YACHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 88, 13 April 1940, Page 16

YACHTING.

SUCCESS OF MARJORIE. FIRST HOME IN T AND X CLASS. RON*. ROBB'S SKILFUL HANDLING. A feature of last Saturday's racing wntln' success of the .lellicoe class boat Marjorie, which beat Caress home by She has beiii handled since January by Roll K»hh. of .Nurthcote, who lias come diri-ct from the /. elass. having owned and sailed Hetty. i>f the Pupuke division, in this class suce-essfully. lie lias repre «ented Auckland, after keen competition. fur tile past two .ears at tlie Cornwell Cup contest, and was runner-up this year at Evan's Hay, Wellington, where lie had two or three instances ol bad luck tl-.rough changes ol' wind.

Since lie has sailed Marjorie she has been slowly reducing tic margin on Caress, her handicap coining down from sm or !*ni early in the season to 4m. and in one club Hill last Saturday, wlieu she won withoiil her handicap in the I'onsonhy. Richmond and Taniaki Clubs, and was third in the I>evonport Club, wliere sl'e raced with the T class. To be jirst home in 11 field of 14 starters of '1' and X boats is a feather in tlie cap of her young skipper, and also jjpeakii well for tiie sailing qualities of the X class, when .Marjorie and Caress both finished ahead vf the tleet.

Invader anil Caress led Marjorie by a small margin rignt up to Resolution on the second round, where ltobb. by "dousing" his spinnaker in ample time to get it safely stowed and the ooat all ready to come on rh« wind, passed the other two just after rounding.

Beth' of his opponents hung on too long to their running sails in their eagerness to get the last few seconds' advantage from them. As frequently happens, the crew did not have time lo get the sail down and stowed liefore the boats cenie oil the wind. Young ltobb. by iiis foresight then got ahead, to stay there till the winning gun signalled his victory.

It Teminils one of the good times of the .lellicoe class to see such kc« n sailing. •'Speedwell's" opinion. 1-eld through good and bad seasons, that this class Mill again become popular on the Waitemata. lookr. like coming true next season, as already three new X class boats arc on order.