YACHTING NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 23128, 30 November 1938, Page 4

YACHTING NEWS

[By Spinnarbiu]

FIXTURES. December 3.—Otago Yacht Club races. December 10.—Ravensbourno Club, Bowie and Shamrock Cups. December 17.—Ravensbourne Club, junior yachtmen’s race. December 26.—Macandrew Bay regatta. January 7.—Vauxhall Club, Oliphant Cup. January 14. Broad Bay Club’s races. January 21.—Nees Memorial Cup. January 28.—Port Chalmers Club races. February 4.—St. Leonards regatta. February s.—Combined picnic. February 11.—Port Chalmers Club races. February 18. Ravensbourne regatta. February 25.—Port Chalmers Club races; Ravensbourne Club, Ross Cup. PETTIT’S FIRST WIN ONE OF HIS BEST RACES FOURTH SANDERS GUP TRIAL Sailing probably the finest race of his career over a triangular course, Cyril Pettit and his crew in Lynette won the fourth Sanders Cup trial in convincing fashion. Pettit has for a long time been “knocking on the door” in the series, and, had it not been for losing valuable time through rounding a buoy on the wrong hand in a previous race, he would now have been leading in the challenge for supremacy with Eileen, which has been twice sailed to victory by E. Cuthbert. Evelyn is the only other boat to have scored a win. Taken by and large, the fourth trial was a really thrilling race. Pettit’s success was duo purely to his superior seamanship on tne day—his skilful tactics and masterly sailing carried him to the fore early in the piece, and kept him there out of danger of challenges throughout. He finished over 2min ahead of the next boat home, after gradually increasing his slight lead over the first' round in the final two. There were four rounds. A particularly smart piece of work, and one difficult to accomplish under such conditions as prevailed on Saturday—there was a strong west-south-westerly—was the setting of his spinnaker on the leads from the Vauxhall shed to the Kitchener street pile. This was what gave him his lead in the initial round. In the third round ho made his first and only .mistake of the day—when he set his spinnaker on the lead from Vauxhall, he lost the boom, but, owing to the gap he had opened up before this time, he was able to rectify the error before the remainder of the fleet had time to catch him up. Eileen, who was expected to terminate the series by scoring her third win in the heavy going, did not seem to ho able to strike her best form. Cuthbert did not make his usual fine and aggressive showing for some reason. When Lynette got away at the start Eileen could not catch her, try as she might. Nothing seemed to go right, even in the favouring four-man breeze.

From the start the order across the line was Heather, Avenger, Lynette, Evelyn, Val, Eileen, and Ripple. All were in a bunch. When the Castle beacon had been rounded Lynette had run into the lead, and rounded a few seconds ahead of the fleet. On the beat to Vauxhall there was little alteration to the placmgs, except that Eileen had moved up into fourth place. The craft were now beginning to string out. On the lead from Vauxhall to the Kitchener street pile Pettit inaugurated the spinnaker - setting manoeuvre that gave him the race. Some of the others tried to follow suit, with varying success. Some again seemed to realise that this was above their capabilities, and did not attempt to set the extra sail, Lynette then gave t a delightful exhibition of skilful planing. Lynette completed the first round Imin 15sec ahead of Avenger, with the remainder all within 2min 45sec later. The order at this stage was Lynette, Avenger, Heather, Eileen, Evelyn, Val, and Ripple. The second round brought little change in positions. Evelyn went up into third place, while Eileen dropped back into fifth, Lynette was opening up a gap all the time, and carried her spinnaker on every favourable opportunity; Pettit took’ the risk and got away with it. The conclusion of the second round saw Lynette round with 2min 45seo to spare from Avenger, and she was increasing her lead all the way. Evelyn came next, a further 30sec away; then Eileen 40sec later, with another 36sec to Heather and 55sec to Val. On the final run to the Castle Beacon Lynette’s spinnaker boom came adrift and dragged in the water, but her lead was too great for this to have any effect on the placings at this stage. 'Before the finishing Tine was reached, both Evelyn and Eileen displaced Avenger, on the lead from Vauxhall to the Kitchener street pile. Heather withdrew after the second round, one of her crew having suffered a sprained wrist, which caused him to he more of a hindrance than a help. It was unfortunate that this should have marred her chances.

Lynette went on to increase her lead and finish 6miu Bsec ahead of Evelyn. Corrected times were: Lynette, Ih 36min 29sec; Evelyn. 1.42.37; Eileen, 1.42.51; Avenger, 1.43.51; Val, 1.47.11; and Ripple, 1.49.43. The next Sanders Cup trial race will start at 2.30 p.m, on Saturday, and will’ be oyer a windward and leeward course of nine miles. CUP POINTS. In the handicap race sailed in conjunction with the trials, Val emerged the winner with a handicap of 12imin, finishing in Ih 34min 41tec, while Ripple (13imin), 1.36.13, was second, and Lynette (scr), 1.36.29, was third. The remaining placings were Avenger, Evelyn, and Eileen in that order. Cup points to date for the fottr races are as follows: —Evelyn, 10; Lynette and Eileen, 9; Val, 7; Avenger and (Ripple, 6; Heather, 4; Colleen and Eunice, 3; and Winifred, 2. CORNWELL CUP TRIAL.; L In the third Cornwell Cup trial, ’Wat ; son was successful in scoring his first win. Camp Was Well in the lead when his mast snapped off short; he Was lucky that he did not capsize. All the boats finished Within Imm of each other—it was a great race, Watson; Wilson, and Camp now have a race each in hand. The next trial will be on Saturday over a triangular course at Port Chalmers, probably at Mussel Bay. Following this will be another at RavenSbdurnl the following week. YACHT CLUB PRIZE NIGHT. On Saturday nest the Otago Yacht Club will hold its annual prize night and social evening, when all are assured of a fine night’s entertainment. The function will take place at the boat harbour, beginning at 8 p.m. Club races will be held for all-comers’ yachts over the club’s course on Saturday afternoon, beginning about 3 p.m. Entries are invited. NOTES. The first Sanders Cup trial to determine the Southland representative was sailed at Bluff last Saturday, and resulted in a win for Vorena, skippered by J. Shannon, of Bluff, her owner. The we&ther Was ideal—fine and Warm, with a south-easterly breeze, which later freshened. Only three yachts—Rawerte, Rosita, and the winner—competed. Over a triangular course, KaWene led until the second round, when yorena took the lead. Then Rosita displaced her, but was again headed. Raweiie was in third place. TAKE CARE OF NEW SAILS. SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE. Yachtsmen are invariably impressed with the necessity of taking care of a new sail, especially during its first week. The following advice will help to get the best out of the many new sails to be used this season:—ln an effort to get long, effective service from our sails, let us start with a brand new sail—a jib-headed or Bermudan main-1

sail for instance—and treat it in accordance with knowledge gained over a long period of years. Choose a fine sunny day when the breeze is light. Never set a new sail if it is blowing hard, or on a foggy, rainy, damp day. Never reef a new sail unless it is a matter of life and death. Hoist away on the luff until it is lairly taut—no harder. Pull the sail out on the boom a little harder than “ hand taut.” By this, we mean put it out until the small wrinkles along the foot disappear. The bolt-rope, which stretches more than the canvas, is sewn on the sail fairly taut, causing the wrinkles. When pulled out so that the wrinkles disappear, the sail will be of the exact dimensions, the shape, and size determined by the sailmaker—termed the “ made length.” Pulling out a sail “ hand taut ” is the popular rule; as this is not quite hard enough, the method whereby it is pulled out until the wrinkles along the rope disappear is preferable. Few; coils of rope stretch the same amount. Different sizes of rope stretch differently. A 51b pull may be enough for one rope to make wrinkles disappear, but it may take a 251 b pull on another rope. Wherefore, we. prefer to be guided by the wrinkles rather, than the questionable “ hand taut ” method for different sizes and characters of rope* The leech of your sail is seldom roped* It is usually cut with a convex edge, or “ roach,” as it is popularly called* Batten pockets, for wooden battens, are placed at intervals along this edge, usually in line with the seams. Never hoist a sail without inserting the battens in their proper pockets. For if they are not used, the “ roach ” will not hold itself flat, and the weight of the boom will stretch the sail in' a straight line from the head-board to clew. But when the battens are in fflace, the whole reached area of the eeeh will take its share of the strain, and the sail will stretch evenly and naturally. Have your battens an inch or so shorter than the pockets they fit in. If they are too long they will wear a hole in the inboard end of the batten pocket, or through the body of the sail itself.

The unroped leech of a sail will stretch practically all it is ever going to stretch the first time a sail is used. That is why, among other reasons, wa recommend that luff and foot should be pulled to the “ made length,” to help stretch the whole sail evenly. If the luff is not set up to the “ made length,” the after end of the boom is apt to droop and swing too low, putting undue weight on the leech. 'When hoisting sail, take the weight of the boom on the topping lift.until the sail is hoisted all the way up It is not fair treatment to make the sail take tha weight of the boom until the halliard is set up and the luff taut. With the sail properly set, get under way and cruise around for an hour or two. Do not let a new sail shake, with the boat head to wind at the moorings, for any longer than necessary. It will get more than enough shaking during its natural life. Allowing the sail to shake and slat means that the minute threads and fibree of cotton are chafing against one another, the natural life of the_ canvas being shortened. While sailing around with your new sail you will note that the leech area stretches first. Therefore do not sail hard on the wind with the sheet trimmed flat. Watch your new sail carefully. Soon you will see that the luff rope and the foot rope are beginning to stretch—-there are sags and wrinkles along both luff and foot of sail. As this stretching takes place, haul up on your halliard and haul out on your clew outhaul, an inch or so at a time-—just enough to take up sags and wrinkles, no more. Don’t “ winch up’’.the sail bar taut—don’t pull out the foot, of the sail bar. tgut at first. The.canvas is stretching out slowly ami naturally, due to mild wind pressure. Stretch luff and foot of sail slowly and naturally; don’t force things, or the sail may be utterly ruined so far as proper set is concerned. There is no set rule as to the number of hours of sailing needed to break in a sail properly. Sails of light-weight canvas as a rule break in quicker than those of heavy material. All sails should have at least four hours of careful sailing and stretching in fine weather and light airs before being used in a strong breeze, and it may take much longer. It is safer to overdo the breaking-in period rather than, underdo it. If any sail, such as a jib, has a wire luff rope, forget all that has been said about gradually stretching the luff; set it up as taut as you please—your sailmaker has put a wire on the luff because he does not wish that particular edge of the sail to stretch at all. YACHTSMEN’S DICTIONARY. Break Off.—A vessel is said to break off when the wind comes more ahead and she cannot lie her original course. Bobstay.—The stay that holds tha bowsprit down to the stem. ■ Boit Ropes.—Ropes sewn along certain sides of a sail to strengthen it. Bore.—A vessel-bores when she goes down a bit by the head. The tide bores up a channel. Bower.—The largest working anchor on a vessel. Bowse.—To haul down or haul taut.

Boxing Off.—Hauling the head sheets to windward to pav a vessel’s'head off the wind; boxing the compass is to call the points from north to north. Break. —You break out a leading jib or spinnaker set up in stops or a burgee. You break out an anchor from the ground. Burgee.—A triangular-shaped flag, as most club flags are. A suitable size fop a burgee on smaller yachts is 2ft 6in, with an ensign 1J yards. The next' size is 3ft burgee, with 2 yards ensign, or 3ft 6in burgee and a 2§ yards ensign. Bridle.—A rope, wire, or chain connecting something.