OPENING NEXT SATURDAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 265, 8 November 1935, Page 13

OPENING NEXT SATURDAY.

NINE CLUBS COMPETING. TO-MORROW'S EVENTS. The official opening of the season on Saturday, November 16, will take the form of a combined series of races by the following clubs: "Royals," Ponsonby, Victoria, Akarana, Devonport, Richmond, Takapuna, Tamaki and Wakateres. Entries for all but the Squadron close with Messrs. John Burns and Co. on Wednesday or at the clubhouses in the evening. The Manukau season will also open on Saturday week, the two Onehunga clubs joining forces for the day. Their entries will also close next Wednesday. Judging by the response to the events fixed for to-morrow, the opening appears to be a week too early, but this weekend will help to swell the number of boats afloat. The first race of the season was held by the Shoal Bay Club last Sunday. There were not many entries, but the weather is still against the boats getting ready. The official opening of the season takes place to-morrow week, when all clubs will join forces for the day, and oontinues until the end of April. To-morrow three clubs are holding events. The Akarana Club has a cruising race to Matiatia for keel and for centreboard yachts over 18ft. The Richmond Cruising Club will also hold a general handicap to-morrow, starting off the Ponsonby wharf. The Takapuna Boating Club will hold a race for the Z class, the crews being weighed in for the season before the start.

The Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association has charge of the opening day events, which will all start off the King's wharf. If the "Royal's" big boats are afloat in time, which is doubtful, the display will .be one of the best seen on the harbour tor some years. All the usual racing classes will compete under the various clubs. The larger boats will finish at Islington Bay, but the classes 18ft and under will sail harbour courses, starting and finishing off the King's wharf. Mr. C. H. Palmer will be judge for the day, with a number of capable assistants. Mr. E. J. Kelly will officiate for the cruising races, a job he has done for the past 20 years. The Akarana Club is putting on a special day for small keelers and this should prove attractive to the owners of this type, which is becoming quite numerous. Old and New Boats Keen. With all the old boats and several new ones the racing this season should be very keen. At the end of January the four Southern centres, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin and Southland will send representatives to Auckland to compete for the Sanders Cup. The first trials were held on Saturday at Dunedin, Val winning. Val was built by Colin Wild, of Stanley Bay, about eight years ago for Mr. C. G. Macindoe, of Kemuera, who later sold her to Stewart Island. She has since been purchased by a Dunedin yachtsman, and may be once more seen on the Waitemata. Wellington is shortly to start their trials and Lyttelton will follow. All last season's champions are keen to get afloat and try their paces against the new boats. Last year the keenest class was the 22-footere, five new boats being built. The Tamariki proved to be the best of the fleet, and won the Lipton Cup. This year she is owned by Mr. A. Thompson, who is training his two sons to be yachtsmen, aided by his brother "Cook," and they have already been away on two week-ends in the new ship. The Y class will be another tough one, with Ron Gurr's new boat trying her paces with Neil Wing's Muimai and the Currey Bros.' new boat. The T class will have a nut to crack in Billy Rogers new boat, and their performances will add interest to opening day. Several new V class will be racing before the month is out against last year's champion, and the season's prospects never looked brighter. The weather has again delayed the work of fitting out, and a number of our largest yachts are still far from ready for the water. The tides will be fairly good on Saturday and Sunday, and a number will be launched, but the largest will have to wait until Tuesday, when spring tides are due. Ilex, Prize, Waione and several motor boats will go off the Devonport Club's slip. The Little Jim is on Sulphur Beach, and she is nearly ready. Mr. Harold George's Victory is afloat, but the majority of the yachts on Messrs. W. G. Lowe and Son's slip are not ready for the water, but this week-end should see 6ome of them ready for Tuesday's tide.

The Early Birds. Mr. E. J. Kelly's Linda and Mr. Louis Nathan's Atatu are afloat, and Mr. Fred Lidgard's new keel yacht, to be christened Konini, will go off to-morrow. Mahoe, Aumoe. Scout, Viveen and Reliance have been off for two weeks, and Omatere was put down on Sunday. She is painted white this season, and looks better than ever. Amongst the yachts which were away for their first cruise o£ the season on Labour Day week-end and Jast Saturday were the Rangi, lona. Rakoa, Tamariki, Eulalie, Speedwell, Dorothy, Alex a, Ngaru and Jack McLaughlin's new 26-footer Arawa, which was built at St. Mary's Bay, and finished off by her owner at Cox's Creek. She could not get her own 6ails in time, and is using the Valeria's 6ails in the meantime. As usual, the motor boat section were in the majority of the early birds. On Sunday, of the 50 or more craft to be seen coming home during the afternoon the greater number were power driven. Norana, Wirihana, Royal Saxon, Lady Thelma, Maro, Ahuareka, Rautangi and Lady Jocelyn were some of them.