SANDERS CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 35, 10 August 1933, Page 13

SANDERS CUP

FUTURE OF TROPHY

QUESTION OF CONTROL

AUCKLAND'S ATTITUDE

With the approach of tho yachting season fresh, interest is being given to tho question of what is to become, of the Sanders Cup,, the contests for which have been carried on without, ;i break miioo 3921. The Auckland Yacht ami Motorboat Association, which owns tho cup, has so far declined to link up with the New Zealand Yachting Council, and the latter body has decided to mako arrangements for a championship contest for Sanders Cup boats early in the New Year, ■with a new cup as tho prize. Arrangements are also being made for a fresh cbampiouship scries for boats of the Cornwell Cup type, the Takapuna Boating Club, owner of the cup, having given its support to the Auckland Association, to which it is affiliated. Canterbury are the present holders of the Sanders Cu}>, and the Cornwell Cup is in Auckland. The split betweerf1 Auckland and the other associations originated over a disagreement regarding the amplification of the plan of tho 1023 Sanders Cup boat, but the main issue now appears to be one of. voting power on the New Zealand Yachting Council. The southern associations definitely will not agree to Auckland's demand for voting strength based on the number of boats in each association. They have decided on equal voting power, maintaining that it is only fair that all matters in dispute should be settled by the contestants themselves, and not by the Auckland Association, which hitherto has had the final say in all questions of principle concerning the Sanders Cup. The council emphasises the point that it will not control yachting generally, but only interprovincial, interport, and intercolonial contests, and so far as tho Sanders ■ Cup is concerned the feeling in Wellington and in the South Island is that Auckland, with fewer suitable boats than any of the other provinces, has no right to exercise the final control or predominate on the council. ; The Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago Associations have given Auckland to_ understand that, under present conditions, they will not take any further part in the contest while it remains under the jurisdiction of the northern association. This means that 'the cup will automatically revert to Auckland by next February at the latest. AUCKLAND "OFFSIDE." . "Speedwell/ writing in the "Auckland Star," says that the decision of the Auckland Association not to take any part in the Dominion Council puts Auckland "offside" as regards the Sanders Cup at least for all time. He points out that under the rules Canterbury is entitled to call for challenges for 1934. The competitors would most probably be the same as last season, with the exception of Auckland. Because Auckland will not challenge, it should not prevent the southern boats from taking part. Mr. J. Hislop, representative of Messrs. Walker and Hall, donors of the Sanders and Cornwell Cups, wrote recently to the southern associations expressing the opinion that Canterbury-had the right to call for challenges and to carry out-the contest. If the visiting yachtsmen desired that the Yachting Couricil should supervise the contest for 1934, he could see no difference from what had taken place previously, and they would be quite within their rights. He thought it was only fair that the Canterbury Association should say now whether it intended to race for the cup, and he believed that that was the best way out of the difficulty. If an Auckland challenge was received and was not given ,the support of the northern association, then it was a matter for the Auckland yachtsmen to take up with, their association. "Speedwell" hopes that this suggestion will be favourably entertained by the southern associations. "With.regard to the Auckland Association's attitude, it is unfortunate,' to put it mildly," he comments. "The matter of cutting the painter with the southern , yachtsmen is one that should be reviewed by each club when holding the annual meeting. There is quite a considerable number in favour of Auckland joining up with the new council." CHAIRMAN'S REPLY. :In a reply sent to Mr. Hislop, the chairman of the council, Mr. G. R. Curtis (Canterbury) emphasised the fact that) there was no possibility of the council interfering with tlie conduct of Auckland yachting on Auckland Harbour. The council*was simply a Dominion conference in existence all the .-year round to deal with interprovincial matters and determine them according to the decisions of the majority of associations, and there was nothing that could be regarded as inimical to- Auckland yachtsmen in its functions. He 'regretted that the Sanders and Cornwell Cups had become involved, and said that all the southern associations asked for was joint management with Auckland of the two contests. It was riot possible for Canterbury to call for challenges for the Sanders Cup and have the l'aeing supervised by the council. Auckland had repudiated the idea, and Canterbury, as a member of the council, would not be justified in calling for challenges for a trophy owned by an association which was outside the council and which did not subscribe to the council's views of the conduct of interprovincial contests. Farther, it would not be proper for Canterbury or any other province to invite challenges from clubs or individuals ..for a contest essentially interprovincial in character without the approval of their provincial governing body. On the other hand, if the Auckland Association agreed to the control of all contests by a collective body of all provincial associations—and there was no reason why it should not since all were equally interested—Canterbury, with the full approval of the other associations, would, he felt sure, be happy to call for challenges. "The Cornwell Gup is very similar, but I should like to point out for the benefit of Auckland yachtsmen in general, and the Takapuna Boating Club in particular, /that the rules'under which th.s contests are conducted have always given general satisfaction," said Mr. Curtis. "Personally, I do; not think the change desired in the system of control would involve anything more terrifying than a formal motion of approval of tho. rules, by the various associations as members of the council. The contest would then be conducted as in the past, the decisions of the annual conferences being ratified by the council instead of by the Takopuna Club's committee." Referring to Mr. Hislop's proposal to call a meeting of Auckland yachtsmen to discuss the Sanders Cup position, Mr. Curtis said he was confident that on. realising the true circumstances they would not as good sportsmen wish-to deny the southern provinces a right to which in all equity they were entitled, the right of government of interprovincial contests, ;in accordance with the wishes of the majority of those directly interested. It has been suggested that an Auckland club might break away from the association and sponsor a challenge for 1934, but the council has already decided that where there is an association such an entry will not be accepted. In making this decision the council was actuated only by the_ desirability of preserving an association s authority over its affiliated clubs, and the principle has no particular application to .Auckland. - ■ ANXIOUS TO CO-OPERATE. Regardless of what has already occurred, the council is still anxious to have Auckland's co-operation, and is hopeful of reaching an amicable settlement before the gap widens too far. This point was stressed today by Mr. 0. A: Moller, the Wellington member of the council, who added: "I am pleased to see that at least' KOino o£ the Auckland yachtsmen are looking past the parochial nspci-t, and ma open to judge the controversy on it=> merits for the good of the sport." . The Cornwell Cup is devoted to interport competition, and the Takapuna Club is said to be confident that the next contest will be held as j usual. It appears, however, that no southern association w.ilJ

be officially represented under present conditions. Crews from ports in the Auckland province may compete, and also individual crews from southern ports, but the latter entries will not. come within the rules, and the contest will not be <i true New Zealand interport championship.