YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 57, 30 November 1907, Page 9

YACHTING.

• ' (By Maiksheet.) The I'.N'.Y.C. experienced its first bit of good luck this season in regard -to weather last Saturday afternoon. . A light. breeM from the north west held sway all day Saturday, and the harbour was dotted over with yachts, 'launches, and the "small ;fry." JJaces ,were, held by . the.. P.N; Y.C. for-'third class. yachts, launches, : and 4 W-fbo'ters. Shortly after 2 o'clock on' Saturday the bo it har,li6ur\v,'as in a state of. excitement and bustle.;,:, Fourteen Wore hauled up o>« tho;,"liard" receiving the filial turning, up for ■their' race, the "launchers" were giving their engines a filial flutter before' their event, and the yachts all had their sails hojsted and were waiting for the balance of tho crews tj turn up. From the Clyde Quay wall tha sight; .was. very picturesque indeed.'and "Mainsheet" noticed, a fair • number ot "camera fiends"hard at work "snapping" up everything that would make-a good picture. • :Tho race put- on for the To Aro, Sailing Club's fleet by" the I'.N.Y.C: brought out live starters, namely, M. C.. (H. Barrett), scratch, Raumatai (L.'M!Gregor) scratch, Olga (G. Higgie)"4min.,'Endeavour (E: Tentoil) iimin., and Rival (S. M'Williams) amin. The boats got well' away toget-hor from tlie starting line in -front of the boat harbour, and looked' very pretty as they reached for the Taranaki Street-buoy,- -The M.C. went to the front from the jump, 1 and the order cf 'roundiii'g the Taranaki buoy: was M.C., En•deavouf, Rival; Raumataii and Olga.:- The I beat; to windward was to tho most southern liulk and-again tho M.C. showed to advantage. AYhile the M.C. was working to' windward in .'the direction of.the .man-of-war buoy,- the Rival , and Endeavour were fighting-, it out together by putting in: short boards on the-wharf side. By this time tha .Olga and Raumatai were ,somewhat iii ilia rear, but they still kept gamely on iu the hope that something in the way of more wind would alter affairs. But the breeze still continued light, and so the tine weather boats bad a- good day out. The M.C. rounded tho liull? buov with a good bit to spare from the Endeavour, and the Rival was only thirty seconds later. On the run' to tho magazino buoy tho M.G. more than held her own, arid the Rival picked up a few yards on the Endeavour. I The Raumatai was a considerable distance ahead of the Olga, which seemed to bo very sluggish. Tho M.C. was first' homo at 4hrs. 2min., followed, by the Endeavour at -jhrs. lOmiii;; Rival, •ihrs. lOmiu. losec.; Raumatai, -llirs. 26min. 20sec.; and Olga, ■Ihrs SOmin. ,

. The young fellows that sail-these boMs are all keen sports, and "Marashqet" looks forward :to the day Hvhen they'will own yachts of - tlicit' own., 'Highet sailed the M.C'., and, of course, like the'rest of Highets-sailed her "right' out 'of-sight.".'., E.' Ponton's' K'i; doavour was i'n;chargc of Watt, who (lid very well indeed for first race. . M'.Willinrs,little packet the ltival also sailed very well and the • way she followed tho • Endeavour all round the course was quite good enough tor art old hand at tli'o game. : Both the Raumatai and Olga-are big lumps of boats tor their length, and, although'they did not do too well in tho light breeze of Saturday last, their owners should not get. disheartened. Boll) .those packets are new boats, and:'|ilaimlieet" feels certain ."that with 'a ■ good breeze the Olga and Raiiniata> wilp give somebody a bit. of a shock. Those races aia fcr a trophy by Mr. Frank witli .Cl

Is. second, and • JLos,t6d. - third.. The'noxt two races of the series will tako place on December' 7, and January 18, 1908, and the points scored ;■ are 'M.Cj, <>o points: Ehdeavouir,V4'-; llival,3; ltaumatai,2; and Olga, 1. . . Tho ! following hoa'ts started' in tho thirdclass evontf'lotclier Bros.'s Malua. scratcli; C. Nelson's Nikau,''Bmin.; Brackett and ForbesV lbex ; lOmiriV; Tall and- Kowborry's Harrier, ■ -10mm.-'and' P. - Williams's y Tainui, 18min. J;rom a good jstart the.Malua had;itlip, . leading position nnd;B.et off for the magazine • buoy at ;.a 'great „"b?t," 'followed Tiy the . Ibox, Nikau, Harmr) 1 ' and Tainui,'' iiV'tliat" ! order. The Magazine buoy was rounded, in this ordiSr;' and ■ tho boats set 'out fbr the beat to Kaiwarra...in.good style. Different, tactics wore rcscirted'to by the sailing masuters in the windward work. The Malua; ■ stood over the port tack, while the others put' .around tho buoy/'on the starboard tack-; and stood well into Kaiwarra Bight with good ro- ' suits, 'as the Ibex nearly headed the Malua up near*"the Kaiwarra buoy The Malua howevor,} proved to bo a rogular "Slim Jim," and squared around the buoy a few minuat-j? to tho good. Great interest' centred, in' the contest between tho Nikau and Ibex as both boats were built by Mr. C. Nelson,.the owiier of the Nikau, which jwas built "to beat.."the" Ibex. lii wdndwaj:tlr.,V or k the Ibex was,apr. erior in the short, choppy sea off the magazine buoy, and soon forged ahead, but the breeze' favoured'tho- Nikaii'-ifhich shortened thtfgap. considerably. Nevertheless the Ibex rounded the buoy ahead of tho Nikau with a bit to spare. Off tho wind, however," the Nikau ,'is a flyor, and on-the 3tnn back to tlie zine sho passed the Ibox and rounded aj mink, uto and ,a quarter to the good.- Meanwhile tho Maliia made great headway, and at'this; point wii ten minutes ahead, increasing • nor ' lead..to' 44 mimites "by - the time, she 'had' reached i&e wharW-She thus won the,,rac£., and tho trophy presented by tho Vice Commodore (Mr; John S.' Swan). A great-fmisir - resultetjsfor / • between th(!;jVikan - and Sliex." The Nikau had to givo thfe' lbeS 2 miffutes, and. the handicapping proved,'to',' bo that the Ibex, finished exactly ,2 miiiutes after the Nikau. and a dead lieai ■ was J;recorde'd. i ■•The'; finishing times were MaWfl', 3hrs; 53minV; Nikau, 4hrs.:-:7min..;-Iboxlfl 4hrs. 9miii.Harrier, 4hrs. l9min 'V, -'and Mkinui, 4hrs..33min. , Fletcher Brothers ouglvif to bo •'well 1 satisfied with ' this '.-.their first ['yachting race, and "Mainsheet" con-. ■ gratuktes..,them ,$n their success. ■ To';fmark their "first win-in-yachting the Messnj. Fletcher have donated a trophy, to . the P.N.Y.C.-'-for'' competition, this- .season.' As donations are. always acceptable, and thers[are. still ; club trophies' oiv the; programme,' this ""is an item - that yacht owners, and thoso-, interested in tho, l -,sppr( s might jot down in tfieir log books.

Two' "old salts''fr-were "in-ch'argo iofitiife Nikau'iartjd IbexsoK'.Saturday—Mr., son Mr. G. Forbes'on the latter. ""It was quite a change to see how' keen those'two were to score a win, and "Mainshe'et" thiiilis 1 ''thafiif". all'"the"young" hands were as keen on racing as Messrs., Forbes and Nelsoii. , are' when' they race; yacht racing woujd soon..bo the sport t-liat ::t should bb. '. j' v/ V

Tall ajid Rowberry's H-irrier, whjcli ished fourth, is inJ.'Mainsheet's" ppjnioji a ■ fairly fafet packet', %nd should hafe'beoli Bomowhcte in the front last. Saturday.!;- ; Of ' » course allowances must be made for thenpoor getting jib she carried, for. the fact ...that, her; - owners are practically'strangers.to,.the boat. P. Williams's craft, the Tainui, might alsohave done better. Both in the 14-foot race and the ithird-class event. "Mainsheet" no- . - ticed' some' of the helmsmen jamming the vn- ; side out of their boats trying to sail'them io - windward, and. then "they wondered 1 why tney came last or thereabouts. They nothings, like,.'a ,chfliigp. of "iuanu,"' aikr Jj.if .'this 1 : f-isv; .'th.X? . P.N.Y.C. ought'to'bo in a ! very healthy con 7 dition (and so it is). The I'.N.Y.C, has f ,ii. race on its programme for every' type c-t iboat in Wellington, including dinghies, flat••i'.ties; 14-footers, catamarans, patikis, first,' second, and third- class yachts, launches' cf : . " all sizes'arid power; 1 -' coal "hull;'boat's, arid • 1 naval cutters. What club iiWNew Zealand' can boast of an assortment like that? . - This afternoon races will bo held for first, second, and third/class,yachts, and the.f.ol-,. lowing boats' hjiVe'-'- entered;. -Kirst chis.s: ; Waitangi,. Svreii ;; ri"ntl: Ngaira:; to -start . 3.15 p.m. .Secohtl..-'class: '.r Mahiha, • Jiinct; • ■ Muritai,'Petrel,'"'W&rere, Taipare, and'mhey •■' Stair to start at 3 p.m. Third class: . -Malua, Nifcm, Ibex,.,mr : : . ner, and'Tainui';' to"'start at 2,"45 p;m.'' . With' a-fair. day. some good ; raciiig 'ought t'o''- • be witnessed, especially in the second class. Mr. Fred. Davies has given-.-an order-. for- a. - new set of sails''for the 'Nancy Stairj ;whi§h will be ready for to-day's, r?ccs._.Xhis,..wii; . also be the Wd&cro's first ' race,"' and'.' with such an even lot racing it will be very hard to pick tho >;■ , . The club -has'-al'nm chartered tlie pifc/t -to follow the raccs, and she will leavo tho Glasgow wharf at 3.15 p.m., and the public will have the opportunity' of viewing the races ~ from close quarters. . ,„ r „. Messrs. Bringins and Bailey have just .com- ' pleted al7 footer for-. Messrs. Archer Linklater and Wyclierly, of Karaka Bay, and have chvistencd her Three Stars., 7 She... has shown a very fair turn of speed in her-trial. .trips. Last Saturdav afternoon the Port Nichol- . soil Yacht Club held races for third class yachts, 14-footers, and launches. Tho third t class yachts started at 2140* p.m., the fol- ■ lowiiK' boats 1 starting :—Malua, . soraudh; . Nokau, Bmin.; Ibox, 10mm.; • "lainui, 18min.; Harrier, lOmin. 'result, ' was:—Malua, 1, 3h. 53min.; Ibex, 4h.9mm., and Nikau, 4h. Tinin., tied for:second;place; with Tainui 4h. 33iiiin., and '.Harrier, 4h. 19min. "" , Sneaking at a recent meeting of the North Shove \acht Club, Captain.A. Whitney urged that there would bo a very grsat ' interest thrown into Auckland yachting—in fact, intercolonial yachting— were the abilities of the numerous able-bodied and skilled yachtsmen utilised in naval coast defence. Mr. Alfred Milson,., so long commodoro -of the Sydney Yacht' Squadron, liad tho l lhattor in hand in Australia, said the speaker, Mid ' it was anticipated that the Govornriionts; «;ill offer very snbstati.il prizes, and, no' doiibt, others would bo given by lovers of tho sea. Captain Whitney ;of!cred, for presentation by the Royal New Zealand 'Yacht; Club, three, medals' (value £15) for - first, second -and third prizes, to be:" given to tho winners of an ocean race between vSydney and Auckland' in 1909. The. race is to bo open to all auxiliary yaohts, i:e'ijla'unches or yachts-fittcd with sail and motor, ehginos, electric: or steam engines, tho minimum to ho three - ■ starters and no handicaps. The idea of; naming the year 1909 for the race is to givo tiilie to intending competitors to proparo. In l\'io event of the race not being run tho prizes arc. to Wreturned to the giver. Tlio North Slioro Yacht Club (Auckland) now has a membership of 270. The first raco for tho Nqrthcote Challenge Cup, a trophy offered by His Excellency' Lord Northcoto, Governor-General of tho Coni- ■ monwofilth, "tolcncourage the sport of yachting arid*'inter-State racing in Australian waters," is to bo. sailed on February 8, 1908. In tho deed of gift His Excellency provides amongst other conditions that— (1) Tho cup shall bo called "the Northcote Challenge Ctip.''(2) It shall bo preserved as a perpetual challenge cup for . friendly sailing competition botwecn all:'rtcognised yacht clubs. (3) The trust shall be a shifting trust, vesting from time to time in the flag officers of the senior yacht club of the State in -.vhicli ' tho cluh'if,'winning '"the samo shall have its headquarters, -but tho possession of the cup shall'-frftni time t'd'timo bo held by tho yacht club Actually winning tho same.

(4) The trustees in tho Stato holding' tho cup shall arrange for a contest for, the sa/ne in or about the month of January in each

year, and such contest shall be hold under the. rules of'the" British Yacht Racing Association as in forco in England during the previous 'summer .to jtlie race, save as expressly -modified,> "and it shall ho for yachts not .exceeding-seven metres rating under tho .present.rules,..but crews, shall consist wholly of amateurs, who shall also be members or a rccognised yacht club.