SANDERS CUP CONTEST

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21085, 9 February 1934, Page 17

SANDERS CUP CONTEST

* |: WELLINGTON WINS FOURTH RACE 111 ENE DISQUALIFIED The fourth race in the Sanders Cup contest was sailed at Lyttelton yesterday morning in a hard southerly blow, all the boats having to put a reef in. The Wellington boat Lavina finished five seconds ahead of Irene (Canterbury), which was disqualified. Eileen was third. The race took a sensational turn when Lavina, after being more than four minutes behind Irene and Eileen with half a lap to go, suddenly picked , , up on the others, through a mistake on the part of the Canterbury and Otago skippers, and took the lead. In a tearing race for the finishing line, Lavina carried away her spinnaker boom, but carried on. Unfortunately a collision | took place between Irene and Lavina j at the last turn, and although Lavina crossed the line five seconds ahead of j Irene, the result was in doubt until the j evening, when the sailing committee announced that it had awarded the race to Lavina, and had disqualified Irene for a breach of the rules of the Yacht Racing Association (England; in that, having cleared the mark, she did not observe the rules governing overtaking vessels, and improperly rounding marks. The race started at 10.35 a.m. m a strong south-wester and a lumpy sea. The course was the triangular one, the starting line being moved further down the breakwater towards the shore. All boats carried four men. A Fast Start j The start was fast. Val was caught j over the line and came back. Eileen, Lavina, and Val went away together, Irene being about four lengths behind. Eileen and Val put up their leadingjjbs as spinnakers, the other two using their leaders for jibs, and no spinnaker. Val's spinnaker carried her - •ell off the course, the others making a direct line for the mark. Only seven minutes was taken by Lavina to cover the first leg of the course, and she rounded six seconds in front of Eileen. Irene rounded 19 seconds later, with Val another eight seconds away. j All close-hauled for Diamond I-tar- j bour point. Working lip the Diamond j Harbour shore, Lavina, Eileen, and Val | were very close, in that ord.-;r. Val j tried a long board out into the liar- j bour, but dropped back. | Eileen made a couple of short boards, i and camp out well to windward. Sh<.' . rounded Paine's quarry buoy 215 see- | oiids in front of Lavina. Irene was 14 seconds behind the Wellington boat, j and Val was more than four minutes i away. , The lead for the pier buoy was made j at a tremendous rate. Irene overtook j Lavina. The first round was com- j pleted as follows: — j Eileen .. •• 11 1 Irene . . • ■ II 4 1J i Lavina .. • • 1 1 f'l I Val .. 11 8 34

Val Kctircs Val came alongside the starter's launch and reported that she hact broken the jaws of her spinnaker boom and was retiring. Irene was the first to try her leader as a spinnaker, and she went to the front. Another fast run, and Irene turned Ihe leeward mark with a 2:isec lead on Eileen, Lavina being 23sce '"The three worked further out into the harbour on the second bc;it. A-, I iii tiio first round, Eileen moved up. ' and weathering Irene, took tiie lead i ream. Lavina was dropping we!! to I leeward of the other two. McGrnth set to work to keep the Canterbuiy I boat tinder his lee, and was makinu | board for board. They rounded m tne I | same order. I Another fa.-t lead across the harbour j | saw Irene overtake hi Icon. The second j | lound was fompletcd at the folio v. - ing times: I Irene .. ■■ '• •' ,: i ! Eileen . . . 1 I :i I -\ ! Lavina . . 11 17 Irene and Eileen used their leaders as spinnakers from the start of the run, but Lavina did not fly hers until about one-lhird of the distance had been covered. Irene turned the Buttery Point buoy with !i7se<: in hand from Eileen, with I-avina 52sec behind Otago. Mark Overlaid Irene and Eileen followed Ihe same course as in the second round, working out from the shore. Lavina laid her own course inshore. Eileen moved up on Irene. Both boats overlaid the mark and allowed Lavina to come up. Blair, the skipper of Lavina. made; no mistake. He outsailed the others completely at this stage and rounded first. Amid intense excitement the three boats flew for ihe finishing line. It was a question whether Wellington could hold her position on the lead for the finishing line. Disaster overtook Lavina when she carried away her spinnaker-boom and Irene came up on her fast. Just before the turn of the buoy approaching the finishing line, Lavina succeeded in blanketing the Canterbury boat as the latter drew level. Right on the turn the incident, re- . suiting in the disqualification of Irene occurred. Turning the buoy, a slight collision took place between Lavina ! and Irene. Just what happened is a matter of controversy, but Lavina's lore-stay and Irene's main sheet came ' into contact. In a battle over the last ■ few yards, Lavina just drew ahead. ; The boats crossed the finishing line • at the following times: — ' p.m. Lavina (Wellington! 12 11.42 ■- Irene (Canterbury* 12 11.47 > Eileen (Otago) .. 12 12.12 I The Rules in Question The rules of the Yacht Racing Association referred to state, inter alia: 30. Right of Way, Par. C.—A yacht must never bear away out of her proper course to hinder an overtaking yacht passing her to leeward. The overtaking yacht, if to leeward, must not luff, so as to interfere with the windward yacht, or cause her to alter her course, until she ranks as an overtaken yacht. The lee side shall be considered that on which the leading yacht of the two carries her mainboom at the time she ceases to be clear • ah 33! d 'Fouling or Improperly Round- • ing Marks.—A yacht must go l'airly . round the course, rounding the series i of marks as specified in the instructions; and, in order to round each 1 mark, the yacht's track from the prc- » ceding" to the following mark mu:.l ; enclose it on the required side. A f yacht which,in rounding a mark, foul.' ; it. or causes the mark vessel to shift > her position to avoid a foul, shall be I disqualified, unless on her protest i ' is established that she was wrongtull;. " compelled to do so by another yacht in which case such other yacht shal be disqualified. The yacht whic! fouled Ihe mark mu.st immediately either abandon the race or hoist ; protest flag. Two Races To-day ! Two races have been arranged fui j to-day, at 10.30 a.m. and 3.0 p.m. FENDALTON DOMAIN ♦ r APPLICATION FOR AREAS The new Fendalton Domain Boarc 0 has already set about the acquiring o [] areas suitable for the proposed nev ■- nark The site required must b< u centrally situated in Fendalton, an< IS ihe required is advertised 6 from five to 15 aci cs.