WEATHER ROUGH FOR YACHTS

Dominion, Volume 39, Issue 53, 26 November 1945, Page 9

WEATHER ROUGH FOR YACHTS

Racing Schedule Not Finished WELLINGTON TRIALS IN PROGRESS Heavy weather on Port Nicholson prevented the full programme of the Wellington Provincial yachting trials being sailed over the weekend. The Idle Alongs, racing at Heretaunga managed to finish two races, but the Kona Jellicoes found the weather too boisterous to sail more than one race. U’akapunas at Evans Bay succeeded in sailing all three scheduled races.

After the two Idle Along trials. the Heretaunga boat Lynette (J« Williams) is leading In points with 166.6 (a first and second). C. Gestro’s Cavalier from Paremata is* a close second with 133.3 points (a first and fourth )and the Cygnet JC. Stutter) is third with two thirds, 100 Points. Kitty (I. Kirk), winner of tlie X class event was lucky. The one-time Sanders Cup winner was well beaten by Delight nearing the finish of the final lap, but the latter, skippered by P. Miller capsized on the windward mark. Louie (J. Dawson) also had a spill in approximately the same position a few minutes later. Kitty with her win has 100 points, the Aurora (L. MacDonald) 66.6, and the Miss Josephine the only other boat to finish. 50 points. Last season’s Wellington Cornwell Cup representative skipper, T. Petherlck has been victorious in two of the Takapuna races, the third event being won by R. J. Williamson and J. Synnott Petheriek and his forward hand K. McLeod. have won their races in the Surprise and Secret. Williamson’s success was at the helm of the Surprise. Second in each Takapuna race have been the lightweights, W. Hayman and D. McGaviston. Incidentally this crew is the only one to complete all three races, an accomplishment alt the more remarkable as the weight of these fwo boys is the slightest of the five contesting crews. The seven-footers have completed one race to date. The race was held in a sheltered course in Evans Bay yesterday morning, and all but one of the 15 starters succeeded in keeping their centreboards in tlie waler H. Dobson in tiiQ Dondu was first home, with the Matchhox (E. Ward) second and Buzz (P. Renner) third. . But for the Idle Alongs the trials have featured very close finishes. In a determined bid oil the last run to the finishing line, the Rona-Jellicoe. Aurora came within an ace of heading the Kitty, but X 8 managed to keep her bows six seconds ahead of her challenger. At the, windward buoy the Kitty was almost two minutes i ahead of the Aurora. A similarly spectacular finish was witnessed by a large crowd on the Evans Bay foreshore at the close of the first Takapuna race on Saturday afternoon. ■With one board to go 11. Hayman in the Secret had drawn level with T. Petherick’s Surprise. Bow to bow these two boats raced for the line. Petherlck had the weather position however, and crossed the line with the Secret’s bow level with his boat’s sidestays. Both victories at Heretaunga were the result of sheer grit and staying power. First home on Saturday, the .Cavalier weathered the boisterous conditions with full sail, being the sole boat in the race to sail without a reef. The meritorious win for Lynette yesterday morning was due to a particularly fine effort on tlie hist beat to the finishing line. Elaine was in front at the last buoy but was knocked back over two minutes on the beat by JWilliams’ masterly performance.

Two protests have been entered concerning an incident In the first Idle Along race, but the decision of the sailing committee will not be given till next weekend.