YACHTING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 39, 15 February 1930, Page 22

YACHTING

BY "MAINSAIL"

A CLOSE FINISH

INTER-CLUB CUP RACE

THE. CLYDE'S NARROW WEST

The Clyde showed' something of Her 'rue form when she won the later-club Cup 011 Saturday afternoon, but hers was not the hollow victory which wa3 anticipated in some quarters. The Evans Bay boat Nancy pressed her hard, and was only 7see behind her at the finishing. line. It was remarkable that this should bo the case, singe the Nancy was late in reaching the starting line, and but for tho fact that the first start was a false one and the boats were recalled, she would have" beta hopelessly left. I'he wind was an important factor in. the race, and had it been steadier or stronger there might be a different story to tell. The Clyde took the lead aoon after the Jerningliam buoy was rounded the first time, but there was little between, the best boats on the beat up to Corpmandel. Dn the run down the Clyde went to the front and at the mark buoy off the Clyde Quay Wharf she led the Nancy by about 4min. These two boats had the rest of the race to themselves.., At no stage during the second round did the others come into the. picture, and the spectators were left to watch the Clyde and Nancy fighting out the finish. The former held her own going up to Coromandel, but the Evans Bay representative mado up some of the leeway; on tho final run, doing so well, in fact, that many on the wharf favoured her shances of beating the Clyde' over the line. However, the Clyde maintained her advantage and finished with 7sec to spare. Tho others crossed the line well behind, the Lauchlan's Jewel, winner of tho cup last season, being last. The Cup Contest Bevie-wed. Commenting on the Sanders Cup contest, "Spindrift," in the "New Zealand Herald," says that as far as the actual racing was concerned Inhere were only two boats in the contest—Eileen (Otago). and Avalon (Auckland). The other two, Clyde (Wellington) and' Colleen (Canterbury) were disappointing, and never looked like winning the cup. Now and again Clyde would flatter the hopes of her supporters by doing a little better than the others; but it was always a passing phase, and she would again take her place at the stern- of the Otago and Auckland boats. Clyde had arrived in Auckland with.a big.reputation, but she failed to live up to. it. Her skipper stated that she had received rather a severe handling on the train from Wellington to Auckland, and he was inclined to think that she had been strained. Racing in Akaroa last' year Clyde was Avalon's greatest rival, and was only beaten by seconds for the cup. " . Like the Wellington boat, Colleen, only finished in two races. In thp first she met with a mishap twelve minutes after the start, and had to retire, and in the third she was so far behind Avalon and Eileen that she withdrew. Her best point was running, and, taken all round, she made a better showing than Clyde. ' ' .... ■.'■•; The winner, Eileen, was handled with' great skill and judgment by George Kellett in all her races, and thoroughly deserved the cup. The skipper made no mistakes, and was too good t or J. Patrick, skipper of Avalon, who sailed his boat very much below his usual form. In the first race, much to the surprise of all those who were following the boats, Patrick' actually mistook the green light buoy.for the ..white light buoy in Bangitoto Channel, and it was only when Eileen had rounded the white light that Avalon's skipper discovered his error. It was indeed:a serious one, as it gave Eileen such, an advantage that, bar accidents, the issue was never in doubt. ' Had Avalon sailed the correct'course, however, it is doubtful whether she would have beaten Eileen, which was making bettor weather of it than Avalon in the rough water. Before the boats broke tacks after making a long board on port below the lighthouse, Eileen was leading Avalop by about 150 yards, and was pointing, higher than her rival. Not only did Avalon's mistake prove costly to her, but it also misled Clyde,, whose skipper followed the Auckland boat, never for the moment questioning the rounding buoy. The skippers concerned had no one to blame but themselves for the mistake, as they^ all received and signed written instructions as to the course. - • ... Duncan Cup Kace. In the Duncan Cup race on Saturday afternoon, sailed under Cornwell Cup conditions, the Heretaunga Club was represented by the Kuna, Shirley, and Wairuna, and" the Worser Bay Club by, the Kakariki. Just before the start, the first three sailed well 'iip to tho northern end of the starting line, which was between the 'Clyde Quay wharf and the King's wharf, the course being the usual 8.P.N.Y.0. centreboard course, once round. The Kakariki, which carried the new sail to be used at the Cornwell Cup contest, was thus well to leeward when the last flag dropped, but she reached Jermngham at practically the same time as the Shirley and Buna* Once tho boats were round the buoy, the wind began to drop quickly. The Buna struck a puff and moved smartly away from the others which were only ten yards away. at the time. Tho Karariki put about and made a long board towards the. wharves. Then the Shirley got a lift and overtook and passed the Buna, which was now becalmed. The flukey, conditions continued, the Buna being the next to catch the wind and over* taking the Shirley nearly at Coromandel. The order at the mark was the Shirley, Kakariki, Buna, and Wairuna, seconds only separating the first three. The wind came up a little before the end of the run home, but the Shirley; held her own and finished with 3see, to spare from the Buna. The Kakariki was third, and the Wairuna fourth. Although H. Stutter is to be congratulated on his win, it can safely be said, with all due respect to him, that his success was as much a matter of luck as judgment. It was all a question of which boat got the .wind. The Wai-iti's Cruise. The auxiliary yacht Wai-iti returned from the Sounds last week after-a two! weeks' cruise. Those who made the, trip were Messrs i\ Simmonds and W« Hutson, the owners, and A. Cheeseman and G. Lindsay. They went right through Queen Charlotte Sound, visiting all tho places of interest en roui~Going over they had rather a. imgS trip, but tho return journey was mado without incident, the time takes In* tween Jackson's Bay and the moorings in Evans Bay being 5 hours 20 minutes.