YACHTING NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 23146, 21 December 1938, Page 3

YACHTING NEWS

FIXTURES, 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 Cbalrners 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. BOXING DAY REGATTA. Following is the programme for the races to be held at Macandrew Bay at the annual regatta on Boxing Day:— Sailing dinghies, 12ft Gin, handicap, starts 12.30; R.N.V.R. y. Sea Scouts, starts 1; 14ft X class sailing dinghies, handicap, starts 1.30; speed boat race, handicap, starts 2; sailing dinghies, 13ft and under, handicap, starts 2.30; R.N.V.R. v. Sea Scouts, 3; motor boats, allcomers, handicap, starts 3.15; allcomers’ yachts, handicap, starts 3.30. Entries were very poor at the last Macandrew Bay regatta,' and it is to be hoped that the same state of affairs will not exist this year. There are a number of new boats in the harbour to assist, and with the majority of all classes present there should be some thrilling racing from both the spectators’ and participants’ points of view. Last year the programme was made more lengthy by the inclusion of the rowing events. These have been eliminated this year, so to keep the public interested for the day yachtsmen, and motor boat owners as well, should turn out in the best numbers possible. SUCCESS OF THE RAINBOW.

The yacht Rainbow, well known foi her racing success in Auckland, Sydney, and Wellington, has always been a favourite, especially with the older generation of yachtsmen, for she has seldom raced during the past 24 years. The Rainbow, was built by the Logan Bros, in 1898, for the late Arthur Pittar, of Parnell, and later of Sydney (writes “ Speedwell.” She ■was always regarded as Logan’s masterpiece, and is 50ft lOin overall, 35ft Ciu on the waterline, Sit lOin greatest beam, and 7ft draught, her displacement being about nine tons. Rainbow was successful from the first, being keenly raced' for her owner by‘Mr John Alexander (now Hon. J. A.. M.L.C.), also the late Mr “ Jock ” Logan and his brother Mr Archie Logan, who still takes a great interest in her. After beating all our local yachts Mr Pittar decided to take Rainbow to Sydney to meet their crack 36-footer, Mr Sam Horden’s White Wings. She also competed in the intercolonial championship race at the Sydney anniversary regatta. The yacht was shipped on the foredock of the Union Company’s steamer Waihora in 1900, Mr Arch. Logan being in charge as racing skipper, the crew including Messrs A. and W. Pit tar, F. Somerfield, R. G. (Duff) Daere, W. Jaggar, and W. Whitley, The yacht arrived at Sydney on a Saturday morning and ’ was quickly got ready to race in. the afternoon. She won* the 36ft intercolonial championship by six minutes - from White Wings, ' with Bona, built by C. Bailey at Auckland, third. There was a collision at the stsfrt. Rainbow losing her bowsprit, but the committee, in a very sporting way, postponed the race

for an hour, and within that time Rainbow was rushed to Mr Billy Holmes’s yard, where a new bowsprit was made by Archie Logan and fitted with seven minutes of the hour to spare when she reached the starting line.

The owner of White Wings, now Sir Samuel Horden, was not convinced that Rainbow was the faster boat, and at a dinner in their honour at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, a friendly match, best of three races, was arranged for £11) per race. The first race was sailed in a hard breeze and White Wings won by Imin 3l)sec, after Rainbow’s jib halliard parted, but was soon repaired. Rainbow won the second race by three minutes and the third by over ]smin. In this race, sailed in light weather, Mr Holmes persuaded! Rainbow’s owner to carr) some Sydney “ extras.” On the run home the Sydney men set a big balloon spinnaker (forerunner of the parachute, no doubt) from the top of Rainbow’s topsail yard, boomed out with a long light spar. Her ordinary spinnaker was also set, the wind being spilled from the big one into it. From Sydney, Rainbow was shipped to Wellington, where she was sold to Mr J. Mills, who raced her at tho local regattas with success. He also sailed her to Lyttelton to compete in the New Zealand championship, which she won. A few years later Rainbow was purchased by Messrs Gray Brothers, of Auckland, who sailed her back to her own waters, where she added to her laurels. Her next owner was the late Mr J. C. Macky, of Devonport, who raced and cruised in her for three seasons, selling her to Mr Percy Defaur, who sold her next year to Mr Arch. Buchanan about 1909; Mr Buchanan preferred cruising to racing under the prevailing system of handicapping by performances. Mr, Buchanan spld Rainbow at the end of last November to Messrs Joe Patrick and Frank Cloke, who at the time owned the Speedwell and had also owned the Jellicoe class boats Desert Gold and Avalon. With them are associated Mr Tom Patrick, and a brother of Mr Cloke. Keen members of her present crew are Mr J. Patrick’s two sons. Rainbow wanted some attention and she was not launched until the New Year, competing in the Anniversary Regatta and also with the Royal Akarana Club, winning most of her races. She is not yet rigged for racing, still having her old sails, also a new suit ordered by Mr Buchanan before he sold her, from the same sail plan as her last suit. *

Rainbow will be keenly raced this season under her present rig and her owners plan to join all clubs catering for keel yachts, including the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. For the 1940 Centennial season Rainbow will have a complete new rig of mast, spars, and sails. In every successful boat there is'one man behind the scenes to whom the major share of her success is due. Not always the skipper or even the owner —heis sometimes only one of the crew, but always an enthusiast who does most of the little jobs on the boat before she races, taking care that all her gear, sails, and underwater surface are in A 1 order. Rainbow’s early success was due largely to the enthusiasm, skill, and sound judgment of one who sailed her frequently and was always doing some of the odd jobs that all know are necessary to keep a boat up to the mark. It was Mr John Alexander who did this. The owner, Mr Arthur Pittar, had little experience of racing, and never sailed her in her races. To show how keen John A. was for most of her big races (all sailed under a rating rule, with a fixed time scale to each-mile, of the course), used to clear everything not to be used out of the yacht, even going as far as removing the locker lids. For this he came in for some chaffing from Rainbow’s crew, but- her successes proved

him to be right. All associated with Rainbow in the past are pleased to see her racing again and join in wishing her new owners, who are the right ones to keep her (it, every success. IDEAL CRUISER. The ideal cruiser is hard to define and vanes in many ways according to circumstances, mainly financial, but the good little ship that a former yachtsman of Wellington and Auckland has had built at Cowes, Isle of Wight, for cruising on the south coast of England, comes as near to the ideal as possible She would be just the boat for sailing with a limited crew for week-ends on the Hauraki Gulf with the advantage of accommodation for a family party and up to six or seven when rejuired for holiday cniii.es. The boat in question is owned by Mr Berkeley Clarke, well known to all Wellington yachtsmen and not a few in Auckland, as former owner-skipper of the 40ft keel yacht Marangi. built at Devonport in 1910 by Air E. Le Huquet. Air Clarke was commodore of the Royal Port Nicholson laclit Club and made many voyages across Cook Strait to the Sounds in her About three years ago Air Clarke went to England, settling on the south coast. Naturally, in the home of yachting, he wanted to have a yacht, and he spent much time and thought developing his ideal cruiser. His main ideas on the subject were given to Air John Aldcn, a noted naval architect, of New York, and his present yacht is the outcome of their combined wisdom. „ The vaclit is 40ft overall. 10ft 6m beam, and 6ft draught. She carries 630 ft of sail in Bermudian mainsail and one headsail, the very best rig for handiness and speed, in my opinion. She is original in several respects. Mr Clarke, a six-footer himself, has secured an average of 6ft 4in hend room below, from for’ard to tho cockpit, by means of a flush deck with a break at the cockpit, like a flush-decked motor yacht. This gives plenty of headroom without spoiling her appearance, and the cockpit is very roomy, with the floor lowered as in a motor boot. The fore cabin is a two-berth state room with 6ft 2in headroom. Next aft is a wash basin, etc., on port, and a large wardrobe or clothes locker on starboard. The main cabin hns four berths and 6ft 6in headroom, with the galley just inside the cockpit to port, and a lounge or spare bunk opposite. Beneath the cockpit and completely built off from the cabins is a 12 h.p. Diesel engine. This drives a feathering propeller on a shaft running por.allef with the keel, hut set Gin to port to clear the sternpost. thus avoiding the necessity of cutting the rudder, as it is set just above (be top of the blade and allows the rudder to he turned without interference. The little ship has a good turn of speed both under sail and power only, and has proved to bo a good sea boat in cross-Ch.mnel weather. She was built at Wallnntt’s yard. Isle of Wight, and is named Hinerangi (Goddess of the Skies). YACHTSMAN’S DICTIONARY. Claw.—To claw off a lee shore is to sail so close to the wind th.at a vessel, in danger, proceeds further from a dangerous position. Chain Plates.—lron, brass, or gnumetal plates bolted to the sides of a vessel to secure the rigging to. Clean. —A yacht’s model is clean if not bluff and ugly. An ancchor goes down or comes up clean if it has no round turn of the chain or warp on the stock, when it is-termed foul. Cleat.—Wooden or metal fittings for making fast or belaying .a, rope to. Clew. —The lower, aftermost corner of a sail. Close-hauled. —A boat is close-hauled when she is sailing as close as possible to the wind.

Close-reefed,—All reefs taken in ami sail shortened as nuu-h as possible. Companion. —The entrance to the cabin from the deck. Coaming.—The sides of the cabin top hatches or cockpit. Como. —Used as go in. go about, come round, come to (anchor), fho anchor comes home if it fails to take hold on the bottom and tho boat drags. RAVENSBOURNE RACING. Sailed in a fresh breeze, the Ravensbourne Boating Club’s race lor junior .yachtsmen on Saturday proved interesting. Eight boats went to the starting lino, Waiata, the scratch boat, winning on the corrected times after a close contest. Hippie was first over the line, closely followed by Eileen and Evelyn. On the beat to the Three Legs, Waiata forged ahead to round some three minutes ahead of Evelyn, which was Followed by Eileen, Hippie, Lynotte, and Eunice. Irex and Leone were a long way astern. W'aiata’s lend was reduced on the run by both the 14-foot-ers Evelyn and Eileen, the latter boat, which had slightly closed up on Evelyn, running past the buoy, and losing some time getting back to round. Some good racing was seen on the beat back to the Three Legs. Waiata opened up a slightly larger lead from Evelyn, which in turn sailed away from Eileen. Ripple, which had been going well at the start of the race, made the mistake of hugging the Peninsula instead of working the retaining wall, where there was more wind. Waiata rounded the mark to make the run homo with 13.) minutes to spare from Evelyn, which had 2.1 minutes over Eileen. Then came Ripple, Lynette, and Eunice. Irex and Leone had retired. 'Waiata held a good breeze down to the finishing line, and crossed six minutes ahead of Evelyn, which had one minute lead from Eileen. Waiata was handled capably by A. Divers, having enough time in hand to win on corrected times. The results were:—

W’aiata (A. Divers), scr, 1; Eileen (A. Cuthbert), Gmin, 2; Ripple (A. Booth), fhiiin, 3; Evelyn (H. Todd), 4min, 4; Eunice (E. Kibblewlnte), llmin, 5; Lynette (E. Pettit), smm, G. NOTES. Class colours were decided upon at the last meeting of the Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Association. These will come into force after the regatta on Boxing Day, when all yachts will be obliged to conform to standard requirements.

11. Ball, of the crew of Lynette, must have a fair claim to a record in Sanders Cup competition, as wueii sails at Bluff he will bo only 17 years of age. There cannot he many yachtsmen of this age, or younger, who have been selected to represent their province in any of the series to date. Incidentally, Cyril Pettit, who will skipper Lynette at Bluff, will have the choice of sails of almost all the X class boats in the harbour, so that Otago’s representation will not suffer through any faulty materials being carried on the challenger. Pettit is as keen as ever, and last Sunday lie was out practising in a stiff breeze. Another keen yachtsmen on the harbour is a junior member, but one who deserves success through his assiduous practice. He is J. Wilson, who was out in his Taka puna yacht Tore over the week-end at Mussel Bay in stiff winds.

The Eileen, which has represented Otago on many occasions in .Sanders Cup contests, is offered for sale, with three sets of sails.

The Cornwell Cup representatives will leave Dunedin on January 10 for Pliminerton. where the series will start on January 14. As last year, the races will be sailed in the open sen. Otago supporters are not in favour of this particularly, but it will bo great experience for the Otago crew. Another Whakatere class yacht has made an appearance on the harbour, ft is owned by J. Denson, of Port Chalmers, and was launched in the Lower Harbour over the week-end.