ANNIVERSARY REGATTA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 139, 13 June 1936, Page 23

ANNIVERSARY REGATTA.

EARLY HISTORY. i ' QUAINT RULES AND REGULATIONS!* The first meeting of the Auckland Regatta Committee was held in November, 1850, when a meeting of citizens of Auckland was called by advertisement to consider the beet way in which to celebrate the anniversary of the colony. It was unanimously decided that tfo better way could be found than by holding a regatta. The port was growing and already a small fleet of cutters, schooners and other sailing craft traded to the coastal harbours, in addition to a number of Maori canoes which carried firewood, potatoes, kumaras, peaches, etc., to the town and provisions on their way home. Interest in aquatic matters was growing and a few craft were even then used as pleasure boats, the forerunners of our present big fleet of yachts and motor boats.

One of the earliest chairmen of the Regatta Committee was Mr. William C. Daldy. He was also first chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board in 1871. This early connection and interest taken by the Harbour Board in the regatta continues and to the present day Mr. Daldy's memory is perpetuated by the new tug boat.

At the last presentation of prizes of the Regatta Committee Mr. Ernest Davis said that he hoped to be able to trace the history of the regatta from its inception and to place'it on record, together with some of the many incidents which took place each year, and possibly the names of the men who carried it out.

Following this suggestion, "Speedwell" has almost completed a list of the chairmen and secretaries compiled from the files of the "Auckland Star" and other newspapers published in Auckland s earliest days. . .. ' Another matter of special interest to yachtsmen who know the racing rules is the Auckland Regatta Committees first book of rules and regulations for the conduct of the regatta and the guidance oi the committee. This book was given to me in January, 19*27, by the late Sir Henry Brett, only a few weeks before he died on Regatta Day of that year. He remarked that it should be interesting to me as my father had been a member ol the Regatta Committee with him (Mr. Brett) for the years 1865, 1866, 1867 and 1868. . . . The book in question is entitled Kulea and Regulations of the Auckland Regatta 4lub, 1869." "In a preface it states that at a meeting of the Regatta Committee held at the Star Hotel on June 10, 1868, it was. resolved "That 15 of its members should be selected who should act as the committee of management of the Auckland Regatta Club for the twelve mon.tns ending the twelfth'day of February, 1863,

and who shall bo deemed to be the firs', members of a club to be called The Auckland Regatta Club."

The objects of the club shall be to carry out the annual regatta, to establish permanent rules and the organisation necessary to conduit the regattas in an effective manner; to ensure fair competition; to encourage improvement in the model o£ our vessels a id to uphold the high position Aucklard has attained among the shipbuilding ports of the Southern Seas.'''

It is evident that the citizens of those days took the matter of the annual regatta seriounly and they elected 15 men to carry out the objects named.

The Regatta Club was part and parcel of the Regatta Committee, being what we now term a special committee set up for the purpose of formulating rules. Evidently this was the first time such a committee had been formed, but there were some rules and regulations in force before 186 S.

The founding of Auckland in 1840 was celebrated by liolding a regatta after the official ceremony. The regatta consisted of three rowing races. In 1850, ten years alter the above event, a meeting of citizens was called to decide on the best way of celebrating the anniversary of the birth of the city, and a committee was set up to carry out a regatta on January 29, 1851. "Speedwell" is of the opinion that this was the first regularly constituted Regatta Committee. Since then it has been carried on continuously—with one exception, 1890, the first year of the Boer War, when it was allowed to lapse for one year. The Regatta Committee of IBGB elected the following members from the general committee to be the committee of management: —Chairman, Captain William C. Daldy; committee, Captains Anderson, Casey, Williams, Messrs. H. Brett, C. Chaiiiberlin, J. Copland, J. J. Fitzgibbon, G. H. Fletcher, T. E. Guilding, L. D. Nathan, T. Niccol, Jas. Smart, G. Von der Hyde and J. Waymouth, sen. Other officials elected were:—Treasurer, Captain Casey; measurers, Messrs. T. Niccol and J. Waymouth; umpire, Mr. J. J. Fitzgibbon; starter, Mr. J. Copland; auditors, Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Jas. Smart; honorary secretary, Mr. Thomas E. Guildini;. i

It is so long since this committee was set up that all of its members have crossed the great divide, Sir Henry Brett being the last. Even the names are not known except Captain Ross, Mr. Ernest Davis and' a few others. Captain Casey was the owner of the steamers Rose and Minnie Casey, which ran to Warkworth. Captain Anderson was in the shipping business; Mr. C. Chamberlin was evidently one of the earliest of the Ponui Island owners; Mr. L. D. Nathan was the founder of the business which bears his name to-day; Messrs. Tom Niccol and John Waymouth were well-known shipbuilders of those days. If I remember rightly Captain Williams was in the Customs. Perhaps gome of the "Star's" readers may remember these gentlemen. Mr. W. J. Boylan, of Kohimarama, has a good memory . for the early yachting days. He sailed his yacht Phoenix at a number of regattas in the '70's, and there must be others who can recall the names of our pioneers of the regatta committee. Speedwell would appreciate any information on the subject of the early regatta committeemen or incident or accidents connected with the early results. Communications will be duly acknowledged and handed on to Mr. Ernest Davis for the purpose he has mentioned, of compiling a brief history of the regatta committees.