YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 9

YACHTING.

Mainsheet.)

■ 'COMING EVENTS. To-day. l —Handicap races for Ist, 2nd, ano. 3rd. class-yachts. .' Dec. 21—At Home.to Members of P.N.Y.C "'■ .by Commodore and Mrs. •W. Fell at :: Mahina 'Bay. : 190 S. : , ', ;, ',',: Jan. 18.—Third, race for 14-footers, and , handicap raco for Ist class yachts. ■■-.:-, . Jan. 22.—Anniversary Regatta. :.'< Jan'; 25.'—Handicap races for "Ist,-2nd, and "i 3rd class yachts. ■ i'. ?■■'■':', ''•""-', Fob. races for Ist class yachts '■'■ for Mills Memorial. '■; Feb, races for ,Ist, 2nd, and.., .', ! i ]i,''3'rdlcla-ss.'yachts. ■'•'■' '',Vt"-f.- :."":.':'."'

Another 'inov'o onwards was made by the Port Nicholson Yacht Club on Saturdayafternoon. Races were held for first and ' second-class yachts. A good single reef breeze from the nor-west was blowing, and all tho yachts were reefed down with the exeception, of tho Waitangi, which carried her-full cruising sail. Tho first raco foi: first-class yachts for a considerable time past drew the following starters: —J. M'Lean'i Waitangi, Evaua Bay Syndicate's Ngaira, and J. S. Swan's Syren. Tho Waitangi and Syren crossed the line together, but the Ngaira hung'in irons for.some minutes right on the starting line. On the lead to Point Halswell tho Waitangi soon.drew ahead and rounded the buoy some four minutes to tho good. .The Ngaira. had by this time go* under way and set sail after tb.6 leaders, and gradually overhauled the Syren, but could not make up any time on the Waitangi. Oj tho beat to Kbro Koro Waitangi further increased her lead by some 15 minutes, aud tho Ngaira picked up on tho Syren inc* rounded the Koro Koro buoy ahead of her*. On tho run down to Halswell both boats se/ all sail possible, Syren and Ngaira botk shaking out their reefs, and the latter setting a jib topsail. At Halswell tho Ngaira; was still a littlo ahead of the-Syren and th« boats finished in that order. Waitang takes a- club trophy as first prize, and cht Ngaira takes £1 Is. for second place. Mr. J. M'Lean had the helm on tho Waitangi and sailed her right out from start to n'nsh,- never giving the c-thor competitors a '■ look in. The Ngaira was not seen at her . best as she appeared to bo trying to mak& Koro Koro from Halswell in tho one board and "Mainsheet" noticed on several occasions that the wholo of the sail on this boat was all a-back. If tho boat had been sailed as she was sailed on tho Sunday following she would havo finished much nearer tho Waitangi than she did. '. Mr. T. Willason. sailed tho Syren, but sho did not appear to be going as well as might have been expected. Last season the Syren without any difficulty oould tak'6 time,-and plenty of it, out ofevery one..pf,.tho\sccbiid-dass yachts, but on Saturday tho- first threo finishers in tha second-class event all did the courso with better times''to.their."credit than tho Syren. What is tho .explanation?::. '.' All the second-class event came to tho starting line, and a very pretty start resulted. "Before the commencement of tho raco. some skilful manoeuvring took ; place;,by of..the ..competitors, in order. to_got.' tho:.windw(ird-'j)bsitibn .at .tho start, especially between the ; Wairorb and Petrol;The'spectators' tin tho wharf- all considered that.a collision' was "-inevitable', hut some* smart work oil the part of the sailing masters aloiio provontcd trouble.'/ From a good start tho''Wairere soon took the lead and made-tho pabea cracker to Point Halswoll, with'.'tho Mahiiia, Janet, Muritai,' Taipari, - Petrol, and Nancy Stair, in closo'attondance. At Halswell the yachts in tho rear had all closed up on'-, the' loaders, especially Petrel, which had a had start owing to her having to give way to the Wairere at' tho wharf, .- notwithstanding the fact. that. sho was on tho starboard tack. HalswoU buov waa rounded by the yachts all iu a bunch, with Waircro and Mahina slightly to windward. ' A-foul was narrowly missed between tha' ' two last-mentioned boats as tho Mahina suddenly-luffed up to tho Wairere when holding tho lco-position, and being tho overtaking! boat.- In" the plug to windward tho Mahina soon showed to advantago with tho Janet hanging on to her a short distanco astern, but not so. high to windward, Tho Wairere was getting through the water at a. great pace as she was being sailed very free, and was making good weather of it. On rounding Halswell tho Muritai soon demonstrated that it would bo a good boat that could out-point her, but sho did not appear to bo^' sailing as fast as sho was the previous '" baturday, when sho won from scratch. Tho letrel soon foil behind in-'tho w,indward work, and mado a considcrablo amount of leeway. lho Taipari, after standing U p to Soambs Island for a fow hundred vards,. put about on tho starboard tack, and stood in to Kanvarra, tho Nancy Stair doing likowiso a tow minutes later. Oil' Soamcs Island; tno Mahina was. still in the lead, and the other boats woro fighting tho raco out in pairs Koro koro .buoy, was roundod first bv lho Maliina somo thrco minutes to tho "ood. Nearmg Koro Koro, tho Waircro wcatEored the Janet, but struck somo headers .iff, which oiiablod tho Janet to squaro away around the buoy about half a.length nhoml. ,1 ho Muritai was the next around, fow ■minutes behind tho Wairero. Tho Petrol, on standing in to tho shore somo distanco to'loo. : ' ward of tho. buoy, caught tho Talari on .he

■ wong tack, arid the boats wasted some timo •hanging together trying to bluff ono another. • Tho Petrel then shook out her reefs, and tho Taipari was enabled to get away from nor blanket. 'Dig Taipari rounder tho buoy two minuses ahead of tho Petrel, and'eight minutes behind, tho Muritai.' , Tho ■ Nancy Stair squared away four and a'half minutes later. Tho Mahina was never- headed and finished first, and won tho race from scratch, and takes, a trophy presented•• by ,Mr; W. Highet.. The Janet arrived homo-a minuto or so._ ahead of, the > Wairero,, after a -great raco, in which .somo very skilful handling was shown.. Tho Janet consequently, takes a prize ?£ £1 Is., as she was on tho same mark as tho ;Wairero,.-.who takes 10s. third placo. On the run from Koro Korotho Petrel set a spinnaker, and picked up nino minutes on tho Muritai, which just got in ono minute shead of tho Petrel. The Janet followed suit tlireo and a half minutes after, and theNancy Stair arrived homo four minutes behind tho Taipari; .'...-.. ■„. • '~.- :,.,,;

1 Dr. Fell sailed a great raco in the Mahina, and never lost any chances of improving his position. Tho Mahina has nover- put up ■better performances than sho lias" given-this reason. 'Like good wine,, she "apparently"improves -with- age.-,. Thesame remark might be ■applied tohor|owiier and sailing'jiiaotor.-'--The Janet was handled bv Mr. F.-Davies, >ho ; mado a much better showing than ho did ill the first race. Dr. Makgill should bo ■thoroughly satisfied withtho racing: capabilities of his yacht, as in Auckland the Wai'rero. could generally givo tho Janet time .ind t>eat-hor.

•J..Scott held the stick' in the Wairero and Hid very well as; this practically: her first Tace.-. .Tho, Wairero was 'un'tlcr'icaiivasscd on Saturday and 'cdulcl have' "sto6 r d'''anQther reef aut. with advantage, "arid' "Mainsheet" rom tures.to 'prophesy that" this"yacht will'yet peat ■■■ the, Janet;,this.'season' from''tho sahio taark .-when her' owners-'get-"m6re" knowledge: -m, ra "" g capabilities of their''pa'eke'tl I '- "•' The Muritai also sailed a good race; doingJxtra'well in the Windward 'work' '"towards, •the latter end. Muritai is a godd handicap sPacht, and is liable to win race's wlmri'least expected' to come to 'light. G. Hoggard Had ihe tiller'on" Saturday. •-. ■■'■''■-^ : :"■'::' . .

...The. Petrel was a failure'as far.as Satur- : nay was _ concerned, and "Mainshcet"- is 'of the opinion that., she. -will never - win a .race ~.with her present sails unjess.'.such race.is ab..»olirtely given to her. On -Saturday-she overhauled aIL the yachts off. the .-.wind,- 'but on the wind her high peaked mainsail sagged away to leeward, and would not allow the boat to point as.high as she should. The .Petrel has won races in' Auckland from fast yachts and with a good suit of sails.there is .Co reason.why sho should not do thosamo C. M'Ecegan, who is about tQ 'leavo for Dunedm next, Thursday,: had-chargc-of • tho.boat for tho last ; timo. ... ' .•;..,.'.•:.-. ~.

Highet had control of the Taipari, but lie evidently had a day off. \Wliy: tKe'Taipair stood in to Kaiwarra'on the' first hoard Is one of those yachting mysteries' that cannot bo explained, as she left'' tho'wiiuF altogether by this move. :' The bbat'.was'-doing Al on' her first'board and "would have "been much closer up at the finish 'if, she:'had 'followed tho course, set' bv tho leaders"/ "'

-A. Richardson., was sailing, master of the Nancy Stair, and .appeared,.- to have,great r faith..in.tho sailing-master of tho/raipari, as he put about after-.the and shared;tho samo fate. Tho Nancy Stair was "picking:-up fast on tho first board and was pointing well. Thore: is no. doubt that the Nancy is a fast packet in-a fair'sailing breeze,,arid it is apity that she,stood in to Kaiwarra, as this practically lost her-'a certain place at the finish, owing to her being limit boat.

• !•!-•£{% committee of: tho-Te, Aro Soiling Club ~*eld-,,a' meeting.: this .week, and,tho pro:li gramme for..the season was 'drawn ''up'.' : A .numbor. of races on for pati..kis. and 14-footers, and as these, classes aro ■'.Rapidly growing: Some. good races should bo -witnessed. 'The club is now a live combination of. youthful yachtsmon, and-"Main- : ms }}Sh*{¥' club evory..sucpess.j' !)i ; i u , ■■■" Tho Port:Nicholson Yacht CliiVslcomjnittee ;Blso,.had a meeting'this week.'"" TJib-Vpro'-. gramme-for the Anniversary Day regatta was r drawn up for submission to a general mcotiiif Races have been'"allotted-:for almost every typo of boat,'"including" races' • ;or;naval xuttors, Ainokiira's'boats,;-man-o'-' war boats-(ifthe Pleet is in part), coal hulk" ioata, dinghies, 14-footers, ■ yachts,'. , and , launches. 'It has been proposed to hold tho ' Tcgatta off the Glasgow Wharf; but in the opinion of. "Mainshcet," which\opinion :is . also the opinion of a considerable number'of yachtsmon, Seqtouii should be given a'trial.' . Of-course, this 'is providing' that suitable 'arrangement could bo made with the-Se'atbun Carnival Committee. '.'Some years ago 'this committee made'-" overtures.".' to" 'the P.N.Y.C. with a view of having.tho anniversary" regatta' at' Seatoun, and also 'offering' a' special bonus of, £25 towards the prize money . for -tho day. H! This proposal was':throwh "out by the committee then conducting the affairs of tho.P.N.Y.C.j and the i-egatta was held at Evans Bay, and was what one would riot call a huge success. ".Mainsheet.".. has. spoken I tosome- of tho officials on theSeatoun committee, and they appear to bo agreeable toi offer the.same,conditions again., Tho matter is worthy of consideration by the members of, the P.N.Y.C., and should be brought lip ! at the general meeting of the club to bo, held on ■Wednesday evening. .' : ";"•