SANDERS CUP TRIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 296, 14 December 1936, Page 13

SANDERS CUP TRIAL.

AILEEN WINS FIRST RACECLOSE CONTEST ALL TIIE WAY. : The first of a series oL' trial races to decide the boat to represent Auckland , province in the next Sanders Cup contest, to be held at Lyttelton oil February 4, was sailed on Saturday, starting and finishing off the King's wliarl'. There was a steady northerly breeze, tin competitors being Aileen, Endeavour, Idler l and Iron Duke. After a very keenly fought race, in which Aileen, sailed by "Trot" Wi] let s f and Endeavour, sailed by Doug. Rogers, were only separated by a few lengths at times, the. greatest distance apart being lm 18s, Aileen clearly showed her superiority, especially oil the wind, and won by lm Is. The way she beat Endeavour both times on > the wind across to the Sandspit indicates 1 pretty decisively that she will be the boat ' to go South. The race started at 2.35 p.m., the course being from the King's wharf, round Resolution buoy, off I'arnell, tlience round Sandspit light (inside North Head), and back to starting line, twice round—seven miles. The wind was steady from the north, with a tendency to nor'-nor'-east down harbour. This gave the boats a close lead on port to the end of the eastern tide ' deflector, a run into the Resolution buoy. off Campbell's Point, a dead beat across : tlie harbour to the Sandspit mark, and a ' run. back to the King's wharf, with spin-n-akers a bit for'ard, this course being 1 sailed twice. The competing boats and skippers were:— Aileen; Alf (Trot) Willetts; Endeavour. 3 Doug. Rogers; Idler, Bill Potter, and Iron Duke, 11. Donovan.-i From a good start . Endeavour was first away, a few lengths 1 in from the outer mark, Aileen crossing t a few seconds later close to the mark anil in the weather position, followed liy Idler, , well inshore, and Iron Duke outside. Iron , Duke set her leader as she crossed the line. 1 but the other three carried on until after 1 rounding tlie tide deflector. Aileen, in the ; weather berth, soon caught up on Endeai vour, and they passed round the tide deflector i close together, with Idler, which had sailed - a shorter course, close up with them, Iron e Duke being not far away. Aileen lost her i spinnaker sheet when setting it for the i short run in to the Resolution buoy, and [> Endeavour passed * her, but they were all 1 close together at this stage of the race. Tho i times of rounding Resolution buoy were: Endeavour 3h 47m 31s, Aileen 3h 47m 575, r Idler 3h 48m 20s, Iron Duke oh 4Sm 30s. [1 A lead for Endeavour of 20s.' e With tlie Sandspit mark dead to wind-. s ward it was a heat all the way to it, and a after a short leg on-port from Resolution „ buoy :Aileen ianfl -Endeavour threw round [_ to starboard, Endeavour keeping on: Aileen's weather. Both the leaders now made sho;-t j, boards crossing the harbour, but Idler held 1 on a long board down the southern shore 1 before coming round to starboard. Iron , Duke kept after the two leaders. Aileen . was now sailing well and holding a little . better wind than Endeavour, at the same 1 time going faster through the water. She gradually overhauled the new boat, and after two more boards, when they were at very close quarters, Aileen passed on tlie weather of her opponent and took the lead. She increased her advantage once out ahead, and the times of rounding the Sandspit were: Aileen 3h om, Endeavour 3h Gin lGs, ■ Idler 3h 9m 455, Iron Duke 3h 12m ss. Both boats hail thsir, running sails tip and drawing very smartly as they headed up harbour for the mark off the King s wharf at a good pace. Aileen gained a bit at first, but off Devonport wharf Endeavour came up again, and the race, which was watched with interest by a number of spectators on tlie Kiug'-s and Devonport wharves and other vantage points, was very interesting throughout, only a few lengths ; separating the two leaders at timea.- Aileen, sailed very well by Trot Willetts, graduallj ■ increased her lead, and tlie times of com- : pleting the first round were:—Aileen, oli - ISm 20s; Endeavour, 31i 18m 545; Idler, dli : 23m. 34s ; Grand Duke, 31i 3m 40s. A lead i of 34s for Aileen. v Iron Duke lost her spinnaker overboard oii the run up. and after getting it on board 1. she held oil up harbour, passing on the north e side of the mark. The same racing tactics e were displayed on tlie second round, Aileen e and Endeavour getting their leaders on for I Resolution mark, which was rounded: —- -1 Aileen, 31i 3C»n 45s ; Endeavour, 31i 31m 17s; Idler, 31i 30m OSs. A lead for Aileen of 31s;i On the second beat across the harbour, | Aileen did even better than on the lirst f round, beating Endeavour on the wind more p decidedly, while both were sailing tlie same i- course. The times rounding Sandspit on the second round were :—Aileen. 31i 49m ; ~ Endeavour,. 31i 50in 18s; Idler, 31i OGrn 40s. y This showed a' lead for Aileen of lm ISs. v . Spinnakers were again set lor tlie run to j the finishing line off the King's walirt, and little change took place, Aileen having a good lead clear of'the' wind from Endeavour, and the finish was:—Aileen, -111 -ni os, Endeavour, 4h 3m 7s; Idler, 41i 10m Js. .. The second trial will be sailed on Saturday, starting off tlie Kings wliarl at -.30 '''The trials, are being held by the Yacht and Motor Boat. Association. Mr E Cul s \ bane was starter. Mr. C. 11. Palmer judge, ' e and Mr. G. E. Laycock timekeeper. ;i HERKB bay club. II ° ! The Heme Kill- Sailing Club held a race oil Saturday for Ihe Silver Fern class over the club's usual course, oft the old Poll-. son by wharf. There was a -steady northerly breeze and the boats made good tune. I The race started at 3.12 p.m. and the finish ; j W as :—Flying Cloud (scr), 41i 8m 40s; • : I Vab-rie (imj. 41i 9m ss; Kaiuly Kid (scr). 'I'J-li llin 50s: Endeavour (2l».ii)» 4h 14m 140s; Norena (2Jrn), 4h 17m 30s; Silver Fern (2?. in), 41i 18m 30s. ! Result": Valerie (R. Hurley), 1: Flying 11 (Cloud (M. Bartleyj, 2; ICandy Kid (I). " Webster), 3. Messrs. A. and H. Spalding and R. 11. ' Ilurley were ollicers of the day. 1 MODEL YACHTING. J OKAKEI CLUB. l i The Orakei Model Yacht Club held a . series of races for Miodel yachts in the . I Orakei Basin on Saturday afternoon. The results were:— Second Series 3ft Championship Races. — .' lorangi 1. Flying Cloud 2. Slianandoali 3. ' Four-foot Championship.—Crusader 1, , Pal o' Mine 2. Renown 3. General Handicap.—Red wing, 7m, 1 ; ; Miss. Orakei, lm, 2: Slianandoali. lm, 3. l ; Boys' Events.—First race: Comet 1, , Spray 2. May 3. Second race: Comet 1, Rona 2, May 3. Third race : Comet 1, Mav ' 2. liona 3. ; POXSONBY CLUB. , j The Ponsonby Model Yacht Club held two handicap sWeepstane races yesterday over , the usual course in St. Mary's boat liar- ! hour. Results :— '• ! First Race.—Maybe 1. Renown 2, Watere ! Second Race.-—Mimic 1, Roddy 2, Renown 3. | ; ■