CHRISTCHURCH SAILING CLUB.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 10465, 1 October 1894, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH SAILING CLUB.

OPENING OF THE SEASON.

An unclouded sun was all that was needed to make the opening of the Christ*} : church Sailing Club’s season on afternoon a complete success. The easterly breeze was well enough from tho yacht®*} man’s point of view, but it chilled-the; spectators, and the estuary, studded with: white sails, would have presented a far more attractive spectacle had it been soss+‘ under a bright blue sky than unde® tb<j dull grey one of Saturday afternoon. Ths arrangements were well planned aha’ carried out, and the sport afforded was good. The attendance was as large as could have been expected; tea of people wont to the estuary by ths tramway, and a considerable number drove or cycled thither. The Engineers* Band played beside a marquee, erected bs Mr Monok’e paddock, wherein tho club hospitably provided afternoon tea f ir all who> chose to partake. Mrs Drew, of Sumsciv was the caterer, and deserves great credit for the excellent provision made for the ; club’s guests. The starting and timekeeping were efficiently carried out by Hr : M. H. Berkeley, commodore of the club. | An apparatus for signalling tho starts was used on Saturday for the first time at the races of this club. The first event, the Single-handed Sailing Race, was started with fair punctuality. Seven boats competed, aud the Aone, sailed by A. L. Smith, pro red her superiority by an easy victory. The race ■ was once round the club’s course, about a mile, and the Aono’s time was 13mia 14sm. The Torea, sailed by A. Solton, was second, doing the distance in ISmiu Sacs, and the Pakeha, D. Sinclair, ISmin SSscc, - third. Pour boats took part in the rescuing competition, in which e&eh boat had to drop a life buoy overboard whsn fiSgeaissa, gybe and pick up the bu«r-' w wind. The Aone, smartly hano.'M by A, L. Smith; effected the fescuo ;a iikso, and, , won. The Ariadne, H. Hawker, 29asts, was second. In the Handicap Sailing Race,, twice round the course, there were a number of fouls. The race was won by the Waitangi, sailed by H. Hawker, which did the distance in 32min 25e6c, which s handicap allowance of a minute and a half reduced to 30min 55sec. The Water witch, which wassailed byj. Sinclair,came in4sseolater, and took second place. Her actual sailing time was 38mih lOsec, and her handicap one minute. The Torea (A. Roitcm), 33min 25sec, less one minute handicap, , was third, and the Aone, act, 3Smin,4SasSi fourth. The Pakeha only went once round. , Before the start of tho last race the spectators were treated to a. submarine explosion by a detachment of the Canterbury Engineers, under Sergeant Paul, who, with the aid of thirty pounds of powder iu an oil drum, a hundred yards of wire, an electric “ exploder ” and the club’s dingey, blew a column of water some forty feet into the air. While the race was in pro* gress “ Professor ” Pannel, ,61 the Sumner Baths, gave an exhibition of His very con* siderable ability as a swimmer. Ha Swata feet foremost, turned bank and forward somersaults, illustrated what ho calls his “ porpoise stroke,” and did various other feats. In his gambols in the water he was accompanied by a large dog, whose antics afforded no little amusement.