CORONA'S RECORD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 21

CORONA'S RECORD.

5 CHAMPION FLAGS.

GOT 14 GUNS FOR 15 STARTS.

THE LATE MB, FRED. WILSON.

(By SPEEDWELL.)

Many good performances were put up I,lst s»a?on. especially in the centre-board classes and •■Speedwell" will record the h°st of them in these columns during the npxt few months.

I>ecidedly the most successful for 1937-oS season was the "JO-footer Corona which is shown competing in one of the harbour races. Corona got the gun for being first to finish no less than 14 times last season in 15 starts. She actually finished first in all races that she completed, the other being at Northcote regatta when she retired with a bent crosstree.

In the matter of champion flags, which owner* value far more than cash prizes, although it i« hard to convince the executirw of gome of the clubs on this point.

Corona scored five flags for the season. In the previous year, her first racing season, she won two champion Haps, so seven in two years is a gr»at record as it formerly took years to collect a string of champioii flairs. Certainly, there are many more clubs now than in pre-war (lays, or even _ from 1013 to 1030 when Waitere 11. did so well. It is only fair to other classes to state that the 2ii-footers was a pour class last year. For some reason interest in racing in this class fell away considerably as compared with the 22-footers or the I.STooters. Be that as it may, it is a great achievement to .start in 15 races and get home first all but once. It did not follow that Corona won the first prize, for. especially ill harbour races, she had to Rive away long starts to other boats of her own class, but this falls to the lot of all successful boats under our present system of handicapping by performances. In fact. It is supposed to be the duty of a handicapper to put the other boats well out to give them a reasonable chance of winning a prize, but a good boat cannot be kept from the honour of getting the gnn and the champion flag, if such be offered.

The details of Corona's performance show that ehe won the champion flag on Anniversary Regatta Day, 1038, also the Ponsonby, Devonport and Richmond Clubs championships atd a flag for first boat to finish in the race at Christmas from Auckland to Whangarel. *

Corona finished first 14 times for 15 starts, the placing* being five firsts, 10 seconds and four thirds. The total of 19 is due to the opening and final days being counted as two starts, but Corona competed in several clubs. Her prizes includfour cups, one being the £50 Braund Cup on January 29. She was only twice unplaced during the season. All of her ■wins were in cruising races, as Corona did not win one harbour race this season

Corona was built two years ago by Messrs. Collings and Bell, from the design or Mr. Chas. J. Collings. well known as a designer and builder of this type of boat 'or the past 35 years. She is owned by Messrs. Ron. and Gordon Nunns, Ron. being her skippev and Gordon the main-sheet man. The orher members of her racing crew are Messrs. W. Black. I.es Matthews. D. Graham and J. Baker. "Speedwell" can vouch for their keenness, as they fotvned the crew of the naval whaler, Achilles No. 2. in the recent attempt at a race when the writer was coxswain for the Tamaki Club, but the event was called off.

While Corona put up an outstanding performance in her class, which was not a very keen one last year (there are hopes of it improving for 1030), the honours in the 22-footers were more even, Macushla. Tamariki. Valkyrie and Vamarie all gaining flags and other prizes.

In the 18-foot V class, Irena was outstanding. but Riptide/ and the two with names from the Emerald Isle. Shamrock and Limerick, also did well. There were outstanding boats in the other classes which "Speedwell" intends tff write-up during the winter.