With the Yachts

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 18

With the Yachts

SUCCESSFUL REGATTA

BEST -FOR MANY YEARS

THE SANDERS CUP RACES.

COMING EYENTB.

JanSo4 6n-I^ dC^ 9r- bOat HilCe (Port February 2-R.p.s.Y. Club Handicap for Elrsti ca6s, achts. Bothamley Cup (seconders) Yachts, and race for 18ft and

(By " Mainsail.")

The Anniversary Day regatta on Tuesday was the most successful that has been held for many years. One yachtsman was. heard to, remark that in every respect it was. the mpst.. satisfactory iv the last fifteen years-. It certainly eclipsed those which have taken pla^e since: the early years, of the :W <?n4 one woulcj probably have to: go a Jong-way back to find-i* regatta, which was sa;led under better1 general- conditions, taking weathe?; entries, and other factors into- consider'atiQn.' It ig ap. parent Ijhat. the. participation of thebanders Gup contestants in-the Imct races put on for their snecial. beneSt.largely increased.the- public., interest in the pro-' gramme ( and that, tjhe ■ hopes expressed oy 'yachtsmen that:the hplding-of the' cup. contest in these waters would add to the popularity of the .sport' from the spectacular point of view have been realised to a. great extent. The stimulation.pf interest in the sport amon<* those who do not take an active part in yachting may result in the placing of aii. order for the construction of an up-to-date boat of the Rona type to do battle for Wellington province-in the banders Cup competition next year. ™ visitors could not have seen Wellington in a more smiling mood, nor under better sailing conditions, than on Anniversary Day, and it is to be hoped tlwv good impression made on them on that day was, not -entirely..counteracted by the disappointing events of Wednesday, when-, on account of heavy weather the first eliminating race in the Sanders Gup series- had to be abandoned! Wot a little criticism was levelled at' the sailing committee. for its decision to sail the race in Evans Bay instead of on the comparatively ealnt and (shelter-' ed: waters of the inner ha-rbnur. As one of _th* visitors, remarked, .it seemed like, going out of the frying pan into, the fire- for wheieas,-/ailing on the harbqur wpuld haye been fairly comfortable, in Xv W r Bay the little, boats- we're subjected to the.full, fprca of wind and wase, and cqu)4 hardly be expected to. get arq.und the course -without mishap. The. handicapping of the yachts 'and. launches jn. the regatta races was, on the-whole, very sa&faetpry,'*h,pugh, as is always ta be espied, tW h^ndjcappers were not spaje.ij criticism-bv those, who considered they had', been unfairly treated The responsible* officers—Mr.' R. Millman (yach.ts) a : nd Mr. J. Barry (launches)—erred, in their judgment in spine cases,, but taking things, all round, their calculations were fairly sound, and they deserved credit. 'A handicapper's task,is one of those thankless, jpbs which is usually accepted only by the brave spirit who is not afraid to a littlecriticism. Mr. MUlman. was unfortunate in that after he had -worked out the handicaps at the beginning^ of the afternoon, when the wind was fairly light, the breeze freshened considerably1 and some of the boats were placed at a disadvantage. Ailsa, Mini, and other boats were too well favoured in the general handicap event for M aran°v ■ the swatch yacht, which had to reckon with 7 a limit handicap .of 48 minutes. (Miru). Overhead conditions are not such an impprtant factor in the determining of handicaps, for raotorrboats, and . Mr. Barry's ealpu!atkms- generally produced interesting finishes. In one event fourlaunches'crossed the- finishing- line within a few seconds pf one. anotheP; The- 36-f fc launch Vplante, one of the' biggest jind beskequipped pleasure boats of her kind, in Wellington : Ha?bour, changed hands.-some daysago; her former owner,- Mr... Anderson, having disposed of her to-Messrs. !A. |[. Jerome ■ and Radish. The launch Yolanie was. built for >Ir. Anderson by Mr. Charles. Bailey,, of Auckland, about seven years. ago,, and it wap ,a.t first intended that she should be. taken to Sydney, but.she has remained in Dominion .waters. She is. fitted with,a 16-20 horse-power Twigsengine, is capable of carrying sail, and', draws 4ft 9in of wa.ter. In every "re-, spect she is an up-.to-daie, boat, being fitted with electric light, and. all the conveniences and equipment that ensurecomfort on. a" lengtjhy tour. She has. been in the boaij harbqur for some time, past, and is now. being.reconditioned by: her new owners.

[ Miniature yacht racing. has received little encouragement in Wellington, but a good deal is being done to arouse the interest of b.oys in the pursuit by E. C. Dearman, president of the Y'.M.C.A, Hobbies Club. Mr. Dearman is an exyachtsman, and under his direction several lads have made some very „fine mpdels, which have been on exhibition at the V.M.C.A. building this week. Qne mocH is ' a metre in length, is neatly fitted with an engine and water tube boiler, and is, splendidly rigged. H was propqs.ed to hold a model' yacht race in Oriental Bay on Anniversary Day, but difficulty was experienced in securing dinghy^ in which to follow the little craft, and the models were sailed in Evans Bay, where they showed that they are capable of a veryfair turn qf speed. Mr., Dearman's efforts may result in the formation of a ■mqdel yacht club before long. In Christchuvch this phase, of the sport is very largely supported. The result of the> racxs. between the fqurteen-footers. in the regatta afforded a good indicatiqu to what was.to be expected in the Sanders Cup races. The three new boats of the Eona type— Rona, Ifonini, and June—definitely established their superiority over the other less up-to-date boats, and were the favourites when the series of vaces' commenced on Wednesday. It was freely commented early in the week that the Cup would be won by- one qf the trio. The finish of the race between the three Rona design boats in the regattawas one of the prettiest sights that has been seen on the harbour for a long while. A quarter of a mile fromi the finishing Jine, after having laboureti for sqme distance in a slow breezo, the Oiago boat June received the wind and literally flew over the- last few yarc]s cf the course, ..crossing the line in grand style. The sight of the little boat, under aii sail, including a spinnaker which rose proudly in the air, almost lifting her out of the/ water, was suggestive of zl highly bred racehqrse at the finish of a fast race. TJie picture was completed by the brilliant contrast in colouring—the'dark bi.dy of the boat heing set against ths -brilliant white of her sails, the spray which started from her bows, and the background of an ideal summer day. Mr. George Kellett, June's skipper, deserves every credit for the manner in which lio handled hisV boat, gamins; the lead 1-y skilful -manoeuvring after being placed well behind, and defeating the other contestants when it appeared, at the end .of the. first, round thai the decision lay between-them.- It wa 5 a popular win, and" June was hailed with applause and cheers as she finished.