OCEAN YACHT RACE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 122, 17 February 1919, Page 7

OCEAN YACHT RACE

WON BY THE AILSA 3 A DRIFT THROUQH THE DOLDRUMS — " 0 The Port Nicholson Yacht Club's ocean t race to Port Underwood and back was ( decided during the week-end, and re- o suited in «, win for Messrs. Hamic Bros.' a yacht Ailsa. Weather conditions wero a not at all favourable for a straight-out i contest, anl lack of wind resulted in the li race becoming more or.less u drifting 1 match. Tho light northerly which pre- a vailed on Saturday died away at sunset and'left the yachts outside.Fort Underwood to drift in as best they could. The return trip was commenced at 8 a.m. yes. terday, but it was not till 2 p.m. that anything in the nature of a breeze was experienced. This freshened later, en-- -j abling tho yachts to get across the Strait, and then they had to face a powerful ebb tide off, Sinclair Head. Eight yachts j contested the event, but only five finished j last night tho remaining three having , to await tho flood tido of Sinclair Head. ( The race commenced at 2 .p.m. on' Sa- f urday with a flying start, the competitors having the following handicaps:- , Waitangi, scratch; Marangi, 100 minutes; ( Kotiri 11, 115 minutes j White Heather, j 130 minutes; Ailsa, 140 minutes; Wnirere , 150 minutes; Galatea, 210 minutes; .and- , lolauthe, 270 minutes. The start pre- ( ranted quite a pretty sight, seven of the , , craft crossing the line almost - together, ( all carrying full sail, before a light nor - ( westerly; breeze. The Waitangi was a , •few minutes lato, but conditions being , very favourable for her, she soon -caught her rivals. Oft' Seatoun tho Ailsa ; was leading, followed by the Marangi, Kotiri ll,'White- Heather, ■ Waitangi, lolanthe, Galatea, and Wnirere. (Die i wind was such as to permit of extou , sail being carried, and several of, tho ; yachts were soon carrying balloon jibs, ' topsails, and spinakers. The five lending -yachts kept well together till enterinu , "Chaffer'sl Passage, when they drew out ; ' at different intervals ami , B.et their courses; to Port Underwood: At 3.15 p.m. all the' yachts were off Lyall Bay, and their crews wer« wondering bow long the wind would last. The Ailsa, carrying a topsail, maintained her -lead, tlie Waitangi following about second abreast of the .Marangi,. winch kept to windward, and the Kotiri 11, ' which drifted away to leeward. lolantlic, Galatea, and Wnirere kept in that order 1 till approaching Sinclair Head, which . was abreast about i p.m. Hero the leading craft held the -wind, but Kotiri. White Heather, lolanthe,, Galatea, and - Wairera were soon jogging about •in the rip, and in the doldrums, and were: practically at a standstill for; .fully 25 •minutes. lolanthe, Marangi, .Galatea, and Wairero were well to windward, and ■picked up the breeze again earlier than the White Heather and Kotiri. Later a similar lull was experienced by Waitangi, ■ Ailsa, and Maran?i, but they, had estaDlished a good lead -and Mi the breWß again when the sails of the White . Heather and the other.craft were.commencing to fill again. Some minutes ' later the breeze freshened somewhat, al. . though the sea remained practically at ' ."harbour pitch." ■ , Shoals of porpoises were encounteiert, .- and their gambols provided much amusement amongst the crews. A white spedmen in particular created considerable interest, ns it appeared to bo taking the . lead in all the frolics. It was not till Ibout 4.20 p.m.. that W»to Hither found tho wind again, and at that time, the lead was maintained by the Aiisn, with the Waitangi close behind, .Marangi ind lolanthe well to windward about third, and the White Heather lead inn the other craft. . At 6.15 p.m. White Heather passed the Nancy Stair, winch - was not a competitor, but was simply out cruising. At this stage all the craft were approaching their'destination, but shortlyafter a most beautiful sunset the wind gave out, and -the yachts drifted along- . witlrverv light airs. The-Waitangi was. just off Port Underwood fo.r some nours kt was unable to pass -the time /boat -till 0.30 . a.m. Most of the other craft. were in a similar predicament, and simply .had to depend on the tide and an occasional breath ot air to bring them into Ocean Bay-tho : stopping place. All.yachts were at an- .-, chbr, shortly-after. 1 a.m. on- Sunday,. - ■ ', : The Drift Homeward. ' / '■" The Teturn'trip'was commenced at 8 e,m.'yesterday with a light-southerly . air biit this barely got the yachts away ' from their anchorago when it died-away, and the drifting contest commenced. At ■ about noon a light nor'-caster_ developed, . and this gave the light-weather craft their chance to establish a good lead. • The Waitangi,. Ailsa, ! and Marangi got v.-'ell away, followed by the Galatea-. Meanwhile the "White Heather had dropped well to leeward, and was making very little progress.. All the other craft - were well to windward, particularly the ' Wnirere and'the Kokiri 11. The wind freshened at about 3 p.m., but the leading craft were miles in front of ■.White Heather, lolanthe, Wairere," and Kotiri II At 5.30 p.m. the Whito Heather was -■ miles to leeward of Sinclair Head, andthe lolanthe could be seen under the headland drifting ' away with' the'ebb tide. The • Wairere and Kokiri met with the same -fate, and were last seen from the White Heather off Tonguo Point, still-drifting. The Ailsa finished first at about eight o'clock last night, followed, by/the Waitangi, Marangi,' Galatea, and the White Heather, - which crossed the lino shortly before 10 p.m. The course, was about

ninety miles, and the times occupied in sailing, were . as- ■■ follows:—Ailsn, 21hr. 27min. ISlsec., 1; Galatea, 22hr. 37min. Soscc, 2; Wnitangi, 21hr. 4Gmin. 4flsec, 3; White Heather, 23hr. S2min. fiOsoo., i; and Marangi, 22hr. 23miu. Snscc, 5. The Kotiri J, Wnirere, and Jolanthe should arrive early this morning.

Messrs, Harconrt and Co. report that tho Boat Harbour presented a busy scene on Saturday afternoon, the. occasion being tho sale by auction of the historic Red Cross motor launch. After a number of intending buyers had been taken for a short trip, thn launch was offered up, and 'the bidding, which started at ,£SO, advanced briskly to iiU7 10s,, at which figur.e the launch was sold to Mr. 1). RoWtson, of the firm of D. Robertson and Sons.