YACHTING

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 137, 6 December 1930, Page 22

YACHTING

By "MAINSAIL" CUP TRIALS

BETTY'S THREE WINS

CONVINCING EPFOETS'

Supporters of the: Betty received an unexpected setback to their hopel of her selection .as Wellington's • Sanders Cup representative when she sail- . ed so disappointing-a race in the.third trial, on Tuesday evening, For tho greater part of the journey she -appeared to be-lifeless, aiid the general opinion -was that the absence of a leader was the cause of: the trouble.. Some there were, however, who considered that she: did not get; the samo wind as the Welleslcy. or the Clyde. Those.who expressed the latter opinioii. must have been convinced of theit mistake on Thursday .evening. The ex-. Canterbury champion showed her'heels to the rest of the boats once, she/ got on the wind, and won by a comfortable margin, after striking 'a-company tively calm patch off Ngahauranga, while .the .Welleslcy and Clyde were coming up with, a good' slant.' •". The Betty's win was a good one, and thera was'no element of luck-in it. ' • E.P.N.Y.C. Notes. '.'. , ' . . Several of the R.P.N.Y.C. boats took part in the Evans Bay Club's race for keelers on Saturday: last, which resulted in a close finish between tha Marangi and the. Wairere.ll., the former boat crossing the " line first. It appears that the Wairere 11. wiil'hava to bo with in any keel race in. which she starts during the Reason, and it is understood she will be raced regularly. Another feature of the race was the smart performance of. the Marangi's crew in rescuing it man who was carried overboard by the spinnaker, and then promptly resetting the spinnaker, to cross the lin« first. . ■ ■< - •■■■:. ■•• ■■'•': ''■'■'■ .The exponents of the; Mark JFqy system of starting have always ; claim"? Ed that more spectacular, finishes Weia among its. chief merits, and this ;Wj demonstrated to' some extent oir- Saturday, ' '.;■ • ,: '. The boisterous north-easterly.on Sunday did not;deter the Vipldj Nanette, Isca, and Atalanta from leayingV the Boat Harbour on the customary day's cruise. The Atalanta returned after a couple of hours' sail, but the others remained away until the evening, returning under closely-reefed canvas. Eaees for all classes are set down, for this afternoon, under the newstarting system, which is being put-into operation for the first time. .-■■■/ In Evans Bay. Most of those who took part in the Evans Bay Club's race for keelers on Saturday afternoon appeared to be in. favour of the Mark 3?oy starting" system. Tho handicapping, on which the success of the system entirely depends, proved a little inaccurate, but that was only to be expected for the first race of the season and in view of the weather, and there is every reason to believe that later on, when the handicapper gets the measure of the boats, the institution of the system will be just> fied. The only drawback to it is that once a boat is passed her crew, have little incentive to continue, ibut-that is mainly a matter of handicapping.' [■ 'While on. the' subject of one "boat passing another,- it may bo identi<HiecV that the joke played on the.offieials~b.y the Eawene's crew on Saturday, is'-still being enjoyed by Bay members.J'-'T-he Eawene was unlucky in striking a calm patch near Coromandel, while the/oilrer boats were getting plenty of wind,"'iLS they had no chance her crew withdraw from tho race at that point, and' T??@i> ed off.Halswell for the leaders tO.-c.9ma down. Then they sailed home in; company with them, putting up what appeared to be a remarkable performance. Not for some time was the hoar- revealed. It must be conceded that?th» officials took the joke in good part. It has been suggested that, itf would be better when starting under JtSrk Foy to send the scratch boat:.off at 3.30, and set the times of the;, other boats _ forward accordingly. .'. This," it is ela'imed, would give the E.P.Y.'N.C. boats more time to get round. , The present method of sending the'-limit boat off at 2.30 doesnot give the visiting boats much chance of arriving in time. . ■..■-• -;' The'Marangi had a good'win in the keelers' race, and would have won by a larger margin but for the misfortune of losing a man overboard, when..the spinnaker skied, and having to lose time in picking him up. By this time the Wairere 11.. was on terms; -with tho Marangi, and- the two boats raced in line for home;, until off tlie Patent;; Slip,' when the Marangi again set her spinnaker and forged ahead to .win by: 15sec. It would have been interesting to observe the Wairere's showing had' sho also carried a spinnaker during the race. New Boat for Tasman Race;. ■■ ■ There, is a prospect,- according.': to & southern', exchange, that,' 'Mr. W. A. Gunn, of' Christchurch, a prime mover in tho proposal to. race across the Tasman, will be able, to take part, in a contest-next year, : An offer has been made to him of a fine,, seaworthy boat, which is to be built in the neaT future. Mr. Gunn. said that he had every reason to believe that the boat would be most suitable.. She would have a waterline length of 45ft, a beam of 13ft, and a. draught of 6ft, and would.be very staunchly constructed. He agreed with Mr. J. M'Lean) of Wellington, owner of the Eestless, that the. race; should be a purely sporting event, but considered that the competing boat .should carry a competent navigator. . • Motor Boat Club Picnic. Only two launches—tho Wanderer and Kereru—ventured out of the Bout Harbour on Sunday to tako part i» the Port Nicholson Motor Boat Club's picnic. . The owners of the others decided, wisely as it turned out, to go round to Lowry Bay by bus: The Wanderer struck trouble to the nbrth of Somes Island when the wire from the wheel to the tiller parted and allowed her to drift into the trough of the big seas. In the short time that elapsed before the tiller was brought into operation tho boai drifted uncomfortably near to the island. Thoo a course was set for the Petone wharif, 'where the Wanderer was left un'tiV"th« picnic was over. Those on the Kereru also had trouble with the valves on their engine. Fortunately only, -one stuck at a time, otherwise there might have been real danger. The club's.racing programme is being1 commenced to-day with* a handicap for a: trophy donated by Mr. W.; Oable. \ OtLer events will be held on the following dates: 17th January, handicap for challenge cup donated by ' Mr; P. Hayward; 18th January, club outing;.24th January, handicap for challenge cup donated by Mr. W. Monthouse: •'Bth February, ladies' picnic;'" 14th February, handicap for trophy donated by Mr. E. Gregory; 28th February, handicap for challenge cup presented/by, Mrs. W. Horan; Ist March, club outing; "Ist March, consolation haxidicap.' The following trophies will alao be presented: Mr. D. Kirkealdie's trophy for the championship pennant winner;.. Nancy Memorial Bowl for niosjt consistent times; Fowler trophy for the best kept engino; Fowler trophy for the best* kept boat.