OCEAN RACING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1938, Page 13

OCEAN RACING.

AUCKLAND TO WHANGAROA.

A LIGHT WEATHER PASSAGE. SURPKISE BV ALTAIR. Describing the race to Whangaroa, a meni4>er of the crew of one of the sixteen competitors states that all bauds were un j deck at daylight on Christinas morning ! when off Rodney Head. There lorangi was seen to have a lair lead, but it was a shock for tlie rest in the race to see thai the little Altair was still running second. Moana was close on her tail, and there w . as . * lou S o a l> to Little Jim, Victory, Waione and the rest strung out astern. Shortly after dawn lorangi picked up a westerly air, and Moana, standing inshore, also picked it up. Carrying all her kites j she sailed fast up the coast to Bream Tail, j leaving Altair well astern and closing up I on lurangi. The race then resolved itself | into several groups, lorangi, Moana and Altair iu th« first, then came Victory, Little Jim and Waione, carrying a light westerly. Behind them Nga Toa, Marangi, Windward, Tainui and the others spread out at intervals. At about 10 a.m. a light air 1 came in from the north-east after some two ■ hours of calm. Moana, inshore, got it first I and went off close hauled, but lorangi and Altair soon picked it up, and being further ! out to sea made a fair wind of it. Slowlv j through the day the wind freshened. It was i typical old-time cruising weather. Whales ' were sighted here and there by several ! boats, and flying tish were plentiful. As the wind freshened and backed it • developed into a dead slog for the Cape, ; and slowly but surely lorangi and Moana | pulled out ahead of the fleet, so that at I about 4 p.m., when the leaders were off Elizabeth Reef, Altair dropping back a long way and making hard going of it. while the rest of the fleet was out of sight astern. It now looked like a duel j between the two leaders. Both were sailing well, and enjoying the slightly heavier ' going off the Wide Berth Islands, where lorangi had a lead of something like 45m. ' Meanwhile Little Jim and Victory, j now far astern, had to look for something • different in the way of weather. Little Jim • stood off shore on the port tack until xhe cleared the Poor Knight rocks, while Vic- j tory did some coast crawling and went inside Elizabeth Reef. Both were fortunate j in picking up fair winds, which carried 1 them to the Cape. The position at dusk i waa that lorangi and Moana were still i slogging for the Cape in a failing wind. Altair was struggling round the Wide ! Berths, also with a failing wind, but almost 1 without loss of time picked up the light j south-westerly that was bringing up Victory and Little Jim. lorangi actuallv i reached the Cape at 8 p.m. on Saturday, but was immediately becalmed. Moana came up very slowly from inshore with a light south-east air, and again met Altair in the Piercy Island Passage. She failed to get through, however, and went outside the island, to become totally becalmed.

During the night Little Jim and Victorv also arrived, and the four boats kicked about without wind for some hours until the early morning, when lorangi picked up a light but useful southerly and went off heading for the Cavalli Passage. Little Jim next picked it up, then Victory and Moana was the last to get under way again. At this stage everyone was looking for Altair, and Anally she was sighted right inshore by the Xinepin. and well in the lead. She had managed to get through the Piercy Island Passage and picked up the breeie hours before the rest of the fleet. From this point till the finish was simply a procession in light, variable weather, which changed finally to north-east and gave a run In from Flat Island. The winner was. of course, the smart and well sailed Altair. which thoroughly deserved her success. Utile Jim was second on corrected times, and Tainui third. OTAHUHU SAILING CLUB. SECOND RACE OF SEASON". The Otahuhu Sailing Club will hold their second course race of the season on Sunday. The race starts off the clubhouse at noon, over- three rounds of th- usual course. Kntries close with ihe hon. treasurer this evening. SANDERS CUP TRIAL. Two trial races will be sailed to-morrow to enable the selectors to r-ho<.se Auckland's representative for ihe Sanders Cup contest, commencing at I>unedin on Thursdav. January J7. Only one race has been held, on T>c<-cm-ber IS. when Kndeavour. Aileen ami Iron Duke competed. Afler a close coni"*i Aileen. sailed by Mr. Auger, of nnehunga. won by ."is from Endeavour, sailed bv her owner. Mr. W. J. Parke*.

The same boats are expected to compete to morrow. The first trial will start off the western wall at the entran<-e to St. Mary's Bay. at I.3f> p.m.. over a <*ourse to l*c decided by rhe selectors. A se<-ond race will be held after completion of the first, and further trials may be decided on. as time is short to nominate the Auckland boat and crew.

RACING FIXTURES. Jannary S.—Victoria Cruising Club, cup •lay. race# for all cU<s:'s, combined ■with I'cvonport Yacht Club lor classes H, L ami X. January 1-I.—Royal Akarana Yacht Club, start of ocean race for Balokovic Cnp. January 15.—Tamaki Yacht Club. annual regatta. classes I. to Silver Ferns. January — Ponsonby Cruising Club, conies: f««r I.iinon Cup and harbour races: Koyal New Zealand Ya<ht Squadron, harbour ra<-e for first, eecond and third divisions. and M class.