YACHTING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25091, 24 January 1947, Page 4

YACHTING

AUCKLAND WINS SANDERS CUP

(P.A.) , AUCKLAND, January 23. Superior sailing enabled Auckland to win the Sanders Cup with three consecutive wins. A. L. Willetts, the skipper, performed brilliantly, especially in the last race.

The morning race over a triangular course was sailed in a fresh to moderate south-south-westerly breeze. Auckland took the lead from the start and had a margin of lmin 56sec from Canterbury at the end of the first round. The lead was increased to 2min 43sec at the end of the second round. Canterbury and Otago were inclined to reduce the lead on the run down each time, and these boats had a fine tussle all round the course, but could 'not worry Auckland, who outsailed the fleet. As the race progressed Auckland went ahead, finishing 3min 54sec ahead of Canterbury, with Otago a further 24sec astern. The afternon race—the best of the series—was sailed out in Rangitoto channel, in a fresh south-westerly over a windward and leeward course. On the beat back Canterbury weathered the others to complete the first round 34sec ahead of Wellington, with Otago 6sec further astern, and Isec ahead of Auckland, which was lOsec ahead of “North Auckland, with South Canterbury and Wanganui following. In the last round Willetts showed sound judgment on the slog back, weathering all the other boats He finished 58sec ahead of Wellington, which was 4sec ahead of Canterbury, with South Canterbury 25sec astern and 32sec ahead of North Auckland. Wanganui, did not finish.