YACHTING

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 150, 20 March 1936, Page 17

YACHTING

Revised Programme this Week-end THE TEAMS EVENT Comments on Boats and Racing

(By

Spinnaker.)

The postponement of the teams’ race from last Saturday afternoon has cancel considerable change in the yacht racing programme for this week-end. The team' 1 ’ race is now to be held to-morrow after noon, the Evans Bay programme for tomorrow being postponed until .Sunday, when racing will commence at 10.30 a.m. The Teams’ Race. The teams’ race will be contested in neutral waters by teams of four 14 footers from the Port Nicholson and Evans Bay elulxs, the trophy being a tiue shield, presented three years ago by Nigel Blair. The race is decided on a poiifts <sys tern: 100 points to the first boat hom.’, nnd a reduction of 124 points for each placing, the last boat receiving 12) points. Teams for to-morrow’s race are:— Port Nicholson: Kitty, Lavina, June, Advance. • Evans Bay: Tussle, Idono, Koture, Kio 11. Port Nicholson Should Win. This is the third contest for the shield, the first being won by Evans Bay, who lost last year to Port Nicholson. As remarked in this column last week, the holders appear to haven great chance <.f retaining the trophy, although if Evans Bay's ex-champion, Kio 11, should continue the improvement she has been showing of late, she might turn the scale in the bay’s favour. Keelers Race To-morrow. Only keel-boat races figure on Port Nicholson's programme for to-morrow. First-clues boats will race for the Turnbull Cup, and second-class for the But hamley Cup. A Man of Many Ideas. It was remarked that the scheme of holding a vice-presidents’ and honorary members’ day at Evaifs Bay originated with Captain Keane. .It was a stoul idea, and the success of the day amply proved its merit. It could not but ha\e drawn closer the ties between the club and those influential citizens on whose support the success of any club depend:. Too often the sole connection between <i club and the people whose names adorn the top of its programme is purely a nominal one, depending largely on the passage of a cheque.' But no one can say that of the Evans Bay Club. Captain Keane appreciates fully the value of the social aspect of yachting m furthering the interests of the sport, and in retaining the support of those who have ‘retired from active participation. Idle Alongs Show Their Mettle. That, they are excellent weather boats was demonstrated by the two dozen.ldle Alongs which started in the race for the Challenge Shield last Saturday. Sailing a hard exposed course in a wind and sea sufficient to det.er larger boats from taking the water, only seven boats failed to finish, including several which withdrew through fouls. In more than one instance capsized boats were righted, bailed out and sailed home. Vampire True to Form. x After being defeated by a few seconds last year, Vampire had her revenge an Rongomai last Saturday, by the decisive margin of two minutes nine seconds. Vampire has performed well and consistently in club racing this season, and, apart from the unlucky Mayfair, she gave nothing else a chance last week. Collusions. Not a few. were curious as to why Vampire was carrying the number “1” 38 last week instead of “I” 12, her registered number. As the result of an agreement between E. Julian, owner of Gladys, and J. Astill, owner of Vampire, Vampire carried Julian’s Jine new mainsail. It was decided that Vampire’s was the faster hull and Gladys’s the better trail, good distribution of weight was obtained by having Julian, a light man, as skipper, and Astill, 12) stone or thereabouts, as mainsheet hand, and Vampire went us she had never gone before. In singing the praises of the winners, the for’ard hand, 2k. Parker, must not be ignored. It is generally accepted that in small centreboarders a small spinnaker hand is at an advantage, particularly in rough seas. But Parker is not small—he stands over six feet; and it says much for his alertness and sureness of handling that there were no mishaps on a most uncomfortable trip.

Vampire Won in a Raffle! .Although not exactly given away with a pound of tea, the winning boat, nevertheless, commenced her career m unorthodox style. A couple of seasons ago the Heretaunga club, in an endeavour to raise funds and at the same time popularise the Idle Alongs, conducted a raffle, a fully-rigged Idle Along being the prize.

That boat is now known as Vampire. This is Astill’s second season with her. Too Tough for Heretaunga. Heretaunga ;is experiencing a dearth of good heavy weather boats, Rongomai (J. Tetley), last year's winner, being the only one which ever appeared to be in the hunt. In weather which was not at ail her style, hers was a fine performance. Pegaway Goes Well. Another boat not expected to shine in heavy weather, G. Grover's Pegaway, went an unexpectedly good race, especially in the second lup, during which she improved her position from eleventh to third. Mayfair's Misfortune. There can be no gainsaying that all the honours of the shield race lay with Mayfair. During the three seasons she has been racing, Mayfair has won nearly every trophy which an Idle Along can win—except the Idle Along Challenge Shield. Iler builder, owner and skipper, E. Beck, had set his heart on a win this year, for Mayfair has been soul, and will leave Wellington shortly. With the weather prevailing last Saturday it seemed nothing could stop him, ano there was no surprise expressed ashore when, with only half a lap to go, Mayfair led the fleet by half a mile or more. But here misfortune overtook Beck. In all her racing career there bad never been a breakage aboard Mayfair, but on the second lead down from Somes Island her main halyard, a wire one with' every appearance of soundness, parted. Proposed Clubhouse. It is honed that the alterations to the Evans Bay clubhouse will be completed by next season. The proposal is an ambitious one. It provides for the election of a two-story building on the nor'west side of the present cluniiouse, with social and billiard rooms, committee headquarters, balcony, storing and stowing space for boats and gear, and all the esseiitials of the ideal yacht club. The present building will, of course, ne worked in as part of the plan. It has been felt for a long time that the club was growing out of its quarters, and this has been particularly noticeable on the balcony on regatta days, when congestion has often rendered it difficult to keep track of proceedings. Lively Day for the Tauniugas. The seven-footer boys had a good day of it on Sunday, when there were both morning and afternoon races for them. The morning was a little too fresh, when the teams’ race was sailed, and this resulted in one or two boats having to retire. But in the afternoon conditions were ideal. It was fine to see so many entrants, and there is no doubt Evans Bay has a good deal of capable young blood learning their racing tactics in this class Keelers in a Fresh Breeze. The heelers bad the benefit of a fairly fhll breeze on Saturday, a condition which has been rare on Port Nicholson this summer. The wind, indeed, was evidently strong enough to discourage many yachtsmen, for there were only four entries for the Bucholz Cup. Rnwene retired, but the other three entrants had good racing, and there was only a sevenminute interval between them when they came home.