MOTOR BOATS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 10

MOTOR BOATS.

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j : Launchmg'K.iocally-r'has been rather slow during the past fortnight, as a great many of the local owners-have been away for the holidays, but by the end of next -week things will ::!td g . iff-f fill'.' swing again, and the launches will be getting tuned up in readiness for tho regatta' on Anniversary Day, .when three will be dccided. ! I The, ; vjsit„cif,..Mr..„S. o Kii-kpa i trick's; launch Queeu...,of Beauty,,during Christmas . Week IcrpjateiJj.ajgraat.fleal .of interest among boating ;;was certainly an eye-opener 'fbr. 'Welhng'ton; as never before has .'al.lauacli 'oi lier./jize and. appearance visited ?tljjs . ppri."'_Ercim'Z.ll id ..appearance of every-, ithiug '..'t I hb. ;rr tlebkv especially tho brass is an abundance, the ■crow I ;.miisli. r h,]v.o.:;b.eoV at work at a very !oMly\ , [ibur' ! ';aß. , '.Wlien. 1 'Carburettor" paid a (visit t'o te iliji-iiig-'tho morning everything -,was polished up._ to- perfection, and it •cocmed really-a'prfcy fo touch anything. The 'rat.urn. ■ voyage.) -to Nelson was started the ;(lay, r bcforftJ!{(!w r 'Yci>r's;Pay, and a smart 1 run jy.aSi-.inftdc.-to I'icton.

.'•Christmas Da)- was hardly what ono would uilll: a;l-v;idcal"rone'-'for boating, tho heavy southerly "Tylvich was'' blowing brought up a considerable- sea' j in -the harbour. Boxing Day,•>.'ho.wGYe'£j--.wasv, almost perfect, tho southerly breeze just keeping the atmosphere at., a j)je,asant temperature.

i A very enjoyable run was made in the 'Alert .'oil 1 ' Boeing V'l)a,v., Getting under weigh ;fi'onrthe": Boat HiiV.bour at about 10 a.m., a csdl'iva's. niadc.at'.tlVo 'ferry stops, where the : Sox ! oP the 'party 'jij'oro picked up, and a for Point Halswoll, dnit" before Evaii's Day'-'was well opened up it ;w!i'4' , evi'de l iit'' fronl'.',j;Ji'rf r : looks on some of tho' ;puss«lgcr.s;'faties,;that a decided/oil was not' ?to I 'tli'iHr'Mikin^' I 'r,o "fl'io launch's head was Sput up Evan's Hay fftVa ivhilo, and then a igood ivea^ivr'j-un-was made buck to Ilals,'woll.. Anchor was dropped in Kaw I!ay, and ;tll(i 'prinulVstK ; o'wiis :iiiime(liately lighted and .iii:,a 'vfery'stitift tiiltß 'evorybody was enjoying' i'ilieai l ty'; I nitti];';pvftn'the bad sailors devoP rpbd a good appetite. After tidying up a ita'rf : •% A h nfade" for. 'Soatouu, and all enjjci.f'&T 'h ','gM "ttt(r "'li , ours l ashore. At six ) l 'clilt!k-it'wiis filj ; .a|)pard again for homo, hut jus tho : appetites of'ajl had been rather over estimated, 'it'lvas decided'to have tea on the . rtiii.'ltoMc Hlid endeavour to save having to carry homo again. There, was rather • a--roll iii' Evans "Bay , v and the H.N.R. bap;.taiii"ili-:; -consultation with tho engineer, decided that off Oriental Bay would be an ideal spot to stop fpr tea. So the

anchor was accordingly dropped off tho kerosene storo, and the stove started once more. Tea- was soon laid out and everybody was remarking'how good the tea was, .when thero was a cry of, look out for your cups, and a moment later the swell from tho steamer Victoria on her way from Picton'made things very unpleasant for a couple of minutes, but once it wns pnssod the ladies began to'smile again, as thev knew it was calm- water to the whnrf: After everybody li'nd vainly endeavoured .'to. eat uiV.the scraps,' a start .was made for the ferry steps,' and as the clock chimetl a quarter 'to" eight everybody was bidding' each other "Au Revoir," after a very pleasant'day's'outing.' ; ; " I'. Messrs: -Donne' and'/Stacey's new; "launch is fmislied'arid is now awaiting -shipment-at Auckland, so' may be~ expected hero: by any stcamor.' It is'tiTbtf hoped she arrives •before Anniversary Day. >■'-■ ' " , 1 Kinriiburgh and Palmer's launch Vida rotunied'at'4 o'clock on Sunday afternooii from a 1 fortnight's 'cruise in tho Pelorus 'arid Queen Charlotte Sounds. The Vida left here at S o'clock on Christinas Eve.' was a frosh breeze from the north, and a good run of five hours was' made to Tory Channel, anchor being dropped at a minute or two after'lo o'clock, after a very smooth, run across. Tho Sounds were visited from practically- one end to the other, the launch'covering over'soo miles in'the .Sounds alone. There was' only olio wet.day' during tho trip, -but plenty of wind was encountered in 'the''Sounds.'; The trip home from Picton was not so pleasant. Picton wasleft at 8 a.m. oil-Sunday and a good time'was made down the Sound. When Tory Channel was reached there "wore . visible .signs "of a " southerly buster"doming up, so .a" course, was shaped about eight miles furth'er south in . order to '.avoid'' tM'-wiM 'chauged 'round iand'it was'.a case of gomg'through, rip or' iio' .'rip."""TKe',launch'tftsse'd 1 about ' considerably, but' eventually got through safely' and: nil speed was niado for 'Pencarrow Heads, which wo safely entered just in front of the southerly buster which came up at about 4 o'clock. Tho Vida was fitted with a small mast and carried a jib and trysail which steadied*her considerably in a .seaway and made the motion much easier for those oil board.-;' •

' Mr. Garnet B: Holmes, tho founder of the Port Nicholson Motor Boat Club, has forwarded mo the following interesting account of a motor boat race that ho witnessed at Baltimore, IKS.A., on October 6. The following, account is from'the Baltimore "Sun" of that date:—' \ 1 A NEW FAIRBANKS IN THE FIELD

SAILS AT GREAT SPEED..

•BIG CROWD AT BALTIMORE Y. C. LARGE CONTINGENT FROM SPARROWS '.■'! POINT IS LOSER, BUT GAME TO THE CORE-WINNER'S LONG TRIP. ' Thero was never such an enlivening scono at tho. Baltimore Yacht Club in Curtis Bay as yesterday, afternoon, the people having gathore'd to witness the test of speed between tho motorboats Bessemer, from Sparrows Point,' and the Fairbanks 111. ■ Fully 100 mcmbors of the Baltimore Yacht Club were' present, and Sparrows Point sent a fleet of powerboats to witness, what was to' bo another victory for tho Bessemer. But it was a disappointment that >vas accopted with good grace when tho Fairbatiks'lll. w ; as seen to be.the -winner. Tho Sparrows Point contingent gave three hearty ; cheers for the victor without •. waiting to learn •why their favourite lagged so far behind. \ ' The "race! was ; set up to take; place at 2.30 'p.m., but on'- account- of the-, failure of\ tho ;Fairbaiiks- to' appear - on time it; was declared ■ off' until 4.30 p.m. The Fairbank.-boat:;was i;at'Havro;doiGT'ace; : and;she had to make tho run' fromi that 'up-the-bay'.port to'-como to the ,'scratch.? After- a- hard-fought battle, against lioad seas she arrived at. tho'i club shore -so : Badly strained' that- it was necessary to .haul her out on tho-railway : ahd closb-up tho soams that had. been taking water and making hor ; unseaworthy. ' From being < a new hull, untrieel under-any conditions, and to liha'ko the trip'through tho heavy seas; arrive 'practically'disabled}'haul 'out ;tmd repair, en'tof'tho race,"and-win' 1 it;-was regarded as a piece of fine sporting spirit oil the part of her. iowudrs.,:-' ; T. ;V '•

1 AWAY THEY ;GO,. ;, •: The judges,' Messrs. Baker' Wators,'-Wal-ter Ancker intl J. AV. Lee,' ordered : tlie motors to .line up in" front ' of' the clubhouse, the raco'to v begin between the flasgthff of the club and a black buoy'in lino with.it. At 4.37 p.m. the Fairbanks 111. crossed the line, followed hot' by the B.essemer, and 1 from there to the island up Curtis creek the two machines raced at their' best. "/ ;; jlpunding th'o' inland, tlio .'Fairbanks took' the' shoal', w%ri stopped and .backed' "off.' Even with "tbis 1 site came' in^at'-C 1 o'clock and 30 seconds,"the Bessemer-then just having passed through ,tho drawbridge spanning Curtis creek ''above ! the club' anchorage ancl in full sight. , . . . .. The course froiiri start to finisK'was about 81: milps,-which-was covered in 23.minutes and. 3(T seconds by the Fairbanks. Each boat-had . but one operator,' .who ran. the engines and steered his craft. Harry 0. Link had charge of the Fairbanks 111 and Mr. F. K. Bennett was ovorything on board his own -.boat. , Mr. Bennett said that the amount of water taken in by the .Bessemer interfered with the proper operation of his machinery, and that if he had had another hand on board to keep it frco thoro would liavo beon a,different result. Mr. Link said that his speed was materially interfered with by water, a condition, ho "said, that prevailed at tho samo time the Fairbanks II was beaten 58 seconds in 1 miles two weeks ago by the Bessemer, 'and when the water was rougher than in the raco of yesterdky. - -- JUST RACED FOR 8L00D;,,.,,, : There was no trophy to be raced . .for ! jrestorday, and the results wero accqpfcftble' on the part of the owners of both v li6ats. ' The horse-power of the Bessemer was in excess of the Fairbanks, their relative , power engines'being 25 to 40 horse-power in the Bessomcr and 15 to 20 horse-power in the* Fairbanks.

Both boat owners arc' game. They have arranged for another'spurt next Saturday, which is to be raced over tho same ground unless the weather will permit going into the river to give a course more nearly straight, as that raced over yesterday was zigzag and no doubt interfered with the piloting of the craft. The Bessemer people ask. that two men might be used in the next race instead of one. Tho Fairbanks people, while willing for the Bessemer to have two, said that the type of boat they are using will permit of but one in a spurt of speed. Boforo next Saturday thero will, be a meeting of tho two interests and the programme, will bo announced. While it is not to bo under the auspicos of the Baltimore 'Yacht Club, a loving cup is'to be tho trophy 'contested for. RECORD ON WATER! KEMAIIKABLE HYDROPLANE PERFORMANCE. A record performance 011 tho water was mado on November 8 by M. Le Las with his new hydroplane, when, for'a distance of two milos he attained a speed of 38| miles an hour. M. Le Las has been experimenting 011 the Soino for some weeks past with a .queer-1 looking craft, but his attempts have been quito overshadowed in interest by M. San-tos-Dumont's hydroplane. M. Lo Las's machine is a short lint-bottom boat, 011 tho hydroplane principle, fitted with a very powerful propeller worked by a o() h.p. Antoinette motor, similar to that being nsed by Jlr. Harry Farmnn in his aeroplane. About 11 o'clock, in tho presence of a number of well-known persons in the aero world, including Messrs.. Santos-Dumont, Archdeacon, Tissandier, Lcvavnscur, etc., etc., M. Le Ims brought his machine—ttliioli partakes of tho nature of what is known.as a "canoe glisscur," or sliding canoe —out of the shed oil the Grande Jattc Island, and put it into tho water. Tho boat is named the Ricochet Antoinette.

After a short delay in adjusting the motor M. 1,0 Las started oil' at a Hying rate from the La .Jatto Bridge. The boat literally lOapt along the slirfaco of the river. On reaclniig the next bridge M. Lo Las brought her round and speeded back to the starting point'. Next ho was timed over a measured kilonictro and back, and tho boat covered the two kilometres, including tho time lost in turning, in exactly three minutea and five

seconds. Then-another trial was made, and tho same two kilometres were covered, not: including tho time lost in turning, in lmin. 56 l-ssec, making a. rate which is believed to bo a record 011 water, viz., 383 miles an hour. M. Le Las said that he-intended in his next trial to try and attain a speed'of 45 miles an hour. ;

PARIS SHOW. The Paris Motor Boat Show. was hold,, in November in tho Avenue do la Grande. Armeo, but owing to a.variety of causbs was. hardly a success. The boats shown were not to be considered first-class, cither in material or workmanship, while the building in which tho exhibition .was held was not happily.situated. While it is admitted that the French hull design allows of speeds beingobtained with : moderate power, tnat the English seaworthy requirements absolutely forbids, ,nq 0110 could, according to an English authority, visit tho show with an open mind and doubt the superiority of. British workmanship and material. However, there were several oxamples.of French craft, in which ,every, detail was quite equal to tho best. English; the average though, as indicated, was distinctly below the British product.