YACHTING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 32, 9 February 1929, Page 18

YACHTING

BY ' MAINSAIL"

A GREAT. RACE

FOR INTER-CLUB CUF>

AN UNEXPECTED WIN

Few expected the Wellesley I. to do so well in the Interclub Cup race on Saturday afternoon, but her win was by no means a fluky one, as she was always wtll up with the leaders during the greater, part of the race, and in.the la:4 run she came away to. lead the Miss Josephine over the line by nearly a minute. Her feat was' an illustration, of the vagaries of yachting.;- She.was far from being favourite: fbr'the race, attention being centred -mainly on the Clyde, All Black (last year's winner), and A. Sterling's Kuini. The lastnamed gave an attractive display in the early stages, but she could not do better than sixth place. The Little Haste, which finished third,, again came to light in a pleasing fashion, and she bids fair to do well iv future club races.

Disappointment was.expressed at the Clyde'-s showing (she finished.seventh), but her failure to do better may be explained in part by the fact that she was carrying a much bigger sail than usual. This told against her in tho troublesome jobble on the harbour, and. although she was in the bunch ''when. Coromandel was .rounded the first time, she Was, last at:the, end of the first round; It was a great pity that with so much at stake an experiment should have been tried with such unfortunate results.

The race was one of the most closelycontested held this season, and tb« eleven starters presented a fine sight, »3 they.came down from Coromandel under spinnakers. B. White and the crew of the Wellesley 1/ were heartily applauded as they crossed the line, and' they well deserved their win. A Useful Body. . ' Practically every speaker at the Wellington Provincial Yacht and Motorboat Association's smoke concert oa Saturday evening congratulated the delegates to that body on the work done so far this season. It was agreed that the association could do, and had, in, fact, donp much, to' bring about a closer co-operation between the clubs, and by this means had helped considerably to put yachting and, motor -boating in Wellington on a sounder footing. Captain F. A. Maeirfdoe, whose racy' speech greatly amused the gathering, gave out some good news when he prom-ised-to further the project of construct* ing a "gridiron in the' Boat Harbour. This announcement was received'"with prolonged applause, it being generally recognised that a "grid-iron "would be of inestimable benefit to , those using the Boat Harbour. '-. . 'r.P.N.Y.C. Jottings. The B.P.N.Y.C. ocean, race will start on Saturday next to Port Underwood and back. It is expected that "there will be about eight or nine starterSj the Marahgi, Mana, Ailsa, Shamrock, Atlanta, Galatea, Nanette, and'Seabird. Mr. A..Holmes Js launch Vagabond will probably be the mark boat at' Port Underwood. ■ ,' *■ ■■ ■ ■The seven entries.,in' the:; E.P.N.Y.C!. ladies' race ohr. Saturday' made, up,.'a' good field, and the event . was keenly contested. A" good win was registered by the Marangi, sailed by Miss E. Newland. The same boat, sailed by Mrs. B. Clarke, won the race last year. Tha first : class boats had things practically,, their own way,' the handicaps allotted the second-class entrants being, insufficient on the day to give them much chance of success. The throe-reefer noi;th-westeriy, on.' Sunday did not keep many boats at their moorings. The Marangi, : Windward, and Linnet were at Scorching Bay, and the Galatea and the Windward visited Lowry Bay. Evans Bay Notes. ' . . ' The long-distance race for , centreboarders did not take place on Sunday,; but it will probably be staged at an early date. ■. ' . . ' Only two keelers contested.the finish 1 of the ocean race to Island Bay and' back on Sunday. There' were five starters, the Wairere, lolanthe, Venus,; Linnet, and Shamrock. On the leg up to.Somes Island the Linnet withdrew* and the lolanthe followed suit shortly, after rounding Somes Island.' . The Venus had the misfortune" to split 1 her mainsail jibing round the island, and' she was forced to retirej leaving only, the Wairere and the. Shamrock in the hunt. The Wairere remained in the lead during the final stages, but she was displaced by the Shamrock by a fair margin when the times were; adjusted. ' The club's annual picnic, operi'i toi members of any club and their friends, is being held to-morrow,V probably at Scorching Bay. Boats will be leaving the clubhouse between 9.30 a.nu and 10 a.m.

It is understood that' the ' 14-f opior Miru has changed hands and will be raced again, although it is hot likely she will compete in any .events, this season. She has not been in the. water for a considerable time. '

Mr. S. Ramsay.'s^ fine outboard cruiser, Madame Hoover, will take tho water again to-iiiorrow after being revarnished 1 following her cruise on the Wanganui River at Christinas. Mr. Ramsayreturns to Wellington on Monday from America, and,, weather permitting, all his butboarders will be out to welcome* him. They comprise the Madame. Hoover, Hoover Boy, Miss Hoover L, and, Miss Hoover.ll. " , . '-„, At- Pareraata. : A-hard blow from the west and- a' moderatq tide were responsible for some exceptionally fast times , being registered during i tho week-end races at Paremata, the reeorcl for the club course being broken ineach of the two first-class races. "In the first, the Miss Josephine sailed a great race, and won back the Greyhound Pennant by breaking the course record by 2mia SOseci. For the second race the wind was flowing half a gale, and. the Kotuku 11, proved her ability to carry sail by- clipping, another 3minfrbln the record and thus regaining the pennant. The; club has now six fast and ; evenly-matched, 1 14-footers, and town yachtsmen com|>etihg at tho Easter regatta are likely;. to find the opposition much stronger than, in previous years.

Sanders Cup Courses. '••■' „• During last' week-end Messrs. H. .Gr. Lamb, S. Phillips, A. Willcocka, O. Barries,. and B. Smith; delegates■*■;from the Canterbury Sailing and Power Boat Association, motored : over to Akaroa and met the local 1 committee, when tho courses were discussed and arranged, a triangular course of three miles'and .'a windward imd leeward course of two miles and a half. The contestants will meet each morning and decide whether to race in the morning or afteltfoon, the first two races to be sailed pu Thursday and Friday, iith and lsth February. The most spectacular course mil be chosen, so^that the boats will be in sight all the time and will finish at the, end of .the. now-.wharf. , .;