YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 12

YACHTING.

[By Mainsheet.] Saturday, December 3—Opening Wellington Cruising Yacht Club. Saturday, December ' 10. Cruising Yacht Club's first race. Cruising Club. Tho newly-formed Wellington Cruising Yacht Club aro evidently going to enliven things, as a very good combination of officers has been elected. Tlio club will open its season to-day. Tho yachts will form in a procession near tho Queen's Wharf, and, with tho Ngaira as flagship, they will proceed to Day's Bay.. On Saturday nest the club will hold its formal opening, when all yachts engaged will start off scratch. The only thing wanted now is tho waking up or shaking up of tho Port Nicholson. Yacht Club, and onco more Port Nicholson will be the Part Nicholson of old —a bit of joyous blue sea dotted with dancing white sails. Waterside Whispers. The Atalanta was launched last week, and was brought round to the Boat Harbour. Slie is still looking the same smart yacht,' and from appearances has had a thorough overhaul. On Wednesday last Mr. Cr, Hoggard's White Heather was launched, and' towed round to the Boat Harbour. She is looking- none the worse for the accident which befell her during tine winter. Mr ; Bucholz's Wairere was launched on Wednesday last. She is looking spick and span, and will probably ba ready for a spin this afternoon. The lengthening of the counter of Mr. Jackson's launch Taniwha has made a decided improvement in her appearance. Tho Te Aro Sailing Club will hold its first race of the season this afternoon. The Port Nicholson Motor-boat Club will get off the championship cup race, over the Kaiwarra course, this affcerr.oon. Bad_ luck befell some youthful "sports" on Wednesday evening last. They had pulled their scow up on the hard, getting ready for the race to-day, but a 9 they were turning her over so as to clean her the deck portion of the. free-board parted. work of repairing was.com- • rnencsd without delay, and she will probably be ready for the raoe. Wellington's weather man told some representatives of the Port, Nicholson Motorboat Club on Saturday last that it ,was going to rain in tho afternoon, and, for that reason, tho club's picnic was postponed. As it turned out, the club could not have wished for a better afternoon, but nevertheless the programme had to be dropped, as no preparations had been made for the event. The rain on Sunday last did not stop some of the yachtsmen from taking their week-end cruise. The yachts Rona, Nancy Stair, Kotiri, and Muritai wero out. The wind was so light that Mr. Hannan's launch Swan had to tow Bona and Nancy Stair home. \ Motor-boat Club. The Port Nicholson Motor-boat Club have drawn up' tho following programme for. the ensuing season:—To-day, • chainpionship cup Taco over Kaiwarra oourse; December 17, open handicap race over Kaiwarra course; January 14, 1911, championship cup race over Seatoun course; January 2S, relaj' rate; February 11, championship cup race over Kaiwarra course; February 25, open handicap race over Seatoun, course; March. 11, championship -cup race over Seatoun course; March 25, open handicap race over Kaiwarra course; April 8, championship cup raco over Kaiwarra course. Oversea Jottings. ' Tho Tace for tho Northcote Gup (says tho "Australasian") will bo sailed' in Port Phillip on January, 13, "H, and 16 next. Last year tho contest was fought out between Killara, tho St. Kilda Club's representative, and Mr. W. s Culwalla II (K.S.Y.S.), and resulted in Killara lyinning the two heats and the cup. The second, however, was such- a close thing, that unless the weather is dead light, somomost interesting racing should bo witnessed ir, U.S.Y.S. challenge. In connection with class racing, it is pleasing to note that tho Royal . New Zealand lacht Squadron, at Auckland, are making a big effort to induco owners to build to the metre rule by providing four races for boats so built. The squadron is giving first and second prizes of £5 ■ each for these races, and, in the event of there.being two or'more bona-fide starters to tho_ prize lor tho first boat in each class thero will be added Commodore Bloomfield's donation of £10. This is an example that other yacht clubs would do well to follow. The race for the 'King Edward VII trophy was held Tecently at Sydney, and was won by the Aoma. A lot of interest was attached (says the "Sydney Siin") to the duel between Rawliiti and Culwulla' 111, but the former appears to be a lot too good on their present going for th© bayonara Cup holder. 'Before tho wind was Bawhiti's forte,' and she passed Culwulla 111 off Point Piper, although a fine luffing match was seen off Sliark Beach, out of which Culwulla oame off best. Rawliiti eventually beat her rival by 2min. 26sec., although neither of tho big yachts got a place.' When the last English mail to hand left, salvago operations on Sir James Pender's 23-metre yacht, Brynhild, which sank through tho carrying away of her mast at Harwich regatta last season, wero in full swing.