YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 27, 26 October 1907, Page 9

YACHTING.

(BY " M.unsh'EF.T.") . . Yachting is nojv fairly under way, although tho season will not be. officially, opened ..until . tho. - King's, Birthday., The scene of : operations. is, gradually, being, shifted froin Evans Bay to the Clyde Quay Boat. Harbour. Saturday and Sunday the Boat Harbour presented a .very..' animated' appearance,.what- 1 with tho\ launches • buzzing, to' a rid fro, -.a nd the'"flatties" skimming over " the surface.' With the exception of. the'.. "Kotiri," ' the. whole pf\tho'Boat'.'Har.bour fleet is ' noV in commission, If yachting and launching;continues to go ahead for the next five years -as it has' done during tho last-two years, '"Main-shoet" '• is wondering • where all the new-comers will drop' their moorings. The Boat Harbour, will only accommodate-about a dozen,more large boats with .any degree of comfort, and after that thehead of Eyans Bay will bo tho next best place..

The average yachtsman, as a'rule, has not got too much tirao for the hum and buzz of the motor launch (except when, lie is -becalmed),; but the local yacht owners havo every reason to be thankful for the presence of launches in Wellington. Towards the enci of last season it was no uncommon sight to sco a little launch .struggling along with i a string of windless, helpless sailers. Already this season the launch owners have sliosvn what good friends -they are to the yachts-, men. . With drily one exception, every ,'jachu launched to date has been towed',''arou.ul from., the slip to , the moo'rjngs: ; ■. This saves a great deal- of Work arid "e.xperise, as it enables the yachts to rig up at'tlii'o Boat •Harbour instead of.- having 1 the' gear. t-akjn round to the slip.

, The '"Janet's'-' and "Miirifcai's" now sails ; have arrived from Auckland. The "Janet's" suit is a success, and sets like a board, but ■ some mistake appears "to havo been made in , the' "Muritai's suit. They are ridiculously small, and put one in mind of the old main- . sail the "Mawhiti" used to have—all spars and bolt ropes. ... A good deal of amuseiiicnt has been,caused at the Boat Harbour this week over ail argument. The result .is ,to be ft race over; the P.N.Y.C.-' No. 2 coui^.J^l^yecn'',th'6' , jia'chts, "Janet," "Petrol," '''aud'.';"francy Nearly ovory 'night; tlieso' j'achts' havo been having.',n't euch';;otli6r, and "all three Can.'beat'-.ttie^other .''tyrol'' "Main-sheet" thinks, if, he had ''tuppence"' to spare,-lie would deposit it' oil tlio "Janet " for safety. '; ■ : - ' V" The programme of the regatta "to bo held on the Bullor River;at AVestporfi, is out earlv The total prize nibney ''to-.be,''won-' amounts to £125. There are three sailing races oii the programme. The first-class race lias been al -\ lotted £20, and there is'a-face/for seOondelass (IGffc. L.O.A'.'arid under): with £l;2j an J an open handicap of££ls£a'nd. 'a-i cu'sr' The • ■races are over a four-mile,cjourse, and,, owing to the shallow water, I. .110' deepkcclcrs-.- need apply,' I.'hear', that Messrs. Kletclier Bros.' ( Malua" is a' likely entrant if' it. is. found, to. be. convenient. There was a fairly largo gathering of-en-, thusiasts at the Boat Harbour sheds last Sunday evening, to-seerthe-i'Mahaki,". '.'Petrel'' and "Nancy tlirough the ''backwash.'' It ,was,J)lowing'',a v gale. : fi ; o.ii the north-west, an'd : the sea-was..,dashing.'riKht. over the outer.,walls,.and..whirling;across-' :lio.| Boat- Harbour . in,-' white .'sheets., AL'last a small .boy,'perched oil'the .' root' of'ja ','shed, called out, .fTere, she is," and nil eyts'were turned.,oil the sppek.that was; to he seen every 'liow' irid then. It turned out to. be : /the "Mahalti," under close-reefed mainsail an.l. storm jib. The"Mahalti." was flying light; and, being under very' easy'sail, made. good weather.,, .The_."Petrel". : wa3 also,under close- ' reefed niainsail' and storm jib, and clinic bumping through the backwash in fine style. After , a .short, .wait-, the "Nancy- Stair" appeared' 'oir the scene. She was" further - to windward than'the other two had been, and was' not' too oasily'-' seen.'-. On-"'-'neaping the -man-of-war the "Nancy/' appeared -to 7Stopaird- tlici) heave'to, arid speculation was'rife, sis- to'-what' - 'had ■happened:; A big rpllelH had : gone: through'the jib,'and another: was -being sot, and theiushe was headed .for, the'.Boat- , Kiirliour.' Before lcavinglin the morning-tile-"Nancy's". crew' had: some' oewt. more: ballast. : put insKle,-and this,seemed.to overpower-lier.■ Ihe, ,Nancy-; , had..only, two reefs.down-,-'-arid' on-getting fairly into the!backwash presented' a :: hno'sight;to aiiyono':who 'was not of-rinfif-. ■ yous disposition. Sh'o. came charging lon to the: entrance on tho' lead,:-and at times; the' hull;.of,-.the boat was right- out'of sight to'.the .-onlookers.; The - seas• broke right over her,aiid. she .appeared ,to be a.mass .of seething foam, j The di\igh,v- was swamped: and -was. cut adrift,-but found its way to the beach'"in Oriental Bay.- On gettingMnskUy the yacht was.struck by. a hard squall from the-'west, ■ which made it impossible to. " 'boutshii)," and tnen followed-one of the prettiest- iibes ' .Mam-sheet" has. seen since .Dr..-Fell,; j'ibed / the "Maliiiia"' on Anniversary Day; two years ■ ago, off Point Halswell, which feat won for him the race, of the day. The' -"Nancy j fstairs -.'boom came .-over the deck:.with a i bang ;• she-'heeled- over, and then ivas off on ,j the other tack. The moorings were sighted . i !" the gloom, and then tho cry bf "Up up! i Right Hyc got "em!" from forward! thenthe rattlo of a chain, and the "Nancy Stairs" was made fast at last, not a .bit, the .torse- -, for her rough handling by the elements' '