K. Fairey's Shamrock, Mr. W. E. Stephenson's Velsheda, Mr. Hugh F. Paul's Astra, and Mr. H. A. Andreae's Candida. There was very little breeze at the start. Candida was the first across the line 45s after the gun, followed by Velsheda linin 20s later, Shamrock lm 35s later, Endeavour 2m later, and Astra 3m after the gun. Candida lost her lead soon after the start, and at the Bawdsey Buoy the order was Velsheda, Endeavour, Shamrock, Candida and Astra. Velslieda's lead was close on 3in at the Bawdsey, but running before the wind the America Cup challenger closed on her and gained a minute and a half before the close of the first round. Endeavour had closed slightly more as will be seen by the following times _for the first round :—Velsheda 121 i 58m 5Ss, Endeavour 111 Om 14s, Shamrock 111 4m 575, Candida lh' 10m 21s, Astra lh 10m 48s. There was no change in the order on the second time round. Endeavour closed on Velsheda, which was being sailed by Mr. Charles E. Nicholson, her designer, and coming into the harbour towards the finishing line it was anybody's race. Endeavour was the first _to set lier spinnaker in (lie short run with which the r:lce concluded, and she gradually crept up on Velsheda, ultimately getting the lead and finishing Is ahead after one of the most exciting, finishes ever seen in the. big class. The official times for the finish were:—Endeavour 3h 10m 545, Velsheda 3h 10in 555, Shamrock 3h 2um 30s, Candida 31i 28m 325, Astra 3h 30m Endeavour and Velsheda had to allow Shamrock 2m 325. Candida 3m 235, and Astra 4m 395. On these allowances the corrected times for the race were:— Endeavour (winner) 3h lfim 545, \elslieda (second) 3h 10m 555, Shamrock (third-) 3h 22m £58.5. , The yachts were to meet again at Southend, Cowes, Ryde. Southsea, Bournemouth, Weymouth, Torquay, Plymouth and Dartmouth.