CORNWELL CUP CONTEST

Evening Star, Issue 25698, 23 January 1946, Page 7

CORNWELL CUP CONTEST

WINS FOR AKAROA AND AUCKLAND (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 22. The first race for the Cornwell Cup, sailed at Akaroa yesterday, was won by Akaroa. The times of the first four boats were: — Akaroa lh 38min ssec Auckland lh 38min 7sec Christchurch ... lh 39min 15sec Tauranga lh 40min ssec The next to finish were Manukau, •Plimmerton, Lyttelton. Wellington, Wanganui, Otago, and Timaru. Auckland (T. Miller and R. Croad) won the second face, which was sailed this morning. Wanganui finished 3sec behind Auckland Ifor second place, with Plipimerton third,’ Christchurch fourth, and Timaru fifth. A'protest bv Wanganui against Auckland was disallowed jby the Conference Committee. The finishing' times were:— Auckland llh 46min 38sec ... Wanganui ... llh 46min 39sec Plimmerton ... llh 48min 34sec ; Christchurch ... llh 49min Bsec Manukau ... ... llh 49miii 39sec Timaru llh 49min 46sec '. Lyttelton ... llh 50min Bsec * Wellington ... llh oOmin 9sec Akaroa ... ... llh 50min 29sec Tauranga ... ... llh 50min 54sec Otago ... llh 53min ssec Paremata llh 54min 32sec In the afternoon race, which started jin a light wind, there was little difference between the boats as they sailed •on the first stretch to leeward buoy. Wanganui and Akaroa led from Lyt--jkelton, and Christchurch, which had !passed\in front of Wellington. The i first to round Green Point was Manukau, followed by Christchurch, Wanganui, and Auckland. In the run to the Tikao buoy Christchurch closed up on the windward side behind Manukau, yith Auckland also gaining. All three boats rounded the buoy within a few seconds of one another. From here there was a dead .beat back to Daly’s wharf to finish the first round; Christchurch and Manukau lost ground, while Wanganui came up to lead Auckland round the buoy by a few seconds. As the boats approached the leeward mark in an erratic wind ■Wanganui held its lead. Auckland slowly drew up again in the run to Tikao buoy, eventually taking the lead. At this point the wind changed, and the yachts were forced to douse their spinnakers before rounding the buoy to' turn for home. Auckland was leading Wanganui by 15 seconds when it rounded the buoy, with Akaroa and Christchurch three ■minutes behind. Wanganui kept its position well to windward, but , was caught in calm patches. Sailing farther out in the harbour to leeward, Auckland took a starboard tack to get into position and changed oyer to cross the buoy well in front. The finishing times of the first four boats were:—’ ’ Auckland ... ... lh 32min 32sec Wanganui lh 35min 2sec i Akaroa ... ... ,lh 36min Osec Christchurch ... lh 36min 44sec Then followed Manukau, Paremata, Lyttelton, Tauranga, Plimmerton, Tiniafu, and Wellington. Because of a mishap with its tackle, Otago was forced to withdraw.