OCEAN YACHT RACE

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26328, 24 January 1951, Page 8

OCEAN YACHT RACE

20 BOATS LEAVE WELLINGTON

SOME FORCED BACK BY

WEATHER

(New Zealand. Press Association) WELLINGTON, January 23.

Twenty cruising yachts left Wellington for Lyttelton to-day in the first major ocean yacht race on the New Zealand coast since the Lyttelton-Wel-hngton centennial yacht race in 1940. The 175-mile race has been organised by the Banks Peninsula Cruising Club as a Canterbury centennial event. There was a moderate northerly, and B. Miller’s Astral established a lead of the best part of a mile by the time Point Halswell was reached.

Two entrants did not compete. The Maranui was scratched and the Dunedin boat. Valiant, did not arrive in Wellington. Some of the competitors were forced by bad weather to return to Wellington to-night. The Weather Office said this afternoon that the yachts would probably encounter freshening easterlies, becoming strong at times, for most of their journey to Lyttelton. In the following list of competitors, R.P.N.Y.C. represents Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, and B.P.C.C. Banks Peninsula Cruising Club:— Astral, B. Miller (E.B.Y. and M. Aurora, D. Brown (Dunedin); Ranika, A. C. Lambert (8.P.C.C.); Caplin, G. Gillies (Oamaru); Fantasy, N. Walker (8.P.C.C.); Galatea, A. Howorth (8.P.C.C.); Hope, A. Lamb • R.P.N.Y.C.); Huskv. A. Clements (8.P.C.C.); Joy, C. Smith (8.P.C.C.); Karn. B. Askew (R.P.N.Y.C.); Matatua R. Campbell (R.P.N.Y.C.); Nanette, J. Maddaver (R.P.N.Y.C.); Ocean Maid, A. Gibson (8.P.C.C.); Restless, H. Smith (R.P.N.Y.C.); Ruakawa, W. Fisher (R.P.N.Y.C.); Tawhiri, N. Brown (Nelson); Wakarere, R. Elliott (R.P.N.Y.C.); Windswift, A. France (8.P.C.C.); Raukawa. C. Livingstone (R.P.N.Y.C.); Argo, J. Young (R.P.N.Y.C.). Keeler Breaks Mast Engines have been sealed by officials of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, and any yacht finishing the race with the seal broken will be disqualified. In case of emergency the seal may be easily broken and the engine used. Some skippers prefer to have their boat’s clutches sealed, so that they can use the engine for the generation of electric power, but not for propulsion. The keeler Restless, the favourite in the race, met disaster this morning, when her mast snapped 40 minutes after the start of the event. The misfortune occurred when the Restless, lying second to the Astral, was beating up to the mouth of Evans Bay. The mast gave way without warning, snapping about 18 feet from the top. Nobody was injured. The Restless, which was the scratch boat, returned to the harbour on her own engine.

Ruakawa Early Leader Dirty weather was being encountered late to-night by the entrants in the race. The leading boat is the Ruakawa, which has held the lead consistently since she left Wellington Heads. The Ruakawa was out of sight of the other boats late to-night. She was last seen reefed down for heavy weather. Following in a bunch are the Astral,

Wakarere. Tawhiri, and Matatua. followed by the Rauka va and Windswift, with the other yachts strung out behind. Three of the yachts were compelled to turn back and make for Wellington Harbour. The Karu, of Wellington, was the first to give up. when her deckhouse began to shift about 27 miles out of the heads. The Lyttelton yacht Joy passed the Karu. and then also turned back. It is thought that her captain, having his family on board, hesitated to expose them to the bad weather indicated by the rising swell meeting the Karu inside the heads. The Joy lent a hand and towed the Karu to the boat harbour. Both arrived back at their moorings about 9.15 p.m. Another 'Wellington boat, the Nanette, turned back as she was nearing the Cape Campbell lighthouse. A member of the crew had injured his back when reefing the sails. She was back in the Wellington boat harbour about 10.15 p.m.

BAD WEATHER OFF COAST REPORTS FROM STEAMEfc EXPRESSES “Dirty weather” was the only report on the Wellington-Lyttelton yacht race available in Christchurch last evening. A lighthousekeeper at Cape Campbell said he made an inspection seaward at 7 p.m., but saw no sign of any lights. Visibility was less than two miles and a half, and he expected that the yachts would be forced much further out by the weather. The leading yachts were expected off Cape Campbell about that time. “The Press” made a radio-telephone call to the Hinemoa just before 11 p.m. when the service closed. Off Motunau island, it was reported from the bridge, there was an east-north- . east wind of force five, and a rough sea with a heavy easterly swell. The night was overcast and it was raining hard. The Hinemoa travelled north last night. A radio-telegram received by “The Press” from the Rangatira travelling south from Wellington, reported that at 11 p.m. the ship was 15 miles south of Cape Campbell. The wind was easterly, of force four. There was a considerable easterly swell, and the sky was overcast and dull. No yachts had been sighted clearing Pencarrow Head.

The radio station at Lyttelton had not established contact with any of the yachts by midnight. Enthusiasts trying to pick up reports heard amateur operators in Christchurch trying to get messages through, but there was no reply.

Arrangements had been made for the Gael and Marlyn, coastal boats which sailed from Lyttelton for Wellington yesterday, to send messages when they

sighted any of the yachts. No message was received last night. A training flight from the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Wigram will go out to sea in the Kaikoura area this morning to locate the yachts and try to identify them by their flags if the weather is good. Radio reports will probably be sent back to Wigram by midday.

STORM MOVING SOUTH APPROACH TO COAST OF CANTERBURY From Our Own Reporter WELLINGTON. January 23. The storm which swept from the north-east over the Auckland Province on Monday is now moving south, and in about 24 hours possibly can be expected to finish up off the coast of Canterbury, according to a forecast issued from the Dominion Meteorological Office this evening. The forecast says that the weather in Canterbury will get worse before it gets better, but there will be no catastrophic happenings associated with th® storm as it moves south. A depression to the west of Auckland is moving slowlv south, and will probably bring fresh southerly winds and some rain. The depression is moving at the rate of 200 miles a day, which is very slow. Rain is expected to continue in Canterbury until the storm passes.