TABLES TURNED

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 16, 20 January 1932, Page 5

TABLES TURNED

RACE TO THEMSELVES.

TO-DAY'S RACING,

SANDERS CUP EACING

THE BETTY'S SECOND WIN

The Betty (Wellington) turned the tables on the Avenger, Canterbury's challenger, by a decisive win in the fourth Sanders Cup race yesterday afternoon. There was another spirited tussle between the two boats, which had the greater part of the race to themselves. The Betty went into the lead on the first long beat, and gave a convincing performance in finishing 2min 54sec ahead of the Canterbury boat. None of the other three challengers was in the picture after the early stages. The Betty's win was her second in the series, the Avenger having one win to her credit.

• The fresh southerly breeze prevailed until nearly the end of the race, when it died away almost to a calm. Each' boat carried a crew of four.

The Avenger almost beat the gun at the start, and secured a 1 good break on the field, the next best being the Rangi and Val. The Betty made a, bad start, but soon recovered, and she and the Heather contested second place nearly all the way, gradually drawing out from the Auckland arid Southland representatives. AH the time the Avenger was increasing her lead, and she rounded for the beat back to the Defence buoy 40 seconds ahead of the Betty, which beat the Heather round the mark by only 3 seconds. Then came the Val, lmin 4sec behind the Avenger, and Rangi Imin 17see after the leader. . .

The course was again a -windward and leeward one,- from- the -Fraser Rock buoy near Shelly Bay to a-.-buoy-off Ngahauranga, to Fraser. Rock, back to Ngahauranga, and down to Point Jerningham. In the southerly breeze this entailed two beats and two runs.

Witli a good part, of the beat covered' the Avenger and Betty ;haa again drawn out on their own, and passing the Coromandei buoy the former boat was well to windward. The Betty had dispensed with the leading jib used in the morning race, and so far as sails were concerned the two boats were orr.level terms. Of the two the lietty appeared '■ to -be -going' through' the

water, slightly faster as -they stood in towards the'Aotea Quay breastwork, and when they went about' there was' little between them. The Rangi and Val were on terms some .distance back, and not troubling the leaders, and the ■ Heather had fallen back considerably. Both the leaders .were, holding a good' breeze, and the sea was much smoother than in the vicinity of the Ngahauranga buoy. Gradually the Betty drew out to windward, and although the Avenger made a couple of short boards the Wellington boat continued to open up a big gap.; :-. At the Defence buoy the Betty had alead of lmin 29seo from the Avenger. The Val was." third boat round, 3min 45see, after the Betty, and the Rangi was fourth; 4min loseo behind the leader. The Heather had lost her position through standing out too-far into the harbour, and she was 20sec behind the Rangi at the buoy:

AVENGER SETS A LEADER. Running down to" the Ngahauranga buoy: the second time, the Avenger set a leading jib and gained slightly on the Betty, which rounded lmin. 26sec to the good. Long before this the race had resolved itself into a ; Btruggle between the Betty* and the Avenger, and at the buoy the other three boats, although they went round within a minute of each other, were1 well in the rear. On the long beat to the finishing line the Avenger was unable to make any impression on the Betty in the falling breeze; and the Wellington boat scored her second win in the contest by a margin of 2inin 54sec. . " The official finishing times were as follows:— Betty .............. 4hr 57imn 6see. Avenger shr Omin Osec. :-' Eangi shr. 6min llsec. ;. Val shr Binin 40sec. ■ Heather shr 14min 2sec. . The Hetty's crew consisted of A. Johnston (skipper), D. Beaumont, I. WattY and J. Elliott; and O. Brassell, skipper of the Avenger, had with him F. Formari," R. Priddy, arid E. Sinclair. :

At a meetiug of the Sanders Cup Dominion Conference last evening, it was de-! cided to hold the fifth race this afternoon,: provided weather conditions are suitable; otherwise two races to-morrow. It was' considered that the crews were entitled; to" a rest after the. strenuous two days', racing. .■..-•■:. . . s