A CORRESPONDENT'S VIEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 122, 19 November 1931, Page 6

A CORRESPONDENT'S VIEWS

On the question of Wellington representation in the Sanders Cup contest for 14ft centreboard yachts, Mr. A. W. Palmer writes to "The Post" commenting on the fact that it remained for the ex-Can-terbury champion Betty to bring the cup to Wellington. "In the minds of many who take a deep interest in the sport, this does! not constitute a Wellington win," he states,-"and the feeling'exists in other centres, as well as here, that we gained the honour at the expense o£ the centre where the Betty was built, and where she was successful in winning the cup on three occasion's, .. ... Can Wellington claim any honour from.the win? Was it a. fair deal to Canterbury? If this kind of thing becomes gener.al, and winners representing a certain centre to-day .. are allowed to represent' another to-morrow., will it not killthe competition? It certainly has a most'disheartening effect." - Mr. Palmer expresses the opinion that when a boat is withdrawn in any centre after having won the Banders .Cup she should be allowed-to re-enter the competition only as the .representative of the centre to which she Tightly, belongs. He quotes the case of the Auckland boat, the Rona, which also won the Sanders Cup several times, and says that; her owner, recognising; that she was a, champion, proved himself a true,sportsman by withdrawing her-from the competition to encourage the building of new boats and thus keep the sport alive. Mr. Palmer considers that the Betty should not under any conditions be allowed to -represent Wellington in the contest in January. "Let us sail under our own colours," he concludes, "in our own, Wellington-built boat, and if we lose there will be far more honour in it than if we win with our colours hoiated on a foreigner."