YACHTING

Evening Star, Issue 19410, 19 November 1926, Page 12

YACHTING

[By For’aud Hand.]

» FIXTURES. November 20.—North-East Harbor Cup race. Sanders Cup trial race. Otago Club’s opening clay and first series of races. ■November 24.—Otago ' Yacht and Motor Boat Association. November 27.—Sanders Cup trial race.

December 4.—North-East Harbor Club (motor boat race). Sanders Cup trial race. Ravensbourne Club opening. December 11.—Sanders Cup trial race.

December 18.—Ravensbourne Club races.

January 15.—Ravensbourne Club races. Otago Club’s cruising races to Broad Bay. ’ January 22. North-east Harbor Club (Elliott Cup race, motor boat race). February 19.—Otago Club’s series of races, ’ ,

February,, 26.—North-East Harbor Club (Strang Challenge Cup race and motor race);

March s.—Ravensbourne regatta. March 12.—Ravensbourne Club (Challenge Cup race). March 19.—Otago Club’s motor boat harbor race.

The heavy wind last week-end kepi all but the keenest boating men at their moorings. Those who did brave the elements received a good dusting before they returned. Mr Bishop deserves a good deal of credit for the excellent job he has made of the Revenge. An entirely new cabin has been fitted, and last week the boat was launched under the name of Ugie. _ At the beginning of the week Waitiri was towed back to her moorings to have _ a new tail shaft fitted. Tui 11., at one time tho fastest boat on the harbor, has been hauled out at the Boat Harbor for general overhaul. It is stated that Heather will he a starter in to-mofrow’s race, and her crew, “ For’ard Hand ” understands, will he Messrs A. Booth, D. Paterson, and A. Dawson. The ex-champion was removed to Mr M'l’herson’s shed to have the centre-plate moved back to its original position. The ex-champion has been out, and seemed to be sailing well.

According to a Christchurch paper, tho Sanders Cup contest will take place on Lyttelton Harbor about the second week in February. The new_ launch Nomad, which is powered with a Darracq engine, wax out on Saturday, and showed quite a good turn of speed. That the Boat Harbor is gradually silting up was evidenced by Commodore Sundstrum on Monday evening, when he brought Norana up from her lie-up at Port Chalmers. Ho had barely entered the haven when the launch ran on to a bank, and it was some little time before she could be moored.

To-morrow will be a big day at the Boat Harbor, it being the opening day, and the first series of club races will be sailed. Owing to the frightful state of the road to the club’s property, this year’s function will .be a very short one, but, nevertheless, a good turn-out of yachtsmen is expected. The season will be officially opened at 2.30, and the races are timed to begin at 3 o’clock. The clifb’s thanks are due to Mr Casey, who has begun today a cinder track to the Boat Harbor. _ This will enable yachtsmen to go to their boats in the worst weather without becoming covered with mul.

The official syllabus of the 0.Y.0. will probaly be to hand towards the end of the current week.

Doubtless numbers of yachtsmen will visit the barque Olivebank at Port. This is a fine type of craft, and those who inspect her will bo amply rewarded for their trouble. One would not like to say that this will be the last sailing ship to vist Otago Harbor, but it is certain that no other of the same type will enter for some time.

. The small launch Patience has been purchased by Mr S. Barnwell. This is a good little craft, and if she is properly engined should give a good account of Jierself in the races.

From “ Bobstay ” (St. Leonards) “For’ard Hand” has received a photographic snap of the old-time yacht Leader, which he saw lying on the Riverton Beach, Thanks. Such information is welcomed, and it is hoped to publish the history shortly. There is every possibility of a Seamew type 14-footer being built in Wellington. Following some remarks by “For’ard Hand” in a recent column on this type of boat, a Wellington man has written asking for information, specifications, and plans. “For’ard Hand ” has referred him to men who have built the boats, and wishes him a fast construction and a 100 per cent, boat.

Y.R.A. rules should bo adhered to. “ For’ard Hand ” lias written before of the evasion of tho rules, and the Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Association is in full support. At the last meeting it was decided that the rules should be held to when trial races were being sailed. Mr E. B. Davys quoted an instance of how Otago had lost a race on the Auckland Harbor through the neglect of the Y.R.A. rules. The Otago boat was on the starboard and went about to avoid'a collision with a boat on the port tack. There was no good of the Otago boat protesting as the “right of way” would have been disputed, hut there was no need to enter a protest if the boats collided as the rules were definite on tho question of which boat must give way. “ A boat should carry

on and even cleave the other boat in two.” declared Mr Davys^ Tlie entries for the O.Y.C. races tomorrow are:—Motors; 7 Ji.p. and over, Ngaio, Stella, Norana, Eclipse, Marewa, Ripple; under 7 h.p., Arawa. Silver Fem, Waitomo, Doris, and Nell. General handicap for yachts; Experiment, Sea Hawk, Minnow, Ngyra, Vera, Shadow; 12ft 6in and under, Chance and CoMeen.

A prominent local yachtsman has forwarded a suggestion for the popularisation of the sport. He says that if the various clubs would organise excursions and picnics to some of the bays, and invited people who would take an interest in the sport if tho facilities were offered them, this would bring the sport before the public in a favorable manner.

NORTH-EAST HARBOR NOTES'. Owing to there being no quorum, the meeting in connection with the Macau--drew’s Bay annual regatta last Saturday night was adjourned till next week. This does not augur well for the regatta, which has lor some years been one of tho most popular functions on the bay. It is to be hoped that there will bo a good attendance next week, and that all the work will not be left for a few enthusiasts to carry out. The first series of club races will be hold at the Bay to-morrow, and given a fine day the events should |ie keenly contested. Tho entries for the 16-foot and under race are Spray, Mona, Mavis, Agnes, Tiki, and Rowena. Hugh Riddle has almost completed his new 12ft 6in Takapuna-class boat, and expects to have her in commission in a few weeks. She is to be named Betty, and “For’ard Hand” understands that she has already been nominated to contest . the right of representing the province at Lyttelton. ST. LEONARDS NOTES. Despite the wintry weather last week-end, the St. Leonards boys took advantage of the fresh breeze, which gave their craft a good try-out. Frolic and Uranai were seen under canvas. The 10-footer Mascotto has not been out this season, her dock having been renewed, but she will be in commission during next week-end ; The square-bilger Kewpie is also in the water looking very smart. WINIFRED’S SECOND WIN. So Winifred has scored again most decisively, her second win in the Otago Sanders Cup trials. But even yet yachtsmen are waiting till she strikes a day when the wind will be blowing with more than full-sail force. In the first trial Winifred beat Kia Ora and Eunice in weather of gales and calms. And last Saturday she won. in a full-sail breeze. Now a hard blow, steady and heavy, is hoped for by yachtsmen so that Winifred will bo given an opportunity of showing what she can do. Of her capabilities in the light winds there can no doubts, but doubts exist of her ability to stand up to a strong wind. G. Kellett sailed a splendid race in Winifred last Saturday. He was first across the line and was never headed. It was a procession and not a race. The further Winifred went, the greater was the lead from Kia Ora. Kellett let his boat sail herself. In the fullsail breeze she sailed as close as Kia Ora on the wind, and with tho sheet free she just raced away. C. French was not at his best. “ For’ard Hand ” has seen him give better exhibitions of helmsmanslup. Eunice was never in the race, but that won’t make any difference to Billy Watson. If all men in the yachting game were like Watson it would be some ” sport. He realises that his boat has no chance, yet he turns out, wet or fine, to make the competition. If there was a prize offered for the best sportsman at the opening of tho season this year “For’ard Hand” would award it to Watson. Winifred has a commanding lead. She has notched eight points, Kia Ora three, and Eunice two. But with Heather now in the field no one can tell what will happen in the remaining races. If Winifred scores her third win on Saturday the association will have a question to settle at the meeting on Wednesday night. Six races, it was decided, should be raced under the points system, but there was talk on the wharf on Saturday that if Winifred wins again to-morrow tho race on November 27 will be the last. To-morrow’s race will be three times round the triangular course. YACHTS OF THE PAST. No, s.—The Myrtle. Originally the Alice, this handy little cruiser was built to the order of Mr G. H. Barnes by that veteran builder Jack M'Lennan, and launched on December 23, 1883. Her owner first of all intended her for a centreboard craft, but while she was still on the stocks he changed his mind and added a lead keel. After being in Mr Barnes’s possession for some years she was acquired by a Mr Hutchinson, who renamed her Mistral, and had the keel deepened by Ben Davis, jun., Later she passed into tho possession of Mr A. Morgan, who made several long cruises in her, Oamaru seeming to possess a great fascination for her skipper, as in all nine trips were made to that port. She finally left the harbor, Messrs Miller and Coyton. of Oamaru, having purchased her. According to the latest reports, she is still there, though in different hands. The best performance put up by this cruiser was at tho Ravensbourne regatta of , 1910, when she showed her superiority over several of the larger boats. Myrtle was a fine seaworthy craft, and well rigged, but with the drawback so common in yachts of that time—a very long bowsprit. Her dimensions were approximately 30ft 1.0. a., Bft beam, amd 3ft lOin draught; this latter was increased to about sft. At the time when Myrtle was in the harbor cruising was popular, and it was through the activity t of -her last skipper that the annual cruising race to Broad Bay was inaugurated. _ Other boats whose names were associated with Myrtle’s were Anonyma, Pera, Goldseeker, Pastime, and Adelaide,

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