"LIMBIES'" PICNIC

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 23

"LIMBIES'" PICNIC

EVANS BAY ACTIVITIES

Last Saturday again brought ■."splendid- sailing, conditions for the' running of club' handicaps at Evans. Bay. ■<■ A< light 'northerly -was bloiying at suf» ficient strength to provide interesting racing-, without -kicking .up -a -sea .-.to bother the boats. ■■■■■•-■ ■• - ' :■ ■. -. >

; In.-a resailed race for the ..Charlotte Challenge.Gup. Maranui again beat the field and led; Rawene /over .the line with a-' margin, of six .minutes to-.take the trophy.- A;quarter of-an hour, further back Muritai arid-Irex arrived close, together, after, a keen: race., over

the. whole journey. When handicaps were adapted the first two boats maintained them position, while Irex moved, up to third place. .'■'.'. A race for fourteen-footers resulted in another win for Ariki, with Southern Maid, three minutes.away, second, and Idono third. The positions were not altered when times were corrected.

Vampire, was again first boat home in the I class handicap, but was relegated to third, while Belvedere, finishing fourth, made up her handicap and took first place.. Aileen was placed, second after'finishing-well down the list, and changed- places with Riptide, second -boat home, but fifth on. corrected times. . ; :

The first three boats to-finish.among the Taurangas were Weka, Ajax, and Penguin, in that order.and all maintained their places when handicaps I were.deducted. . . On Sunday the club gave its- annual picnic for the Limbless Soldiers' Clubi and, as is usual, the weather was not all it might have. been. A fairly afresh nor'-wester was blowing and most of the boats which proceeded to the/rendezvous under,'sail were reefed down, out of consideration for the comfort of their passengers. The latter were picked up at Admiralty Steps in the. morning by boats flying. the club pennant, and, after a short spin around the harbour, taken to Worser Bay. The Worser Bay Club had. very generously,' made its clubhouse available for the day, and so the "limbies'* and their families were able to fortify the inner man" in comfort. A 'ladies' committee. corrmrising'Mesdames H; S. Hannah, .■ T. B. Reynolds!. Spence, Robertson, J.. Hannah,' : Rbwell, and. Basten," and Misses N. Rowell and D. Hey, looked after the catering and saw that no one was,turned away hungry. A full programme of sports had been, drawn up and the'limbies entered into the fun with their usual spirits. Thera were dinghy races, foot races, applethrowing contests, ■ arid, lastly, a lolly and: apple, scramble for the youngsters in which most of the "big kids" from. Evans Bay. topic part. . In the intervals a party of clowns from some of the boats entertained the crowd with some finished displays o£ "tumbling" and other gymnastic s'unt.s. During the riot one member of Muritai's crew almost lost his dignity, but preparedness and foresight on, the part of a fellow club member saved the day and enabled, him to go aboard quite unconcernedly.., Only, two centreboarders braved the trip round. LauchTan's Jewel . and Wellesley, and the .latter made a fins sight running, down the bay in the afternoon with a kite set.

One of the last boats away, Rawene, struck trouble on the way home and her mainsail split, high,up at the peak. However, she managed to get into Scorching Bay. where the sail .was taken off. and "a trysail-hoisted.. Under this small' saiVmthe,falling breeze shs made slow; time for the rest of the iourney,'ahri did nnt."reach, the-'ifcodr-in"s until after dork.' ■' " ' " ■•'■■'

Muritai. • under her' Isdy skipper, made "a fast trio homeland.' sfterher success in the ladies' race, it. looks'as though the boat should be flying "a nsHieoat at th° masthead for a pennant.' ""'■.'■

Rawene was slipped'on Monday for =1 clean. aiicUalso to repair the damage sustained in a collision -with Maranui