YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 97, 19 January 1924, Page 18

YACHTING.

(By

“Nereus.”)

COMING EVENTS. To-day.—General handicap for first, second, and 18ft. and under class yachts under the auspices of the R.P.N.Y.C. Race for 18ft. and under class yachts, and race for launches, under the auspices of the Heretaunga Yacht Club. Tuesday.— Anniversary Day Regatta. Wednesday.—First race for, Sanders Memorial Cup, to be continued until one boat wins three races.

On Tuesday the AA'ellington Yacht and Motor Boat Association will embark on a programme of yachting that will be without precedent in the history of AVellington. It is a programme that, properly handled, will raise the status of the sport here. To-day there are more than 150 visiting yachtsmen in the city, and their home towns range from Bluff to Auckland The members of the AA r ellington Yacht and Motor Boat Association are now realising the great amount of work that is required to be done to ensure success. Thtere are a hundred and one details to be attended to. this task is made all the more difficult when the financial resources are limited. The enthusiasm of members of the association is undoubted, and success is the one reward that is their due. Apart from the business side of the contest, a fine programme of entertainment lias been arranged for the visiting yachtsmen. Ou Wednesday evening, the first day of the contest, there is to be a joy night, to be run on similar lines to the previous one. Incidentally, the association, hopes to funds from this gathering. The Heretaunga Yacht Club are entertaining the visitors on Thursday evening, at their club house on the foreshore of Petone. It might be mentioned here that the suburban club has done more than its share to help along the work, and the association is greatly indebted to the efforts. The Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club has arranged a dance for the visitors at the Art Gallery on Friday evening next. On Saturday evening" next the association has arranged a big smoke concert. A* this gathering the prizes won at the annual reo-atta will be distributed. If .the Sanders Cup is finished by that time, the trophy will be handed over to the winning crew. Of course, it is difficult to say precisely when tlie contest will come to an end. There are «ix yachts competing, and to win the trophy a vacht must win three races. On looking over the programme for regatta dav, tlifere is one item that, is very pleasing. This is the decision of the association to class the launches for the races. Launches under seven knots" will race in one class. ana launches over seven knots in the other. Handicapping the launches jn the past has alwavs been a most difficult task for the simple reason that tho competirig vessels vary to such a degree in power. This new arrangement should gi'e all-round satisfaction. I’ho race for the 18-foot and under class should prove a great contest, on Tuesday. There will aimost certainly be a large number of starters, which will most likely include eight one-de-signers. AVhile on the, subject of big fields, it must- be mentioned that a large sum of money should be obtained from entrance fees. By to-day all the competing yachts will be in Wellington, with the exception of the Linnet. Canterbury’s representative. It is rather unfortunate that the Canterbury men could not come to AA'ellington' earlier, for they will not arrive here until to-morrow morning. It. is understood that finance is the stumbling block. _ ,

When talking of prospects of the different yachts in the impending contest manv . yachtsmen seem .to lose stoht of the'fact that Konim ife quite an unknown quantity. That the Hawke’s Bav men are keen is. evidenced by the fact that they intend to stay in Wellington for two weeks, and-enter their boat in everything for which it is eligible. Since the Konini arrived in Napier she engaged m three trial races with the Ariolette, an °pen 14ft. boat carrying the same streten of canvas. These, and two races with the 16-footer Bronzewing, she won easily. Konini’s performances will he watched with the greatest interest. In view of the fact that most of tho ppnrln IT) nnvir«P''tion With the rules governing the Cup was done at ‘ir’kbita la'+ rear, it is not expected that the Dominion conference of vach+smen to be held on Monday evening vill he a. long ana * "With the exception of the remit that is to be brought forward by delegates from the Otago Association, the substance of wh’ p h appeared in this column last week there is no really important business on the agenda paper. The usual details in connection with tne race itself will be gone into.

Peggy, Wellington’s representative, has been at Kniwarra all the week undergoing thorough overhaul, and varnishing. No expense has been spared to have her in the pink of condition. Mr. R. Millman has now been appointed handicapper and starter for the events on Anniversary Day. Mr. Millman has not taken an active part in yachting this season, but he is undoubtedly the best man for the position. His handicapping last season gave every satisfaction. For the" few months, members of the Y.M.C.A. Model Yacht Club have been working enthusiastically in preparation for the display which is to commence to-day,, lasting all through tlie week, until next Saturday. The yachts will be on vieiv in the gvmnasium, and a tank 66ft. long by 2ft. wide, has been constructed to sail them in. About twelve fine model vachts have been constructed, and they give evidence of skilled workmanship. Several speed boats made by members of the club will also be on view. One of these craft attained a speed of 13 miles an hour on the harbour recently. . It is fitted with a compound engine, water tube boiler, and condensing plant, and is one metre in length. Several engines for the speed boats, in the course of construction, will also be on view. . On Anniversary Day it is proposed to hold a model yacht regatta in Oriental Bay, weather, of course, permitting. This will provide an interesting side show for people who are watching the big vacht races from Oriental Bay. Mr. E. C. Dearman, who is president of the Hobbv Chib, also supervises the work, and his efforts have been largely responsible for the. large measure of success already achieved.

A serious accident befell the Evan’t Bay yacht Romp last Tuesday evening. She broke away from her moorings during the fierce southerly gale, and was swept on to some rocks near to the Patent Slip. At the time of writing she was lying in some four feet of water., An examination on AVednesday disclosed that her sides had been badly scratched, and she gave evidence of having been severely buffeted. It is feared that Romp will not take part in the Anniversary Day Regatta, and her cruise to the Sounds yacht, and her owner and crew will yacht, and her owner and crew will have the sympathy of all yachtsmen. The intention of the Evan’s Bay Club at the beginning of the season to have fewer races and more picnics and social visits is being carried into effect. Last Saturday afternoon the yachts AVliite Heather. Psyche, Romp, Wairere. 11, and Amai, made a trip to Petone and enjoyed the hospitality of the Heretaunga Yacht Club. Many of the smaller craft were prevented from making the trip on account. of the strong northerly wind and fairly heavy seas. Mr. McDonald, vicecommodore of the suburban club, extended a welcome to the visitors, in the absence of the commodore, Mr. J. Aldred. Mr. McDonald pointed out how much benefit might be derived from such inter-club visits, and expressed tne hope that in the future they would be looked upon as regular events. Mr. A. J. Ibbotson, commodore of the Evan’s Bay Club, thanked the Heretaunga Club for their welcome reception, and hoped that a return visit could be arranged at an early date. Afternoon tea was served in the club-house, and dancing passed away the remainder of the time. Mr. F. B. Francis, owner of . the Rona designed June, is an experienced yachtsman. Although he is not included in the crew for the Otago representative, he is ready .to take his place in case of necessity. An indication of the sportsmanship of these southern yachtsmen may be gathered from the fact that Mr. Francis handed his boat over, to a more experienced skipper during '.the trials at Dunedin, while he himself sailed the Eunice.

In Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia at least, those bolies governing motor-boating have adopted the 151 cubic inch class, and there is considerable interest being shewn in both Australia and New Zealand. This is sure to result in some good racing in the near future. Considerable surprise was expressed in Auckland yachting circles recently (says an exchange) when the personnel of the crew of the one-design boat Rona for the Sanders Cup contest at AVellinton became known, the non-in-clusion of A. E. Matthews being regarded in many quarters as .a mistake. In February last, when Rona success- ’ fully defended the Cup, she was sailed by Mr. Matthews in fou# of the live races, including the three in which victory went to tlie Auckland boat, and in view of this a number of local enthusiasts are at a loss to understand why the Selection Committe has not seen fit to take advantage of Mr. Matthews’S skill and experience. Canterbury’s ’Sanders Cup representative, Linnet, which is arriving here to-morrow, has been taken over ,by the Canterbury Yachting Association. Her owner and skipper, Mr. S. Sinclair, will come to AA'ellington, and be will be accompanied by the following crew, seected by the association: —R. Sinclair, C. "Williams, and W. Morten. Mr. A. Round, of the Christchurch Sailing and Power Boat Club, will come to Wellington as "a delegate to the Yacht Association’s Conference, and he will also be an emergency heavy-weight member of the Linnet’s crew. General satisfaction will be found with the selection of Mr. Edwin Bailey to captain the Peggy in the contest. Mr. Bailey is a member of a famous yachtinir family, the Baileys, of Auckland. “Ted” Bailey commenced his .yachting career at Auckland. Later he came to AVellington and has resided here for the past twenty years, except for one year in Sydney. He has sailed small boats on Port Nicholson with decided success, and has constructed manv boats at the Boat Harbour. inoluriing Peggy. Mr. Bailey captained Eynin at Auckland last year. Brace AVhito,. yice-skipper, has also had much experience with small craft. Otaco’s representative, June, was out for a sail on Wednesday afternoon There was a. stiff southerly blowing, and. she sailed very well. Of course this is no indication of her form, for there is a legend that a yacht jilways go well by herself. Mr. Smith’s AAHiite Heather broke loose from ,her moorings at Evans Bav on Wednesday afternoon, al ?d drifted down the bay. Members of the Evans Bay Club went out m d’nglnes and brought her under control. The White Heather fortunately did not sustain any damage. At last Wednesday’s meeting of the Wellington Yacht and Motor-boat Association. Mr. W Webb, a delegate from the Port Nicholson Motor-boat Chib, intimated that his club had decided to place its boats at the t isposal of the visaing yachtsmen on Siindav week. A picnic would be arranged. The spirit of members of the Evans Bay Club in coming forward to help the association in connection with the regatta and Sanders Cup is to be commended. Mr. Tonks has placed l.is launch Resolution at the disposal of the association. Mr. Jackson also came forward and has offered his auxiliary boat Psyche. These offers were accepted with thanks.