ALL CLUBS READY

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 219, 16 September 1938, Page 17

ALL CLUBS READY

FOR ANOTHER GOOD SEASON

Prospects For 1938-39 Best Ever

(By SPEEDWELL.)

The highlight of the 1938-39 yachtin? season -will be the visit of four oi Sydney'« smartest racing 18-footers am: their crews to the Waitemata next February to compete with our 18-footers for the championship of New Ze.-.!;>.nd in this lass. These boats arc peculiar to Sydney, and are noted for their "rag carrying' capacity. Their performances iu thii l-PHpect will be followed here by thousands interested in the sport of sailing. It the goddess of the weather in only half as kind to us in the coining sea so;, as last year, yachtsmen will be happy, and jiiduing by the number of new boatbuilding, amateur as well as professionally, the U)3B-3!> season will eclipse all of la'si y-ear's records and be a worth}' forerunner of the Centennial in l!M0. The majority ot the clubs have hole their annual meetings, and are ready for the new season. Little, if any, change has been niado in their flag personnel. All have experienced a year of progress, soin? more, some less, but all are well on the right side. The clubs still to hold their meetings are the Royal Yacht Squadron, the Royal Akarana. Takapuna, Richmond. I'anmuie. Heine Bay and Tamaki.

'J? 81 *? 1 ' o? it!l minor improvements, to Hawk. Shamrock, Limerick and Mamaii by the same builder. Work on Mr. H.. R.« Jenkins' 95ft schooner, building at Opua by Messrs. Deeming Brothers, under Mr. Chas Bailey s spervieion and from hie 'design k proceedinji steadily and she will be readv tor launching about next Easter. Sir Ernest Davis is always one of the earliest \p ■ put hw yacht in commission and la«t Saturday Morewa finished her fittliiK-out and whs ready for cruising. It was only June when .she went out of commission, wintering at Kawau. A new A < lass yacht ie nearing completion by llessiv. Tercel Brothers at 1 She will be »>ft overall and i "",. > interline, with 10ft l>eam. and wH be christened Hanger. She is for I ertel Brother*' own use, and will be a welcome addition to the fleet. Mewin.. Lidgard Bras, are very biiev and their yard full of craft. 'Xcarini; conirvletion i« a 50ft A class yacht to the order M Mr. Harry Chamberlain, of "l\ X ' •w? ,, ? wi " I,e 34ft on the waterline, ' with lOtt beam, and will be gaff rigged, with about 1500 ft of sail. ■ Mr. Sam Ford, of Ellerslie, hae almost it.'k y ior the water a B class ketch-ritrcrd yiulit 38rt overall, lift beam and 6ft diaiißllt, to the order of Mesere W Hampton and G. Little. She is built on the diagonal principle, and carries three tone of lead on her keel, and will be fitted with a 24 h.p. Dieeel engine. Mr. S. Hamon, of Devonport, has recently started to build a boat for hie own use. She will be 40ft overall 32ft wiiteWine, with lift 6in beam, and ie tro:n Mr. J. Brook's design. Mr. B. S. Woolacott. of Stanley Bav, has completed a C tlaee keel yacht'which will rly the Devonport Club'e flag this season. A 36ft koel yacht of the C claee ha« lwi«n built l.y Messrs. Kyan and Barton lor t lien own use. Mr. Percy \' os Inasy on general work, and luw a short-end keeler in hand for -Mr. W . Sanbridge. Mimmim. C'oiiingH and Bell are l>usy on UK- keel yacht for Mr. Gordon Bellve' She will be asft overall and 25ft waterline. with Bft 6in beam, and. of course, will be chrietened Cyrena after the owner's popular motor yacht. The new molor boats are quite ae numerous, and will be described later. Mr. W. Parkoe has sold IC* X claw 14-footer to Mr. E. Ewen, of Ponsonby. and hae placed an order for a new boat with Mr. J. Ewen, boatbuilder, of Onerahi. She will be ready for the Sandere Cup triale this eeaeon.

Mr. Tom Mr-Knight is retiring from office as commodore of the Royal AksiIMlia. He is one of the real hard workers, and the acquisition of the prefix "RoyaP lias been largely due to his foresight," for which, no doubt, he will receive due credit from his fellow members. Mr. W. Curtis has been nominated as commodore, Mr. K. Kdgeuinbp as vice, and Messrs. Harry Hill and A. W. Bono for rearcoinniodoie. Both of these nominees are old members, Mr. Hill having been actively connected with the club for ovei 30 years. He was lion, secretary for about half of this time, and has serveii on the committee continuously. He weli deserves the honour, while Mr. Bone is about the next most deserving, in '"Speed- ! well's" opinion. j Mr. .T. .F. MiU'kny's services as pom- • mod ore of the Ponsonby Club were duly ' appreciated by members on Wednesday. when he was elected unopposed. One or this dub's oldest members. Mr. H. R. "Arthur was also thanked for his continue.! interest. The new treasurer, Mr. C. Ewen. ,' in an experienced yachtsman, late ot Whangarei. who. \yith his brothers, built the 30-foot er Scout at Onerahi. The I Ponsonby Club has in Mr. Ewen n (rood man for the job. The retirinjr treasurer. Mr. C. Robertson, was heartily thanked by the chairman. Mr. Arthur, for his services as secretary and treasurer. The Richmond Club's annual ineetine will also be held next Tuesday. The sameflag officers and most of the other meni- ! bers of the executive will be elected unopposed. At the annual meeting of tTie. Power !Boat Association last week the commodore. Mr. F. W. Pidgeon, said the club woul 1 . hold more races for speed boats during 1 the coming year. Judging by the interest displayed these events, when held off the Tamaki Drive, are still popular with the public of Auckland. The Point Chevalier Club liad an exceptionally good year, and interest will be centred during the season on the visit of the Sydney 18-footers, which the commodore, Mr. Geo. McKeown, and his executive, have done much to bring about. Over the water the Devonport Club also made good progress, and thanks to >i sympathetic Harbour Board and Borough Council, an extension of the retaining wall and approach to the slipway will be undertaken next month. Mr. Humphrey Duder is also to be congratulated on the improvements made during his term to the lockers and the clubhouse. Tt may not be many years before a boat harbour will be formed in front of the clubhouse, a proposal to enclose the area from North i Head to the Devonport wharf beach being 'mooted. If this is done by a line of . piles it will afford a measure of protec- ' tion from the hard easterly and particularly the sou'-east gales which caused i such havoc about 1910, when a number of ; our largest keel yachts, including Thelmn I and Ilex, were washed off their blocks during the winter. The driving of piles, while not a complete protection from a heavy sea, has the merit of not interfering with the beaches in any way.

The St. Mary's Bay boat harbour is nearing completion, and the entrance from Curran Street will be ready for use shortly. Mr. Geo. Dennes and all who are assisting in the visit of the Sydney IS-footers have their eyes on this tier/ reclamation as a likely place from which the races for the 18-foot championship of Xew Zealand can be started. The Tamaki Club also had a good season, although the expense of increasing the height and extent of the «tone wall on the eastern side in particular to prevent further inroads of the sea has been a drain on the funds. The commodore was successful in obtaining a commitment from the Labour Department of £288 towards the cost of labour for building the wall and this work was started yesterday. When the stone, now stored at the front of the clubhouse, is put in place on the sea wall the area to the Tamaki Drive will be clear, affording (Vmble the space for parking ear* and greatly improving the appearance of the club grounds. The Takapuna Club will lose the services of Mr. H. M. Green as commodore this year. He has been appointed to a responsible .position with his firm at Eltham, and is leaving at the end of the month. A farewell will l>e tended to him at the clubhouse next Thursday. Navigation Classes. The navigation classes started by the joint help of the Navy League and the clubs affiliated to the Yacht and Motor Boat Association, are proceeding in a very satisfactory manner under the direction of Captain J. W. Keane. Several dubs have started classes and all report good attendances and keen interest being taken in navigation and kindred subjects dealt with. The present very unsettled conditions in Europe have emphasised the necessity of being "ever ready" and the work of these classes is doubly appreciated under the circumstance*. New Boats and Owners. A good type, of racer-cruieer. distinct from the popular ehort-end keel yacht, is nearing completion at Mr. A. Couldrey's yard, Xorthcote, for Mr. Gordon Pollard. The new craft is 38ft 9in overall, 26ft on the waterline, Bft 6in beam and sft 6in draught. She will be rigged with Bermudan mast and sail, in mainsail and jib, of about 600 feet. The usual fittings below deck will make her suitable for cruising. She should have a fair turn of speed. Her owner has had good training in smaller craft and attained to the prize list first in his 16-footer Xamu, which he built and sailed. Other work at this yard includes a natty-looking 30ft motor boat to the order of Mr. W. R. In?ram, late owner of the motor boat Gispa and the yachts, Ethel and Hex. The new boat will be driven by a 65 h.p. Buda. A 28ft motor boat is nearing completion for Mr. H. O. Ganderton and an 18ft Y-class yacht. When these are completed a start will be made on a. 42ft motor crnfeer for a local vmutt. gherOS-iootervmll h» <tf «milar