Late "Billy" Clare Helped To Make Yachting History

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 262, 4 November 1944, Page 3 (Supplement)

Late "Billy" Clare Helped To Make Yachting History

MEMORIES of Auckland yachting over a long span of years are recalled by the recent death of Mr. William (Billy) Clare, of Vine Street, Ponsonby, the age of 65. He was born in Auckland, went to the Ponsonby School, started his working life as a boat-builder, and then foi 42 years was on the staff of the Auckland Harbour Board, rising to the position of foreman shipwright. It was in aquatics that he was best known, a yachtsman who had cruised in the gulf and along the coast, and one whose skill at the tiller on regatta days was widely known. Mr. Clare's interest in yachting lay mainly with the spectacular mullet boats of the 22ft L class,_ and m 1928 he skippered LS, Valeria, to a dead-heat for first place with Varuna in the Lip ton Cup contest. He was representing the Akarana iacht Club. . The race was a hard one, sailed in a stiff north-easter. Valeria crossed the line three seconds too soon, through no fault of her own, with the result that she had to return and recross. Before the start, Mr. Clare s watch showed that he had 10 seconds to wait for the last flag to fall, when someone, whom he took to be an official on the flagship, waved both Valeria and Kokiri over the line. Both boats then realised the race had not started, and went about to recross the line. However, through superb sailing, Mr. Clare gradually made up the lost time, and brought Valeria into a dead-heat with Varuna.

Mr. Clare sailed Valeria, again representing the Akarana Yacht Club, in 1929, in one of the best races of the Cup contest, beating the Takapuna Boating Club's representative, Venus, by lm 265. _ The competing boats and their skipper were Valeria, W. Clare, Akarana Yacht Club; Marie, V. Lidgard, Point Chevalier Sailing Club; Venus, L. N. Woods, Takapuna Boating Club; Lucille, W. Potter, Tamaki Yacht Club; Mowai, George Smith, Ponsonby Cruising Club; Rakoa, J. Logan, Devonport Yacht Club; Varuna, George Couldrey, Manukau Cruising Club.

There was a hard south-westerly breeze, and all the boats had a single down, except Kokiri and Mowai, to a good start, led across by Marie, under full sail. The fleet got away to a good start, led acress by Marie, who sailed well and maintained her lead to the first mark in the Rangitoto Channel. From there to the Resolution buoy, off Parnell, was a dead beat to windward, and Mr. Clare made the move which won him the race. He stood in towards North Head on the port tack before making for the southern shore, and as they neared the mark Marie was well, to leeward in Valeria's wake.

Off the King's wharf, Valeria yvas at her best, and it was,obvious that she would win hands down, while Marie and Lucille were fighting for second place about a minute behind. Valeria crossed lm 26s ahead of Marie. The crew of Valeria were: Skipper, W. Clare; mainsheet hand, W. Goodison; for'ard hand, E. Hayes; W. McWhirter and W. Clare, jun. Mr. T. McWhirter was the owner. -

The boat in which Mr. Clsft-e learned to sail was one which his father built for him and his brother. She was a 14-footer, named the Stingarec. Later, they built the Emerald and Okere, and in the Emerald, received their final training as yachtsmen.. She was the first of the 26-foot mulleties as they are known to-day.

One of the hardest races ever sailed by Mr. Clare was in 1906. It was a cruising race, held in a howling gale from the south-west. Six boats started, Moana, Ida, Rangatira, Ladye Wilma, Wairiki and Emerald, which was the only mullety, the rest being keelers.

The Emerald had set her racing sails, and set forth before the gale. After they entered the Rangitoto Channel, the wind increased and the seas were becoming heavy. The course led them around the seaward side of Waiheke Island, and, as the weather was becoming too much for the Emerald, she dropped out of the race. Most of the boats were weather-bound at Drunken Bay for two days. Moana won, and the Emerald got the booby prize for the smallest boat to start.