YACHTING

Evening Star, Issue 19775, 27 January 1928, Page 12

YACHTING

[By For’aed Hand.]

FIXTURES. January 28.—Port Chalmers Club races. February 4.—St. Leonard’s regatta. February 6.—N.E.V’s. Strang Cup race. February 18. —O.Y. Club races; third Paterson Cup race. February 11.—N.E.H. Club’s picnic. February 25.—Strang Cup race; Port Chalmers Ladies’ Day. N.E.H. Club’s races. March 3.—Port Chalmers Club races. March 17.—Moffat Cup race. April 16.—Broad Bay Club races. Sanders Cup Trials at Stewart Island.—February 17, February 18, February 20, and February 21. WEEK-END TIDES. The following times are according to daylight saving hours:— Saturday.—Dunedin, 9.11 a.m., 9.36 p.m.; Port Chalmers, 8.41 a.m., 9.06 p.m.; Heads, 8.01 a.m., 8.26 p.m. Sunday.—Dunedin, 10.30 a.m., 10.34 p.m. ; Port Chalmers, 9.33 a.m., 10.04 p.m.; Heads, 8.53 a.m., 9.24 p.m. SANDERS CUP. PROMISE OF KEEN CONTEST.

February 17 has been definitely fixed by the Southland Yachting Association as the date for the first Sanders Cup race. Originally, the first lace was scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, but the difficulties, enumerated in last week’s notes, were foreseen by the Stewart Islanders. A -welcome to the visitors will be given on February 15, the dominion conference, which also appoints the officials, will meet on the Thursday, and on Friday a select quintet of yachts will be sent away on the first race of the series.

The 1928 contest promises to be thrilling. Auckland, Wellington, Otago, and Southland will be the challengers, and Canterbury’s Betty will be the defender. All the boats will be within three years old, and for the first time for some years a strictly onedesign class will bo racing. All the boats will be of the approved Rona design. George Andrews can expect a harder fight this year than he successfully countered at Lyttelton last year. The course in magnificent Paterson’s Inlet is free, and the local men will have little advantage. The Lyttelton Harbor is baffling to the stranger, and that was doubtless the reason that Betty looked all over the winner from the first contest. But well we remember the stirring 1926 contest at Dunedin, where Betty, Avalon, and Murihiku were so close. Auckland has decided to send A.valon. Indeed a worthy representative. If the Betty’s old challenger is sailed skilfully the races will be far from “walk-overs” for Betty. Murihiku 11. will represent Southland, and a first-class crew, owing to the contest being on the home course, will he available. Those seamen at the island are marvels at handling _ boats, Murihiku ll.’s fine showing against T. Ball’s new boat and the original Murihiku make her also a dangerous challenger. The Wellington boat, Welleslev 11.. is also a new boat, but, like Eileen, she has not been thoroughly tried out in a reefing breeze.

Yet, five Bona boats racing on a true course will definitely settle the question whether Betty is so superior that her appearance at future contests would frighten other provinces out of issuing a challenge. The death of tho Canterbury Association has left the representation of the northern province solely the responsibility of the Christchurch Club. It is a pity that the association could not have continued, hut the jealousy between tho port and the mudflats has been the hurdle at which the governing body has crashed. However, the estuary men are workers, and the funds will doubtless be raised for sending Betty to the island. In answer to Mr Treleaven’s inquiry; at the last meeting of the association as to whether there was any enthusiasm among the estuary yachtsmen, Mr A. T. Round said that there was plenty, and nearly ail the members of the Christchurch Club would work hard to raise the necessary money to send the boat away. A number of members, he said, were dissatisfied with the methods used in picking the crew of the boat. They thought that a change should be made each year. The skipper, they thought, should have the right to pick his own spinnaker hand, but as far as the other positions in the boat were concerned, they thought that others should be

picked. If this were done, he thought that much more support would be offering. However, ho felt sure that the estuary men would see that Canterbury was represented no matter what the odds. The dissolution of the association raises a most interesting point. If Betty should win again next month, the Christchurch members will hardly be willing to shoulder the cost of running the next contest. Stewart Island was awarded this year’s contest by Canterbury on the grounds that the northern yachtsmen could not afford to run another contest. Should Betty win, the location of the 1929 contest will have to be fixed by Christchurch. All ports of the dominion have now held the contest except Napier, which is missing from the entrants this year. “ For’ard Hand ” is certain that if Betty wins George Andrews will seriously consider asking his club to allocate the next series to Napier. It would be an act of graciousness and an appreciation of Hawke’s Bay’s past support of the Sanders Cup racing. CORNWELL CUP FARCE. Again the Cornwell Cup contest must be described by this writer as a fiasco. That word has been used to describe the previous two contests, and “For’ard Hand,” from the viewpoint of 99 per cent, of the Otago public, repeats the description. The lamentably amateurish decisions of the Contest Sailing Committee have already been severely criticised by “For’ard Hand” in two articles, and the replies from the president have not shattered one argument made in the ‘ Star.’ Hugh Riddell and C. Churchill are to be complimented on their clever performances, and are to be _ commiserated with on the wrong decisions of a supposedly competent committee, which deprived the boys of bringing the cup to Otago. In his first reply to “For’ard Hand” Mr 0. Moiler, president of the Sailing Committee, made an effort to belittle this winter’s opinions on the grounds of allaged “ misstatements.” Will Mr Moiler explain in what way “For’ard Hand” has been responsible for misstatements in connection with yachting? “ For’ard Hand ” has written candidly of the Takapuna contests, and has this year’s contest been any other than a repetition of previous fiascos? Against Mr Moiler the charge of misstatement can be made. He telegraphed to Dun* odin that the decisions were unanimous, but Mr R. Lidgard (Takapuna) was opposed to the rulings. To Mr Lidgard “ For’ard Hand ” wishes to tender apologies for criticising him, hut his president was responsible for the mistake. I

STEWART ISLAND ARRANGEMENTS. The Murihiku 11. lias been chosen to represent Southland in the forthcoming Sanders Cup contest. Though no more trials have been run since Wednesday of last week, yachtsmen are quite satisfied that the nominated boat has proved herself on every occasion to be a better boat than the Sasun B in light and moderate weather tsiates the * Southland Times’). She has won three out of four trials, and her sponsors are making a slight alteration to her centre board, which, they maintain, will give her more speed in rough weather. She is at present in her shed, bottom up, and has been sponged over before the alterations are made. The choosing of crews has been left over till a day or two before the race is run, the crew being chosen to suit weather conditions—either heavy, moderate, or light. The Stewart Island Yacht Club has consented to the Sanders Cup being presented to the winning province at Invercargill, where the ceremony will most likely be performed by Sir Joseph Ward, who is the patron of the club. The Wellington crew has been allocated to Topi’s boarding house, the Otago crew to Thomson’s, and when word is received from Auckland and Canterbury the crews will be dratted to Hicks’s and Hansen’s respectively. There are still possibilities in the Susan B, though she has not been chosen as Southland’s boat. Yachtsmen state that she did better work during the first three or four days than afterwards, and attribute this to the fact that she is a better heavy weather boat. It is quite on the cards she may represent Southland next year, when more is known about her tricks, but at present she is a puzzle. Arrangements are in hand lor the leasing of a room to be used as a club room by the yachting visitors during Cup Week, Mr T. Bragg stating that everything possible will be done to entertain the northern visitors. The sheds for the accommodation of .the boats at Paterson’s Inlet are nearly completed, only the roofs and doors requiring to he fixed. A boat went round to Maori Beach on Wednesday to fetch the final load of timber, and the work will bo completed in about three days. A meeting of the Stewart island Yachting Club was held at Hallmoon Bay on Monday night, Mr A. Moftatt, of Invercargill, explaining to the members that a committee had been formed in Invercargill, and a deputation would wait on the Bluff Harbor Board asking that a tug trip be run every day, and that a concession be allowed the club from every ticket; also that Sanders Cup boats be carried free across the strait. The Railway Department had also been written to with reference to excursion tickets for visiting crews. A HARRY ENDING. Canterbury yachtsmen deserve every congratulation. When the Sanders Cup contest was held at Lyttelton last year, the Christchurch and Port yachtsmen launched an ambitious programme. Socially, the contest was the best yet, and visitors from all centres were not sparing in their praise. A cry was made that funds were short, but at last the balance-sheet has been prepared. It shows a credit balance of £4 5s 4d. The expenditure on the last contest amounted to £285 13s Id, while the receipts were £289 18s sd. Canterbury certainly made its big yachting event a splendid one. ST. LEONARD’S-BURKES REGATTA.

A fine day and a good attendance of city people are all that is required to make the St. Leonard’s and Burkes regatta a big success, as every member of the committee is exerting himself to make a name for the West Harbor bays. The yacht and motor boat programme is as follow: —Yachts, 12ft Gin and under (2.15 p.m.), £1 10s, £1; ICft and over 12ft Gin (2.30 p.m.), £2 and cqil yacht line, £1; all-comers’ yachts (3.15 p.m.), £2 _ and Dawson Challenge Cup with miniature, £1; motor boats, 6 m.p.h and under (3 p. .i.), £2, £1; all-comers’ motor boats (cruisers only, 4.50 p.m.), £2, £l, hansbta; ooraosnkca (class B, 2.45

p.m.), trophy valued £2 2s; speed boats, trophy £2 2s. NORTH-EAST HARBOR CLUB FIXTURES. The club’s picnic will be held on February 11. The launches to convey the (parties to the Portobello Fish Hatcheries will leave Macandrew’s Bay at 1.30. The model yacht race, postponed from January 7, when the owners were competing at the juvenile regatta, will be held on February 2Si The next club races set down for decision are the outboard and all-comers’ yacht races. They were originally fixed for February 18, but as the Port Chalmers regatta will be held on that date the races have been postponed to February 25. The clashing of dates is becoming more annoying yearly, and it is certain that before next season commences the Yacht Association will have to ask all clubs to.forward their programmes, so that an Otago syllabus might be arranged. By making the postponement the North-east Harbor Club has shown commendable consideration to another club. The cup race for Macanrfrew’s Bay yachts will take place on February 6. at 7 p.m. A meeting is to he held at the Bay on Monday night to make arrangements for a social evening to H. Rifldell and C. Churchill, who represented Otago in the Cornwell Cup contest. The club's committee decided to call the public meeting when the matter was brought up at Wednesday's meeting. FLOTSAM AND JETSAM. “I will .Jo anything I can to help the sport, Mr B. S. Irwin told Mr J. T. Paul (president of the Otago Yacht Association) when that official asked the sporting solicitor for the use of Kia Ora’s sails and gear for Eileen, the Otago Sanders Cup challenger. Mr F. Goodwin commented that Mr Irwin was a true sport. The association decided to send a letter of thanks to Mr Irwin. The crew intended keeping up their training in the boat, and she will be in the water until the Tuesday before her departure for the Island. She will then be polished at Maia and crated for the trip south. The president was instructed to arrange the polishing with Mr B. H. Nees. The date of the departure for Stewart Island of Eileen’s crew was raised at the meeting of the Otago Association. Mr J. T. Paul said nis feeling was that the crew should have two or three days at Stewart Island previous to the first race. Owing to the want of information on the tug trips, the association decided to leave the matter in the hands of the president and secretary. Several members thought that if the crew went across to the Island on February 11 their stay would be too prolonged. The general feeling was that the crew should have at least two days on Paterson’s Inlet before the racing commenced.

Urging that a rule be made requiring outboarders not racing to use mufflers,, the Macandrew Bay Regatta Committee wrote strongly on the question to the Otago Association last night. Mr J. T. Paul said it was a reasonable request. On the motion of Mr 0. Martin, the association decided to recommend clubs and regatta committees to make a rule on the suggested hues. The Macandrew Bay suggestion that all boats not racing in a particular event should keep clear of the course was also favorably recommended to the various clubs.

Messrs J. T. Paul and H. Camp were appointed delegates to the dominion Sanders Cup contest by the Otago Association last night. The nominations were made by Mr A. D. Asher, who, said Mr Paul, had given everv satisfaction as chairman. It was all the more necessary this year that strong men should represent the province at the conference.

It was reported to the association last night that C. French, a member of the selected crew for Eileen, had not been out in the 14-footer. Mr 0. Martin said it was only fair that the skipper should be enabled to get the feel of Eileen with Mr French aboard. Members were unanimous that there was not the slightest feeling against Mr French. Mr Paul said that if he had ho. ( rd anything of the sort he would have reported the matter. The association decided to ask Mr French to hnv» ns much training as possible in the Otago boot.