MOTOR BOATS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 146, 14 March 1908, Page 2

MOTOR BOATS.

■\ ; $ —•- (By Cardcbeitor.) ; Last Saturday .was not a,pleasant day for launch racing, but nevertheless nine launches started in tlio Port Nicholson Motor/Boat, Wub s. race. If the weather had been fine there would have been over a dozen launches ' I'acmg. Thore being hardly two launches in the harbour of tho same build and power, the matter of handicapping is of rather a delicate nature, as one' can' never. depend on tho weather, and somo:of.the launches:go much nfj 61 " ' n ' heavy weather than others. ' ? '.V .. -[•"O Dot .again showed ,what a wonderful; 'little btfat sho is in a sea, -.especially when' 1 0110 takes into consideration that, she has "H 1 two_;horse-pqwer engine/ Mr. Pothe- - nek. was single-handed ,on Saturday, which ■ .perhaps accounted for such a good ■ showing, /.tho Dot drags a great deal Avith , moro, '•* •thaii ( .orio on board. i i Tho Neola treated the onlookers on. tho ; wharf to a.gopd display, of diving.' At times . sho. was shooting, right' through the .seas and sending up,clouds.of spray in the air. In — calm .water sho would have.made, a good racc of it with tho Puriri,. but the, heavy sea spoilt , ", any chancq of catching her rival.;. The Puriri. was on the slip last, week and received a. 'cleaning, underneath; i which sho .' badly needed, hsving;been in.tlio water live. months. She went well on Saturday, doing . .tho course,, despito the heavy sea, m four ■ minutes less than the time she put up 111 a previous raco in. a ,flat calm.- The Puriri is a very deceptive launch, to look at in V&-. gard to .speed. It is when you get -near her . that you find she , is\tra veiling much, faster than you think she is.- '-. . "• -t%'. Jackson, took, two of. ballast out..',, ot tho Taniwha for the rape, but the lniavy sea inado lior kuock about-.,considerably ;■ sho was also greatly handicapped by having a bent propeller blade.. She was'.taken, on the. . beach, on, Monday, when it Was .discovered that one of her blp'des.was ,worso,than.,uge-.„ r :J Jess, being bent .right .round".,,,against;Jlie.7:'' other two. ; With a new propblle-r; on Wo .shall - • tpon see her true specfl. .:\; 0 ' $-•'.• Bothajnley reWriiidfrom.'? tho pounds last week,' where lie lias spent'twomonths, niost qf the time, cruising about, in. his launch, which he has: named .the Maui. . -■ -Palmer has, got; his .10.,..h-.p. T'crro engine installed,: in his new launchl. but has notgot.;hs^guito.'tuned.up. , .There:.is.no' 1 re-. versing gear on ss the. ... propeller.. is . a solid one ,it ..makes it very . awkward .to get_ in and, out: of itlie boat liar- . , hour without being'able, to reverse ortvs pio- : poller. * From tho short runs .-thatV I . have, seen . her do . she, should ■shako;.'.up rjost.-.0.f •. v tlio. fast launches', in; calm water,, but. sho \nll be very wet in any. sort of asea. After the face , was- finished onj Saturday ' most..of the launches cruised around .in the. vicinity, of the wharves till about five : o'clock, - ,}vhon a .start, was mado for .the boat.harbour;■ and. .tho sight. of, eight ...launches : all going,.;-: full speed, entering,the enclosure ',within-fifty yards of was one that, the-spec- -- tatprs. w,i|llong: remember.,v it is a'-jveiy. hard thing_ to.get two,or three-launches together ..; entering the; boat harbour, but .seeing .eight-;,,. w>me,m all at once, fairly staggered somo of .-- the. onlookers.;. -Launch.'owners, should re-- - member-, that; if. tbey, warit. to, make; a.,,gobd. ; .;'.\ showing they should all,get.togetherias much-.■•-■i as possible. . - r , Messrs'.- Howard and Pear, whose ■ launch,v-'-tho MerUj...sink,,at ,-her. moorings at. Day's'.Bay a weekor two ago, Imve. takcn out-tho-, -- engine,; and, ..intend . building a"! thirt.T-foot launch arid - installing-, tlio -.engine 'in it-. .A . lialf-rater: is all right: with an- engino iniat in ealnv water,'bufc;in anythirigiof a sea', tho - Meru was .next to useless. •' For-this-harbour,'. ■- a good_ wholesome/,boat with' plenty -of, beam-'" - - is required-, which is good: for. all weathers. ■ The.Sivau still keeps; her name up for mak-'"-irig exciting-.finishes ■:<in -races.-irrThe-finishP( : 6n ; Saturday s last.'between,..the :Ruihiand - Swan right up to .'the line. At*. the; endoff? <tbe, 1 the t : Swan "wa sl.' about twonty yards; behind; -and it .'looked a "> certainty that shevwould'overtake "the- Ruihi;'' *. but when-;, the lino ; was reached thovSwaU. > had still about five yards'to'make'up:-!; If six I ".' or, seven'.;'of.: the launches could" > capped, to make a close-finish it would-make >' the races much more exciting.i;.'- ■' » i 1 The Motor Boat : Clubv intend holding a picnic -to-morrow, .starting from,tho. boat liar- : hour at 10.15 - a.m.''sharp. ' If the^'weather is fine it is to. bo.hoped .that all tho launches will rolliup, so as to make the outing as en-' joyable as possiblo. The: destination Trill bo ' decided on 1 , according to 'the weather'condi-'--tions; but it will most probably ,be, Scorching. Bay or Soatoun. . ;. -v :v ■ Tho .Sivan went : round,-, to, Fitzroy Bay last .- - Sunday,,and, liad a very enjoyable, run! . There;-" was.a-fair- southerly swell,.but.no;wihd. Tha Taniwha and Puriri were both:outside. On-a ; : day. ljke Sunday last a .spin .round- to.lsland . Bay .is very interesting, and tho long ocoan i swell .is: much; more, enjoyable;than the short, choppy, seas'in,'tho.harbour.'.,.- , - Tho launches were again to'the foro .in - bringing .ho'rae the sailing , craft on 'Sunday evening.:; The Dot had'"her full share- m tho Kotiri and Nanoya; Puriri; the Petrel,' and : ■ Alert . the Nancy Stair,' May, ; and Ibex.' '