YACHTING.

Evening Star, Issue 15479, 29 April 1914, Page 3

YACHTING.

[By Spetnakek.] HIGH "WATER.

The season is cow nearing its end, and some of the boats are already on the hard for winter, and, given weather such as we are bavin at present, the rest will nob be long in following. Rumor has it that one os two o' the sailing yachts are likely to change hands. If this is so, it is to bo hoped that soma of the younger members take them. over, in the best interests of the epset. Xb® ®Uar members are drift-

ing into the motor: boats, and unless we can get some young recruits the saihug section will be'in a very bad way a few years hence. . 1 What the various dubs want to do js to encourage the inclusion of at least one novice in the crews of the various yachts which race, and we think it would be » wood plan if the clubs made this compulsory. In. this, matter the Raven sboume Club are to be commended on giving races for yachts sailed by boys, and have, indeed got to weather of the Otago \acht Club. One of the rules of most yacht clubs is to foster and encourage amateur vacht sailing, but, alas! how few of really do so. If the above suggestion were followed these beys would learn the rudiments of sailing, and would eventually become yacht owners in the future, and our sailing section would thus receive new blood, and its life be prolonged. Of course, in the natural course of things, these recruits would n robaly drift into the power section, but _ then they would have learned seamanship, and be able to handle their boats. _ Unless a. man has, as it were, served his time in the sailing section, he will never become much cf a seaman, and, while he may be able to steer, he is generally not much good, in a tight cofner. The motor boats will go on all right provided they get a certain amount cf supervision, but the sailing section will require to be carefully nursed and fostered if we are to have the beautiful white wings with us. Those who had the good fortune to witness Saturday’s race were rewarded by seeing an exquisite exhibition of yacht sailing. Waimana came out to defend the proud position she has held so long, while, on tho other hand, Myro was out determined to win, and Tucana, in spite of a big handicap, entered the fray in true sporting style. Right from the start it was quite evident that the racing was bo of the keenest. Each of the three boats made an excellent start. _ Smart work with the light sails played an important nart in the race, and Myro got a good lead'by setting and having her spinnaker drawing before the other two boats. _ Once Myro got the lead she never lost it, although” Waimana, sailing n magnificent style' reduced the lead considerably in the second round. It was noticed and commented _ upon that all three skippers made a bad job of rounding the lee buoy. Instead of keeping away from the buoy before hauling their wind, thev kept close to it, with the result that when they rounded up they were a boat and a-half to leeward of the buoy. This is a fault many of the skippers make. At Port Chalmers regatta a year ago one well-known skipper found, to his disgust, that one of his competitors kept awav from the flagship, and, rounding up smartly, planted his boat to weather. Myth's victory was evidently popular, judging from the cheer accorded her by the spectators when she tied up to the punt, and we think her competitors should have paid her skipper and crew the same compliment. These little acts show the good sportsman and the true yachtsman. Most of us are good winners, but it takes a lot to be a good loser. Kellett sailed the race of his life, and his crew worked like veterans. It is to be hoped that he can keep the same crew by him next year. 'Waimana, the veteran, and winner of many a fine race, had to take second place, not because of inferior but because of sails which did her an injustice, and, while they might have done well in a hard breeze, yet in the full mainsail breeze on Saturday they did not seem to lift her.

Tucana is, as of yore, capable of great things, but continually disappointing not only her supporters, but also her crew. Evidently the alterations did not improve her, and, as a matter of fact, it seemed to be the reverse; but in spite of her poor showing her crew pluckily stuck to it, and, while never in a position to win except by a fluke, they continued to sail as if leading. The mark boat wants mooring right close up to the piek-np in future, as the skippers naturally made for the flag on the dinghy, and then found that they had to luff up slightly, owing to the long painter between the dinghy and the pick-up. The poor officials up aloft had rather a cold time of it. We noticed)' an old sail commandeered and utilised as a wind screen, and w© understand that the cup of afternoon tea provided by Rear-com-modore Sundstrum was highly appreciated. It’s a good plan to look after th© officials. Messrs Fleck and Cameron have just finished the plans for a 14ft racing dinghy for Mr G. Barnard, of Christchurch. Th© dinghy is built to the conditions laid down by the ‘ Yachtsman ’ some two years ago, and Mr Barnard intends, after completing the boat, to take her to Auckland and race her there. She is 14ft long by sft beam, and raws 4ft Sin with her plat© down. She carries 150 square feet of canvas in a very high peaked lug and jib. Th© forward sections are rather out of the ordinary for this type of boat, having a considerable amount of ‘‘flam,'’ and may not be considered handsome, but they are there for utility and not for looks.

Commodore A. C. Hanlon has been converted to kerosene, with the result that Inishfree is now fitted with a Westmacott vaporiser, and seems to be going as well as ever.

As a result of the ocean race on Anniversary Day one of the motor boats will appear next year with a considerable increase in her power plant. The launch Tawhiri sank at her moorings about a week ago, and for some unknown reason still remains there. What will her engine be like after a spell like this under the water? As the season draws to a close it is difficult to find news for this column, so cow it is time that I, like the yachts, pulled up till next season. My compliments to the skipper and crew of the Annis on the able way they handled the cutter in the Oamarn squall. They did the best that could be done under the circumstances with a cutter. But doesn’t the incident demonstrate the disadvantages of a cutter compared with a yawl for cruising purposes. Given a yawl rig under similar circumstances, and you just stow the mainsail and keep right on reefing when you feel inclined. All experience is in favor of a yawl for outside work.

A friend of mine handed me the other .day a dirty, finger smudged, dilapidated old book, and asked mo whether I could make anv sense out of it. After careful •examination and piecing together I found it to be the mate’s log of a full-rigged ship called the Copenhagen. It showed her to. have been launched over 60 years ago, and the log relates to her first voyage made to Melbourne at the time of the Australian gold rushes, 'fire log is wonderfully interesting in many ways, and in no respect more so than in the insight it gives one into the high state of efficiency that marling spike seamanship had reached in those days. The first entry of note made after the vessel gets to sea is: “Hands busy making topgallant masts and yards, and fitting and splicing topgallant rigging.” This vessel then had proceeded to sea with passengers and cargo under nothing but single topsails and courses, with the usual fore and ait sails. Next we read: “ Sent up mizzen topgallant mast and crossed mizzen topgallant and royal yards, set the sails.” And what a funny eight ehe must have been under topsails aCthe fore and main and royal at the mizzen. However, at the end of the week she was under three royals, and the mate sums up the crew’s handiwork with all the pride of a sailor’s heart when he writes: “ Ship handles well and steers beautifully.” These vessels were evidently not flyers, as I can only find one entry during the whole voyage where nine knots is reported. When running tho easting down “ strong breeze ou the. quarter, going eight by the log ” seems to have been about her best. However, she got to Port Phillip, and that’s something. One can well understand that the masters of thoee old passenger sailing ships felt the responsibility of their position weigh heavily upon them. Not only had they the anxiety incidental to the safeguarding of so many lives, bat further the maintenance of order and discipline among so many unruly sailors and passengers such, as wended their way to the colonies in the early days must have been of itself a task sufficient to tax the nerve of any ordinary man. No wonder that they were inclined to bo autocratic and ruled with a rod of iron. What think you- then, of this literary tit-

bit from the mate’s log April 5 : John and, after insulting the skipper, struck him on tho face." Then throe nays afters “Took the bandages off John -—■ Think he will recover.”

Taiaroa Head. Dunedin. Wednesday .. a.m. p.m. a.m. p m. 5.1 5.26 6.11 6.36 llmraday 5.52 6.21 7.2 7.31 F riday 6.49 7.19 7.59 8.29 Saturday 7.48 8.21 8.5S 9.51 Sunday 8.50 9.19 10.0 10.29 Monday 9.47 10.14 10.57 1124 Tuesday 10.41 11.58 11.51