YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1019, 7 January 1911, Page 12

YACHTING.

[By Mii:;sni>ET.]

Saturday, January 14.—Handicap racos ' for Ist, 2nd, and 3rd-class yachts. Saturday, January 2S.~P.N.Y. Club picnic. Saturday, February 4.—Ocean Raco and Haruour Races. Saturday, February 11.—Ladies' Race. Saturday, February 18.—P.N.Y.C. Picnic, and Motor Boat Club combined. Saturday, February 25.—Handicap Races for Ist, 2nd, and 3rd-class yachts. Saturday, .March s.—Handicap Races for Ist, 2nd, and '3rd-class yachts. Easter Monday.—P.N.Y. Club Picnic.

Racing at Petone. Tho weather on Monday last was not at all suitable for tho yacht races at Petonc. A northerly wind came up in tho morning and increased to a galo as the day wore On, preventing somo of the smaller craft from going to Petone. Tho race for tho deep-keelers brought out seven starters, viz.: Ivotiri, Mahina, Muritai, Nikau, Mahaki, Lizzie, and Viking. Tho Nanoya and Rawene did not go, their crews not appearing. Viking carried full sail, tho others having a single reef and more in. Nikau, Mahaki, and Lizzie got away within a" few minutes of one another, with Viking and Muritai and tho two scratch yachts, Ivotiri and Mahina, following. Nikau dropped out of tho raco on the beat to windward, and left the Lizzie and Mahaki hanging together. Viking got away by herself. . Through jibing round tho buoy, Muritai lost her mainsheet, and ripped her sail, and gavo the race up. A good race took placo between Ivotiri and Viking for first place, and resulted in the latter boat winning. On the wind Mahina did little, having too much sail on. Lizzie and Mahaki had a very cioso finish for third place, resulting in Lizzie winning by a small margin. Mahaki was handled exceedingly well, and sailed a very good race.

Holiday Cruising and Notes. Mr. Jory's camp at Scorching Bay broko up. on Monday night, after a very enjoyable holiday. Mr. Jory and his auxiliary yacht ltuihi over at the camp. Siren and Waiwero are still at Queen Charlotte sound, having a very enjoyablo holiday. Mr. Hannan's launch, Swan, wont across to To Awaite for a couplo of days, spending the time in cruising, and came back under sail in very rough weather Ngaira, after being compelled to put back to Wellington through stress of weather, left again for Queen, Charlotto bound on Boxing Day,. and may be expected back in Wellington'to-night or to-morrow morning. She has the followL n S •PfJcK-Jlcssi's. J \ Hardy, A; Jones, .J. Petherick, G. Selby, A. Lancaster, and Mrs. Lancaster, and Miss F. Bnllam A letter received from one of tho crew states that they arc having a very enjoyable cruise. The weather for tho first lew days was hardly up to requirements, but, at time of writing, January 3, tho weather had settled down,, and the party were busily engaged in visiting the various bays, looking up old friends, and making new ones. Mr. Ealph MillmanV new yacht has been brought down to the beach at Evans Bay. She is only waiting for her lead to be put on, when she will be launched, hhe is a very staunch-looking craft, and will probably do things" in this season's racing.

Tho Port Nicholson Yacht Club will open its racing season on Saturday next. J. ho clnb will get off rncos for first, second, and third-class yachts. . On Saturday next the Motor-Boat Club will conl'itnio its racing season, when a raco for the championship Cup will be held over the Seatoun course. -Tho To Aro Sailing Club will .continue its racing season on Saturday noxt; \ -/.■

Lytfclton Regatta. - "6n ffio prograinme of the .Lyi'tVl'tlm''Regatta, held on Monday last, a couplo of yacht races were provided, the one-time Wellington yacht lorangi, competing in one. of these. . ; , ■ ■ i:

The nor-wester which prevailed . on Lyttelton .Harbour and which upset the calculations of the sailing men, provided an interesting and, at times, exciting spectacle for .the great crowd' of spectators who lined tho breakwaters and other points of vantage. At times fierce squalls swept the harbour, flattening out tho yachts, and keeping their crews lively; anon, a lull would hold a number of them idling impatiently in a flat calrii ; then a steady breeze would give them all a chance to show off thqir sailing qualities; and again a shift of. wind would thwart tho aim of several of the competing .crews, and completely alter tho prospects of the various boats in tlio threo races which were progressing simultaneously. The start of the first-class yacht ..raceT (says the Christchurch "Press") provided a fine spectacle, as' a hard squall caught■ tho four competing boats soon after they had crossed' the line, and'matters wero extremely lively on board them 'all for a time. The visiting yacht lorangi, from Dunedin, led for the first 'three rounds, but a sudden shift of. wind iu the final gave Kia Ora lier. chance,-placing her in a windward position, and .enabling her-to win, and allowing Oriawe to pick up a lot of ground. . The race was for first-class yachts over 25ft. waterline, over a' course of 1G miles. The prizes were: First, ; and second, ,£ls. '

Kia Ora- led across the line, but on tho short run to the first buoy she was passed by lorangi and Yvonne, Onawe being last.- On tho.run to the lee buov, lorangi drew out; followed closcly by Yvonno and Kia Ora. On the beat t'o the weather mark,' lorangi still increased her lead, rounding tho buoy lmin. 50sec. ahead of Yvonne, which' was ssec. away from Kia Ora. During the second round lorangi kept in the lead, but Yvonne.and Kia, Ora changed places twice, tho former still lying second at the end of that round. lorangi was 2min: ahead at tho start of tho third round,'and as the wind suited her better, she opened up a gaD of,smin. from Kia Ora, who had once more passed Yvonne. On tho run. down, lorangi 'gained another minute, and at the weather mark the positions were unaltered. On the last timo down, lorangi began to siretch out, and gained another 30sec. from Kia Ora, who was still drawing. away from Yvonne. Onawo had already started to make' up leeway. After passing tho leo buoy, the wind shifted, and this placed Kia Ora and Yvonno to windward of lorangi, and considerably helped Onawe, tho result being that Kia Ora crossed the line .first, ono minute ahead of lorangi, closely followed by Yvonne, and then Onawe, who. had saved her time for second place from Yvonne by 2min. 15sec., lorangi finishing -fourth.