Yachtsmen at Odds.

Evening Star, Issue 17926, 23 March 1922, Page 6

Yachtsmen at Odds.

Tuonan it is in many -ways a matter fox regret that the local unpleasantness over the Sanders Cup contests has been revived, it may bo a good, thing, after feeling has remained smouldering for so long, that it should bo allowed to blaze up now and bum itself out fox good. When at tho presentation of the cup last month 'Mr M'Oulloch made his memorable speech, it was felt that ho was speaking under a strong sense of personal grievance, and that if ho had had time for mature reflection ho might have refrained. Possibly it was lack of time at an already very belated function that prevented an official reply being made at the time; or a natural disinclination to wash dirty linen in public by forcing yachtsmen from other parts of tho Dominion to listen to a domestic wrangle may have induced a policy of official silence in the meantime. That policy has now been discarded, possibly wisely, possibly not. It seems to have been realised by tho Yachting Association that a big section of. tho public admires an outspoken man, and is loth to become hypea> critical if that outspokenness verges on indiscretion. Perhaps in an attempt to outbid! Mr M'Oulloch for the favor of a public which would Have controversialists “out with it and be done with it,” the statement put forward on belialf of tho association certainly does not err on tho I

side of restraint. It traverses tho whole of tho Auckland'business of a year ago, when Mr M'Culloch was superseded in tho command of the Heather by Mr Wiseman. The disclosures and the criticisms now mado by tho association over that long past matter will certainly not lessen tho public’s impression that Mr M’Culloch must have approached this year's contests in Otago Harbor with a feeling that he did not command that absolute confidence and support which tho chosen representative of tho province has a right to look for in official quarters, that as tho series progressed that feeling deepened, and that he must have been more than human if he had kept away from any reference to it when all was over. As a matter of fact it appears that before all was over Mr M’Onlloch was unconventionally outspoken on at least ono occasion, that being after tho splendid duel between Heather and Mmihiku. Unfortunately it was oEonc of the judges who had disallowed his protest that ho foul. That w’as inexcusable, even though tho remonstrance was on tho ground that, while his protest was disallowed because of insufficient evidence, he was denied the opportunity of tendering it. His present recapitulation of what ho could and would have adduced may now bo beside tho point, and would reopen a question that wo have no desire to stir up—viz,, whether outside the boat there was a desire, having the extreme of sportsmanship as its basis, that Otago should not be assisted in retention of the cup by a win on protest in any of tho races. If such was tho position, it cannot have tended to leave Mr M’Culloch perfectly untrammelled in his desire to demonstrate that these who had cast doubts on his sailing ability were wrong. It is evident that lie felt his position to be that he was being carefully and critically watched, and that he must expect no quarter for failure. In ibis respect ho has proved right, Tho association’s statement says: “In Dunedin Mr M’Culloch sailed in seven races, succeeding in winning only two, and lost the cup for Otago,” As a bald statement of fact this is incontrovertible. Yet, if it .summarises the association’s attitude to Mr M’Culloch, it will assuredly win him public sympathy. Ho has answered it effectually, first by handling Heather in a way which won tho admiration of yachtsmen, including his opponents in the other boats, and now by the reply which ho makes to-day.