THE SANDERS CUP

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21086, 10 February 1934, Page 17

THE SANDERS CUP

OTAGO WINS FIFTH RACE SUCCESSION OF MISHAPS The fifth race in the Sanders Cup I contest sailed yesterday morning, and won by Otago. was the most sensational ever sailed in the contest on Lyttelton harbour. A strong southwesterly gale with a heavy sea and rain, a man being tossed overboard and rescued, one of the boats capsizing at the height of the gale, and another being blown against the turning mark, leaving only two boats to linisn, provided thrills enough and to spare. Although the number of spectators was not as large as usual, there was auite a large crowd on the Gladstone Her where the Railway Department had 'provided two railway carnages as a grandstand. , All the boats carried four men and Val had a reef in. The start was or, ihe wind and the gun went at U.B Man Overboard All got away on a good start, l-a-vina having a slight advantage Lavina, Irene, and Val made a boaid foi the pier, but Eileen stood out on the oppos to tack. Within three minutes ol the start the spectators got the r lirst thrill Eileen, bucking into a big sea tossed a member of her crew rnthbert clean overboard. Cuthbert hadbe'en operating the m im p when he lost his grip and went over. Eileen wis then in the weather position McGrath immediately put her about and came up alongside the youth. X the boat dipped her bows deep in the trough, Cuthbert scrambled up land was hauled inboard. It was a sm-rrt piece of work on the part of jh m eOt P a« skipper. The others had now weathered her and the 01 rtei ol I rounding the pile the first tune was. Lavina, Irene. Val. and Eileen.

Lavina Capsizes Notwithstanding the strong >vmd and a heavy following sea a I torn boats used spinnakers on the iuu m Battery Point. It was takmg a big risk as events soon proved Lav»H nHnii " along at a tremendous iate. Sot out of control. The spinnaker skied, and at the same time the ma.nvhect was torn from Blair s grasp. Before control could be regained Lavina ploughed under and cipsucd. The launch Sunbeam was . ™R" c » e immediately, and picked up the ciew, taking the boat in tow Irene was now in he lead, and rounded the lee mark wit h •>«<"£ margin over Eileen and Val. Eileen shipped a big sea, which half-hied her. and was in a precarious position until the crew got her pumped out On the beat up the harbour Irene ana Eileen worked up the south shore, getting calmer water. Val, with a reef in stood across to the other shore, getting (he full force of the wind and sen. , , Trcne established a long lead on Eileen. and reached the pile at 11.47.50. Irene Disqualified In rounding the pile Irene was struck bv a hard squall, which llattened her out for a moment, and halffilled her with water. Before she could recover she struck the pile. Knowing that he must be disqualified, Sinclair' retired, and sailed for the boat harbour. Eileen rounded the pile at 11.4.0.22, and Val at 11.52.30. With only two boats left in the race, there was still plenty of interest, as. under the prevailing conditions, anything might happen. Eileen had Val well astern, however, and was not taking any unnecessary risks. The race continued in the same order to the finish. On the final round, the i wind and sea increased, but both boats I weathered it out. The finish was:--I Eileen i Otago • 12.52 4 p.m. j Val "Southland' 12.55.45 p.m. I j SALVAGING THK LAVINA | A IUFKIfI I.T TASK The work of salvaging the Wellington boat Lavina yesterday was made difficult by the gale and the heavy sea. When the launch Sunbeam arrived alongside she took aboard the three members of the crew. The skipper. N. Blair, remained in the water for some time endeavouring to get the gear off the boat. With the big ;ra running the launch could not approach too closely without risk of damage lo the Lavina. Blair succeeded in getting a tow-line fast to the mast, and the boat was taken in tow. For 20 minutes the launch, buffeted by the big seas, made little progress, the drag of the sails and gear being too great. The launch therefore anchored, and Blair and one of his crew again entered the water to strip the boat of sails and gear.

Amid tlie swirl of cordage and sails. and with seas breaking over them, the two worked, after having to dive beneath the water to free the running gear. The task was finally completed, and the boat was taken in tow by the trawler Konenc. An inspection of the Lavina when she was placed on the slip disclosed that she had suffered damage to her mast and bowsprit, besides straining the hull. As repairs could not ti.- completed in time for the afternoon rare, the race was postponed iin'i] 10.30 this morning. If necessary, a further race will bo held in the afternoon. YACHTING COUNCIL Rl IKS Or 7. CLASS CONTEST ALTERED At a moetins of the New Zealand Yachting Council yesterday morning, alterations and amendments to tlie rules governing the Z class contest were considered. The chairman said that it had been .found that the rules for the Z class contest required alteration and amendment.

Mr O. A. Moller (Wellington) moved that the specification "beam, live feet, approximately." should be amended by the deletion of the word "approximately." The alteration was adopted. A further alteration was made providing that should the cup be won by a port outside of the Dominion, the cup must be defended in New Zealand waters. The effect of this will be <hal should an Australian crew win the cup, ".ie subsequent contest cannot be sailed in Australia. The acceptance of entries from different ports within the same harbour was opposed by Mr Moller 'Wellington!. He instanced Port Chalmers and Pctonc. Port Chalmers entered a crew at the last contest at Dunedin, mid a Dunedin crew was also entered. Petone desired to enter a crow at the next contesi. The Wellington Association did not desire another entry from within its own harbour. Plimmcrton and Porirua were outside the harbour and were entitled to enter crews.

Mr T. Anderson (Otago) said that there were 12 possible ports within the meaning of the present rules, within a short radius of Dunedin which were entitled to enter boats in the contest. Port Chalmers and Dunedin had always been recognised as separate ports. Mr Moller moved that the term "port" should include any place where yachting was actually carried on, but that not more than one entry be received from within the entrance of any harbour.

Mr Anderson said that if {he council closed down on entries, it would be an inducement for ports to enter in the Cornwell Cup contest at Auck-

land. Auckland was very keen to get entries from the south.

Mr Moller said that no port or club affiliated to the New Zealand Yachting Council could enter for the Auckland contest. The motion was carried. It was decided that all challenges should be forwarded to the secretary of the representative body holding the cup. a list of challenges to be forwarded to the New Zealand Yachting Council, and that the contest should be held in the months of January or February in each year. THE 18FT SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP ONIMJESIGN CLASS IS ADOPTED The New Zealand Yachting Council, at its meeting yesterday, decided to institute an 18ft one-design sailing championship. A remit from Canterbury, that a restricted class be instituted, was defeated. The Canterbury remit was as follows:—"That the New Zealand Yachting Council provide a contest for 18ft boats in the season 1934-35, boats to be built within the restrictions specilied by Canterbury in its report to the council on November 18, 1933; the contest to be a New Zealnad championship open to any member of a club affiliated to the council through its provincial association or of a club affiliated as provided by clause 3 of the council's constitution." Canterbury Opinion The chairman (Mr G. I!. Cnrlis. Canterbury). in moving the adoption of the first remit, said that Canterbury's views were set out in the report of the advisory committee circulated last November, and it was noteworthy that the committee was unanimous in coming to those conclusions. Its recommendation that the class should be restricted, at least for a beginning, was made not only because it was impossible to select a design out of those submitted that would be certain to meet with wide popularity, and because it was considered very desirable that there should be an opportunity for the exercise of ingenuity and skill in the design, construction, and rigging of the boat itself, but also because it was considered essential that in instituting a new class of boat the benefit of experimentation should be made available.

It would be folly to select a design : at the outset and say that there must be no departure from it before ever a boat had been built. It would mean that the class would be killed as soon as a better boat was built outside of it, and that would assuredly happen. "Unfortunately." said the chairman, "in instituting this new class we are laced with the same old bogey thai has been resurrected periodically in the last 10 years over the Sanders Cup: 'lt will mean a boatbuilders' contest.' In order to make cheap boats—if they arc cheap boats —we have had to bar the door to progress by making one-design boats, and an enormous amount of time has been spent in the last 10 years in trying to prevent anyone who can afford it from having ! something another man can't afford. I Of course, we have been trying to j encourage young yachtsmen by this rather curious method of legislation, and no one will deny that that should be our first consideration."

Small Success So Far Continuing, the chairman said that there were now two one-design classes for the encouragement of young yachtsmen, and it had to be admitted that neither of them had been very successful. Young yachtsmen were not going in for 14-footers. So immediately there was the cry, "Make the 18-footer a cheap one-design boat and see if that will encourage them." How far was this to be carried? Admittedly it was a most desirable ideal that every young yachtsman should some day own his own boat. The council was being asked to tie down still another class in an endeavour to bring it about. To allow of a good type of boat being found without tying the class down to one design at the outset, it had been suggested that there should be an experimental stage in which a certain number of boats should be built within restrictions: that they should be assembled next season, and that after a series of trials one should be selected by an expert committee which would give due weight to other factors than speed alone. Another important aspect was that of contest racing. It was inevitable that a line must be drawn somewhere in the financing of boats and crews taking part in contests. Associations! found it extraordinarily difficult already to provide the funds for the Sanders Cup contest, and the time had undoubtedly arrived when the provision of free holidays for a chosen, few each year must reach its limit. That was one reason why Canterbury proposed that the 18ft class contest should be an open championship in which anyone might take part if he was prepared to pay his own way. He believed such a contest would have the effect of stimulating interest in the class. Opposition Expressed Mr O. A. Moller (Wellington; said the Wellington Association would oppose a restricted class. His association was strongly in favour of a onedesign class. Restriction was suitable for the larger classes, but not for the smaller. To adopt a restricted class would be reverting to the troublous times when such a classification was ! used in the Sanders Cup contest. Regarding the designs submitted, each province was in favour of a different design in the 18ft class. Mr M. Smith (.Canterbury) sup- ! ported the motion. The restricted i class would encourage yachting. ; Mr F. J. Bigg (Southland) said his I association wanted a design that would Ibe fixed for all time. Owners could not afford to build boats that would | be superseded a year or two later. He j was in favour of the one-design class. j Mr T. Anderson (Otago) said that j what was wanted was a utility boat : produced at a low cost. j Mr B. J. Jukes (Wellington) favoured j the restricted class. The restrictions, however, would have to be made I quite watertight. j Mr A. Challis (Otago) said that he j had been instructed by his association j to oppose the adoption of a restricted class.

Replying to Mr Moller, the chairman! said that the adoption of the class would fill the gap between the Z and X classes and the keeler classes. Mr Moller moved as an amendment that no time be fixed for the first 18ft contest. The motion as it stood committed the council to holding a contest next season. The amendment was carried, the Otago, Wellington, and Southland delegates voting for it. The motion, as amended, was put and lost, only Canterbury voting for it. Mr Moller moved that an 18ft onedesigr. open championship be instituted as soon as possible, and that every facility be given designers to forward to the council designs for tlie consideration of the council. The motion was seconded by Mr Anderson COtago). Mr Smith (Canterbury > said the council should send to England or America for a design. New Zealand designers could not be expected to submit fresh designs. The motion was carried unanimously. Messrs G. R. Curtis and J. T. Hobbs were re-elected chairman and secretary of the council respectively for the ensuing year.

HOWLS NOTES

♦ !By JACK. | There was a great struggle between Christchurch and the Returned Soldiers' Association rinks for the Watson Shield on Wednesday evening. The game was not started till long after five o'clock, and during the i'mal heads all the players could discern at the other end of the green was a blurred, blackish-brown patch. The soldiers' skip. Olliver, earned frequent applause from an interested gallery. He played an outstanding game, and for Christchurch Woolf saved many points with steady drawing. The holders were two up with one head to go and added an additional three.

A discussion arose recently amongst members of a local club as to whether the mat should be always placed six feet from the ditch. It is incredible almost that some players are so unobservant as not to have noticed the irregular distances at which the mats are laid when the green is fully occupied—anywhere from six to 20 ieet from the ditch. The rule in reference to the laying of the mat reads as follows:—"The winner of the head may place the mat in the centre of the rink between the point where the jack lay, provided that the front of the mat shall be not less than six feet, nor more than 20 feet from the ditch." Discussiohs over technical points often grow acrimonious, and there should be some penalty inflicted upon those guilty of promulgating incorrect rulings." "Jack" suggests that the imposition of a smali fine would yield a welcome addition to the funds of any club at the end of a season!

Two bowls rested against the jack in a singles game, and one of the players claimed that the head was dead. This is not the case—the head is drawn, and though neither player scores, the head is counted. The same ruling obtains if two opposing bowls are nearest the jack.

A very pleasant afternoon was passed on the occasion of the Barnett Friendly Bowl games between the Christchurch and Wellington Club representatives. The spirit of the annual fixture is symbolised in the first two lines of a verse which the donor of the trophy, Mr W. Barnett, has had engraved on a silver plate attached to the bowl. The lines read as follows:—

Win me ye cannot Hold me ye may.

Ann it is in this spirit that the two clubs fraternise on the green.

The recent decision of the council of the New Zealand Bowling Association to recommend to the annual me; ting of delegates to adopt the Australian standards of weight for size calls to mind a proposal outlined by W. Fester, the well-known Caledonian champion. He wrote as follows: "I would suggest that a standard <\7f bowl would be of great benefit 1o the came, and contrary to the usual belief its adoption would cause no inconvenience or expense to players. Were are the facts briefly outlined. "The normal eight rink green can accommodate only 128 bowls at one time—32 sets of four in pairs or 64 =c-ts of two in a rink game. In round figures there are 350 clubs in the Dominion, so that for every club to be H-rommodated with the necessary sets ; t would require a total of 44,800 bowls. To defray the cost of these bowls which, it manufactured to a standard pattern, should not cost more than 7s Cd each, there are approximately 10.000 players, and the imposition of an annual levy of 5s a player would bring in £4OOO per annum. The cost of the 44,800 bowls at 7s Ud each would be £16.800, so that, within five years the bowls would be paid for. and there would be a surplus of £3200 which would cover the cost of testing and replacements of bowls for a good many years, as well as providing a welcome addition to the funds of the Dominion Council. "As opposed to this levy, consider the outlay involved in the private ownership'of bowls. Original cost, say, £5, testing every four years at 3s a test would run into 15s in 20 years, and the cost of monogram on bowls js about 10s, a total outlay of £6 5s in 20 years. If he paid 5s off this amount it would take him 25 years in which to pay it, reckoning without any interest." The unfortunate incident of the Nelson pair's bowjs being ruled out by the official tester before the final of the championship pairs being played clearly shows us that we must be more careful in seeing that our bowls are kept, to a reasonable "standard." writes "Draw," in the Dunedin "Star." There is, unfortunately, a desire among a good many players to have their bowls right down to the smallest draw the law will allow. This is an error, as they should always have a little to come and go on. Many players also neglect to have their bowls tested again within a reasonable time, and in many cases the ordinary wear and tear lof use will reduce their draw. so i players who this year have a narrow | one will next year have a narrower i one. I certainly think that a player I whose bowls will not' pull the st'anj dard when tested during a tourney should be disqualified, and not allowed I to take any further part in it. | The Easter rinks tourney conducted j by the Christchurch Bowling Centre i will commence on March 30, and conclude on April 3. Every player is guaranteed eight games. Entries close with the secretary, Mr H. B. Oakev. :08 Glandovcy road, on Thursdav March 22. ' "' TOURNEY AT KAIAI'OI The Kiiiapoi Working Mm'; Club Bnwliiijr Olub linlfl a s-ureessful how-line tournament on Thursday evening, when lfi rinks from ih" Kainpni Work-ins Men's Club, and the Sydenham, Pnpnmii. SunnyMde, K.'tiapoi. Bel. fast, Kdeownre, Imperial, Cashmere, Kpreydoii, iind Ricrnrtnn Clubs look part in a progressive rinks competition. The winninar rink was Pap.imii (Smith. Loadley, Stokes, and K. .Morrison (s). and the runner-up vns Kaiapoi Working Men's Club (Greenwood, Riehnrds. PJeh.vrtson. and rii. M. pamsny ( ■. i. I WOMEN'S MATCHES

Th.- rnMnwinsr wi'iv llir results in thf ■ vprith round of the inter-club matches of

I thr rhrisMmrch Lndirs' Howling Ccnfn-: TJorkcnham A 2K, Spr'\vrion A Svrlonhnin 20, Ficckrnhnm C 1 l/inwood A 20. B f Lin wood M I'>, S'prfvrinn B IL'. * .11 "STICKS V. CANTERM RY CENTRE

Games between rinks representing the Canterbury Justices of the Peace Association and the Canterbury Bowling Centre will be played on the Christchurch Club's green, by courtesy of the president. Mr I. Woolf, on Thursday, February 15. The rinks selected will be published in Tuesday's issue of "The Press.'' Members of. the Justices of the Peace Association desirous of playing are asked to send in their names to the president, Mr A. H. Hobbs.