YACHTING

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 143, 13 March 1937, Page 23

YACHTING

Racing Programmes Lagging

NO DATE FOR TEAMS RACE OR SHIELD Did Idle Along Delegates do Their Duty? (By Spinnakeb.) The postponement last week-end of two important events of the centreboarder racing season, the 14-footer teams’ race for the Blair Shield, and the race for the idle Along Challenge Shield, have further disrupted racing programmes of yacht clubs on Wellington harbour, which were already lagging sadly. With only one more week-end before the Easter regatta, which will automatically suspend racing on Wellington harbour, the Port Nicholson club has still several important races to sail. The club handicap set down for to-day will be replaced by a resail of a trophy race from earlier in the season.

The Evans Bay programme is also adrift. A full list of events is carded for to-day. A keeler race for the Smith Memorial Challenge Cup, a launch race for the Hislop challenge trophy, a centreboarder race for the George Cup, aud a club handicap for Taurangas. But this club, too, has several races earlier on the programme yet to be decided.

Neither club has any centreboarder races on its programme for next weekend —a sort of end-of-season safety-valve, and a wise precaution, although most boats will be undergoing preparation for Parcinata. Ordinarily this would provide an opportunity to catch up on the programme, but no date has as yet been fixed either for the teams’ race or the Idle Along Shield race, and if they are to be sailed before Easter next week is the only chance. To leave these two important interclub events until after Easter would be at the risk of supplying an anti-climax to a successful season. Both these events, ami particularly the shield race, which is always preceded by careful preparations by the yachtsmen at least, are keenly anticipated ami are usually the centre of interest when they are sailed. But t>.e Easter regatta has always been regarded as the grand climax of the season. and after four full days’ of racing the most ardent yachtsmen are usually willing to admit that they have rounded off the season satisfactorily. The only way to ensure for these two

races the interest they merit is ‘ > breathe a silent prayer for good racing conditions and put them both on next | week-end. If club programmes are left ; behind they must be finished after Faster I if possible, or if not perhaps some lucky . skipper will find himself in the continued possession of a trophy for another twelve , months without the necessity of defend- | ing it. 'file teams’ race could well be sailed next Saturday, but to sail the Idle Along Shield race on the same day would mean that challengers front Heretaunga aud Worser Bay would be pushed for time to reach the scene—the head of Evans Bay—for the start. Sunday would be more con- i venieut, even if it does entail gambling • on the weather and leaving no further loophole before Easter. Where Were tlie Delegates? Although conditions last. Sunday were no worse than when the Idle Along Challenge Shield was raced for last season and considerably better than at least one day during the Wellington trials, little of the criticism resulting from the abandonment of the shield race has been directed at yachtsmen from the challenging clubs. Several boats started out for Evans Bay, but turned back. The majority of the criticism by tlie defenders, Evans Bay, has been directed —and on appearances rightly directed —at the.delegates who failed to appear on the scene on Sunday afternoon. The race is under the control of a committee of delegates from each of the clubs competing. But crews and boats at Evans Bay spent most of the afternoon standing by waiting for someone with a say in the matter to put in an appearance and tell them whether the race was to be sailed or not. Whether or not the clubs intended to send representatives to take part in the race, they should certainly have sent delegates to voice their opinions. A meeting | of delegates last Sunday could probably have decided on a suitable date for the race, avoiding the present indecision. A delegate's task is generally a thankless one. like any honorary position carrying with it responsibility, but surely it is an honour to be chosen to voice a club's opinions at an inter-club conference, and if a delegate is not preparedJ:o shoulder the responsibility he should mit accept the honour. Encouragement for Parcinata. The Parenuita club lias received an encouraging response to its appeal for support to raise funds to stage the Easter regatta on the scale at which they are aiming. Card parties and other events have been helping materially, and the . hearts of the committee were gladdened at : the dance last Saturday by the sight of a crowd which packed the clubhouse to capacity. About £l9 was taken at the door. The programme for the regatta is not : 1 yet released, but it will differ little from last year’s.