SANDERS CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 15, 18 January 1940, Page 6

SANDERS CUP

WON BY AUCKLAND

THE HAT-TRICK

Gaining three successive wins in four races, the Auckland Sanders Cup crew won. the 1940 contest, and they will take the trophy back to the northern city for the first time since the Avalon won it at Akaroa in 1929., It is the 'fifth time that Auckland have won the cup. Auckland were second to Canterbury in the first of the series begun on Wellington Harbour on Monday, and they took first place in the two races sailed on Tuesday. The light weather yesterday afternoon stiited the northern crew perfectly, and they showed ' their superiority over the others by leading! the fleet all the way to gain their third win by the largest margin of the contest, 3min 36sec ahead of the second boat, the Ariki, of Canterbury. The Auckland, crew, consisting of W. Rogers (skipper), D. Rogers, R. Rogers, and R. Wilson, in the Caress, made no mistake in any race but the first. In the other three they led practically from the start, and on each occasion increased their margin of victory over their nearest rival. They gained 108 points in the contest, under the system adopted for the first time this year, and would have won the cup in the same number of races under the former method which required three wins. Canterbury, the holders, were runnersup with 68 points, and Wellington gained only 25 for third place. Southland were awarded 18 and Otago were last' with 8. The course for the fourth and deciding race was a triangular one, starting from Jerningham, and going to Fraser Rpck, thence on' a long run to a mark off Ngahauranga, and a beat back to the starting place, three times round. The wind was a light southerly, which freshened a little as. the race progressed, and all boats carried only three men. Wellington and Southland had the best of a good start, and though Wellington's Kitty was the weather boat, Southland edged into a slight lead. She did not keep it for long, however, for Auckland, which with Canterbury were the first to set a spinnaker, drew ahead. Half-way across the lop of Evans Bay to the Fraser Rock mark all five boats flew "kites." Approaching the mark Auckland luffed Wellington and rounded first, 28 seconds ahead of the Kitty, with Canterbury only eight seconds behind Wellington, Southland seven' seconds further back, and Otago eight seconds from Southland. Excelling once.more on the run the Caress opened up a big gap between her and Wellington on the leg to Ngahauranga buoy, where she had a 59 seconds' lead, and Canterbury had closed up from eight to three seconds behind Wellington. The boats were still closely ' grouped, only seven seconds separating Canterbury and -Southland,' and Southland and Otago respectively. - , Rogers then showed that he was just as capable a skipper to windward as off the breeze. - By Jerningham and the end of the first lap he had increased his lead to lmin 51sec, and thereafter he piled second after second on to his margin over the second boat, which from then to the end was Canterbury's Ariki. Bolland, the' Wellington skipper, lost .'his second place,-on the, beat to Jerningham, and he'--never Regained it. The times round Jerningham the first time were:— Auckland .......... 40m 8s Canterbury 41m 59s Wellington 42m 21s Otago 43m 31s Southland '.'.-. 44m'36s The leeward buoy drifted away between first and second rounds but was speedily replaced..' , .' ORDERLY PROCESSION. On each leg of the triangular course Rogers gained time, and the race was even more of a procession than its predecessors. No boat ever seemed like changing-its'station, and the principal interest was in the details of the crew work. Auckland and Canterbury were noticeably' smarter with their spinnakers' than Wellington, Otago, and Southland, and Otago's handling o£ it was comparatively poor. It was noticeable on th c windward leg that the boats which stood out [most to mid-harbour made best time, and. Auckland, Canterbury, and Wellington- showed the wisdom of it. Times at the end of the second round were:— ~ Auckland lh 17m 56s I Canterbury .... lh 20m 37s Wellington lh- 21m 3s Otago- lh 23m 16s Southland' .'...;. lh 24m 37s Barring accidents the result was a 1 foregone conclusion after the first round. On the final beat to the finishing line Auckland.just failed to make the buoy, but had plenty of time in which to put in two short boards before sailing across the line to the accompaniment of-cheers and applause from the crowds around tho finishing line on land and water. The rest of the fleet finished in unchanged order, the times and piacings being:— Auckland, lh 57m 46s .«.■. 1 Canterbury, 2h lm 22s .... 2 ,- Wellington, 2h 3m 4s ...... 3 Otago, 2h 7m 53s ........ 4 Southland, 2h 8m 15s .... 5