YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 April 1908, Page 9

YACHTING.

(Br Main'sheei.)

i Looking the season-just closed there can be no doubt that the sport has been, successful—more " successful -• in,, fact• than it has been, for- many; years past. The ~ racing programme -has ibeeri good, .and /there lias been;an enthusiasm all round.that,augurs: . well for th'e'future'. * A' number, of, new boats. have' entered': the arena' and thero ■ is; ta.lk-. - of more 'coming along, for next season. At the-, s&mc timo the'.'writer- would be better'pleasdd. if. fewer,'of, the-present boats were '; open for sale., It that half of the best boats are on the market,, tho reason ■ given for wanting to sell being generally that ; ' the owners'are going .in ; for 'bigger boats.. - 111 somo quarters it is held, that although' tliis is the reason in one or two cases it does not apply-all round.' However, next season will toll. .. '• ' A squally 'westerly .wasblowing last Saturday, and -the njajority of the .vachta put out close reefed ( The Kotiri was.-:.an>-; exception, however, l sha seeming to hava ■ only a' couple ofirolls in her mainsail. . -jv ■ It was noticed that two of the little 14f(« ; punts intended-.sailing- a race for. the Winder .tropliv. Saturday was hardly the day • for this class'of boat to ;leave shelter of the Boat Harbour,..and it is not'surprising-that' the ; little. packets''came"..to grief.' The heavy 'Westerly, and jtliO; backwash combined to -pub 'v. ono oLthe two boats on to the brick wall, - where she receive^'a shaking up. The crew', of tho other boat did'not,gain from the experience of . ' their rivals, arid. they too got into thosanio . predicament.i : Notwith-,, • standing these accidents- at -tho. outset of the race both'^boiits::- ; set;offilagaiii;-; and- one! of - them 'eventually' capsized-'in ;the middlo : of. : tho harbour.! Tho experience -should bo a lesson to; these too ardent budding', yachts-; j men, and it. is ; to bo. hoped .that for future races of the kiitd "a postponement' committeo . will be appointed ; .b'y the club, under whose' v auspices tho races are sailed. Unless there ' is sonio authority to say whether a race is to bo sailed or not tlio boys, will go out in 'almost any weather...l- - .;. ~ '.. ' Tho Petrel caused some excitement when, attempting to . lea.vo the Boat Harbour on Saturday; Her'sail-was not ono of the best at- any-, time, or at, least of late years, and : , to get "down .to -the' bedrock portion tbroo tucks were put in before starting out for the ■ 'afternoon. Just as thelyacht ,was clearing, the entrance,.to "the Boat Harbour daylightt_, could be seen through the leech of the mainsail, and it looked v as though it was only t matter of minutes' before the whole sail, would be' lost.' Those, in charge of tho boati, '.grasped the .position in a Hash • aud got'. . sufficient way on ; tho boat to put her about and return to the anchorage before the cloth -had. ripped ; very far. - It .was lucky the. acci- ] ident occurred where , it' did. ■: ; ' '.' ■ .- . . Most' of tho 'boats' put: ..out on Sunday, several of them, making for Seatoun. During .tlio day ' oae incidnt occurred which: isworth recording.' The May when. endeavouring, to get away on her hemoward trip found, that. she was: tdo . close': to ■ tlio Nancy' Stair,;.-.;.' which boat was tethered to ,tlfc wharf by a: dong line. ' The May. being a long keeled boat woiild not.'pay off in time to clear, the Nancy .Stair and - consequently, had to goahead, of her, the result .being that sho cut • tlio line and left; the Nancy. Stair adrift in a . fairly fresh ,breeze. The crew of the drift-' ' ing boat were .all, oh. shore, hut soon gathered round the wharf. The' May; rounded'up to the "-wharf and took: tho, Nancy's crew on board, after which sho' startod off in pi.rsuit of, the drifting, yacht. As the May-sailed past the Nancy -Stair the crew of the latter boat jumped, aboard as best they could. Once aboard the sail was soon , hoisted and tho ship was sailed back to .the Bay. : , It is rumoured that V Mr. W. Lambert, owner of the Petrel is about to loavo ,foi Dunedin,'arid take his yacht with him. . II V is' to bo hoped that tho rumour has no foundation. • \ ' The Nancy Stair- was tho boat which rescued the boys that upset in their half- ' decker last. Saturday." -.Tlio launch Ncolft towed the boat .to the harbour:-. The second-class Auckland • built Wairero ■' is now ou the market, her owners having made to go in for a larger boat..The Wa:irero is a.-smart little boat and .is only about' old.