YACHTING NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 22233, 10 January 1936, Page 5

YACHTING NEWS

[By “ Gybe.”]

(Secretaries of clubs are requested to forward brief notes of general interest before Tuesday of each week to ensure insertion.)

YACHTMAN’S CALENDAR. January s.—Port Chalmers Yacht and Motor Boat Club’s races.

January 11. RavenSbourno Club \ f Junior yachtsman’s race (crew 21 years of age and under, open to all clubs). January 18.,—Port Chalmers Yacht and Motor Boat Club’s races. • January 25.—Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Club; H. F. Nees Memorial Cup (open to all - clubs) ; motor boat cruising race to Broad Bay (open to all clubs). January 28,—Sanders Cup races commence at Auckland! February B.—North-east Harbour and Vanxhall Clubs: Combined races at Vauxhall—yachts and motor boats (open to all clubs). February 9.—Port Chalmers Yacht and Motor Boat Club’s races. February 15.-—Ravensbourne Club; Bowie Cup (open to A grade yachts). February 22.—North-east Harbour Club: All-comers’ yacht arid launch races; S'traiig and Elliot Cups; BurkesSt. Leonards regatta. March 7.—Ravensbourne regatta. March 14.—Ravensbourne Club ; Ross Cup. March 21.—Vauxhall Club ; Wakefield Cup, Jell Memorial Shield, Vauxhall Cup; April ,4. —Ravensbourne Club ; Cuthbert Cup. April 11.—Broad Bay Club; yacht and motor boat races. April 18.—North-east Harbour Club ; all-comcrs’' yacht and motor boat races. PRESIDENT GIVES ASSURANCE VAL TO GO TO AUCKLAND No sport in Otago has been dogged so persistently with administrative troubles or acrimonious personal grievances as yachting. These,troubles have done untold harm to the sport, and now the latest (and the most serious) of the setbacks it--has received is , fihe natural sequel to a long’chapter of discontent. The Yachting Association feared till the last moment that the necessary finance needed to send Val and MlGrath’s crew to. Auckland would not be forthcoming. It is learned, however, that on the assurance of its president (Mr E. T. Moller), the controlling body fully intends to have Otago represented at the contest. Mr Moller told “ Gybe ” that, in the event of the necessary money not being raised by canvassing, other avenues of obtaining finance would be explored. In fairness to some dubs, he said that assistance would probably be forth-

coming from the Vauxhall Club, which had promised its full quota, from the Ravensbourue Club, which had guaranteed £5. and from the Macandrew Bay Club, which would donate £2. One difficulty inseparable from yachting is that no “ gate ” is received from races, but, even allowing for the emptiness of the public pocket, it is_ interesting to contrast the present position with that of the year when June was this province's contender for the cup. Her skipper, a true enthusiast, waited on the association for its consideration of his wish to travel north a week before the contest opened, providing that £SO was obtained by him as part of the expenses for the trip, in order that he could give his crew every opportunity for practice. The £SO was quickly forthcoming.

For the first occasion since the contest, the association intended to have the crew accompanied by a manager, but with his travelling expenses to be met, this is now out of the questiqn. However, it is reported that Messrs A. Burt and T. Anderson will probably act as ioint managers at their own expense, and also represent Otago at the conference.

Difficulty may yet be experienced in hilletinp- the crew, as the Takapuna Boating Club, after giving its assurance

that accommodation would be found •for all visiting representatives, has at this late stage informed the association that only three crews will be able to be housed privately.

CORNWELL CUP—OTAGO’S POSITION, With the coffers of the Yachting Association in such an impoverished condition, and with competitive and public interest in the Takapuna class almost non-existent in Dunedin, it is extremely questionable whether Otago should be represented at. the Cornwell Cup contest this month at Auckland. Already the financial burden strenuously carried by the association is becoming too heavy, and in that respect the weight is not being supported by the efforts of the general yachting fraternity. Old administrative sores that should long ago have been forgotten still hurt, evidently, but whatever faults (if any) the association has committed, yachtsmen with even a spark of sporting pride should at least make some financial effort to uphold the dignity of the province. Regrettable though it is. many of them have adopted quite a disinterested attitude regarding the transportation of Val and her crew to the northern centre, due to personal grievances over the selection of the boat. including Otago, entries for the Cornwell Cup have been received by the Takapuna Boating Club from Tiniaru, Kaiapoi, Christchurch, Lyttelton, Wellington, Paremata, Plimmerton, Tauranga (defender), Auckland, Manukau, amf Whangarei. With such a large number of entries it is possible that races would have to be sailed to decide the winner, and a suggestion from Wellington that the present system of decidmg the winner by sailing until one crew” has won three races should he abandoned in favour of one in which a definite number of races is sailed and each com-

petitor is allotted a certain number of points, is worthy of consideration. The first boat would receive one point, the second two, the third three, and so on, until the last boat is in. In the event of capsizes or any other mishaps causing a boat to withdraw, the first boat to withdraw would bo consinered the last one home, the second the second to last home, and so on. The winner would be the boat with the least number of points after the given number of races had been saijed. This system is being considered . by Southland and Canterbury, but Otago has refused to adopt it. SOUTHLAND’S SANDERS CUP CREW. By winning two out of the three races sailed at Bluff, Irene, the former Canterbury champion, will represent Southland at the Sanders Cup contest, to bo held in Auckland on January 28.

Irene all through gave an excellent performance, and should worthily represent the province at the contest. The first race resulted in a tie between Murihiku 11. (Stewart Island) and Vorena (Bluff). Irene was not prominent; the light breeze did not seem to suit her at all (comments the Southland ‘ Times ’). It appeared from the launch that followed the, boats that the Bluff craft had won this race, but the judge ruled that the boats had tied for first place. Both , the second and third races were runaway victories for Irene. On each occasion a stiff breeze was blowing, and this admirably suited the boat. Last year, at Stewart Island. Irene proved herself to be at home iu any kind of weather, and was able to show up to advantage in both rough and smooth water.

Vorena, the Bluff representative, gave a splendid performance in the three races. With a seasoned and experienced crew in her she might have been a match for Irene. Vorena is a new craft, and was built by J. Shannon. She has fine lines, and is constructed in a competenet manner. More should be heard of her in the future. The Stewart Island boat, Murihikn 11.. sailed an excellent race in the morning contest of the first day. The Bragg brothers understand this boat, and they were able to get the best out of her. In the second race she gained second place, but was later disqualified for fouling Evelvn, and did not start in the next race. Rosita and Evelyn provided added interest to their races, but they were never in the picture. LIFE JACKETS FOR YACHTSMEN. Every yachtsman should be able to .swim ; that is a duty ho owes not only to himself, but to his shipmates pud clubmates. But no matter bow proficient at swimming, every yachtsman who sails in the smaller class should wear a life jacket, states the December issue of the Evans Bay ‘ Yachtsman.

There is on the market' a scientifically designed life jacket, which will support a man in tho water so that he floats with his head out; for normal wear this' is a comfortable, warm, wind-and-water-proof garment ideally suited to the yachtsman’s needs. There is no doubt whatever that even the most able seaman may unexpectedly find himself swimming; in a capsize he may easily be disabled, or long immersion may take toll of his energy. Any fool can take risks, but the experienced seaman avoids doing so. NEW HOLIDAY SPORT. Cruising by canoe in inland waters is, the latest craze in Europe, and has so increased during the last few years that to-day it rivals even hiking in popularity. The idea is to entrain one’s canoe to the head waters of a selected waterway, and thence cruise downstream, portaging when the rapids are

too had to shoot them. The craft used are light portable canvas canoes, of the folding type. Sail and tent are useful, indeed essential, accessories. This form of sailing has become popular in England, Franco, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Denmark, but most of all in Germany.