Auckland Yachts Visiting Whanga rei

Northern Advocate, 5 January 1948, Page 4

Auckland Yachts Visiting Whanga

Latest addition to the A class lieet in Auckland the 42ft keel yacht Ngatiawa. is anchored in the Whangarei Town Basin. The skipper (Mr H. Gillard> said he had no trouble negotiating the channel, but he would not have come up the harbour if he had not had friends in Whangarei. Built last year- in triple skin construction. with walnut and tawa panelling below, the Ngatiawa is the perfect family cruiser, with a galley as convenient as a modern kitchen, full headroom throughout and two cabins. Every inch of space has been utilised for lockers and storage space.

With the convenient all-inboard marconi rig the Ngatiawa is sailed comfortably by the skipper and his crew of three. Messrs R. Mackrell, J. Swindell and T. Grey, with Master Grant Gillard to help when required.

An essential in the cruiser class is the auxiliary engine, which is a 25 h.p. Gray marine enclosed under the cockpit lloor.

The Ngatiawa towed the Ranger into Oruakawa Bay when she carried away her forestay when in the lead in the Bay of Islands ocean race. MARCONI RIG SUCCESS In the Lipton Cup class is the 22ft mullet boat Otira owned by Mr M. Nihill with Messrs A. Doherty, C. O'Gorman. J. Craies and K. Hughes as crew. Sailing for the first time under Marconi rig. the Otira is known as one of the biggest 22-footers in the Auckland 'fleet and was famous for the amount of canvas she carried when gaff-rigged. While racing last season she was caught along with the rest of the mullet boat fleet near Tiritiri Island and lost all her racing canvas. This gave Mr Nihil! the opportunity ot converting to Marconi rig with unusual success. The Otira won the Lipton Cup once and has also been placed second and third.

Leaving Coromandel on the run to Leigh some trouble was experienced ! with the rigging while sailing at night, and one of the crew spent a busy halfhour effecting repairs. Owned by Messrs R. and G. Nunns, the champion 26ft mullet boat Corona is sheltering from the easterly gale at the Whangarei Heads. The Corona has been to Whitianga on the present cruise and attempted to cross the Mangawai bar, but took such a heavy pounding that the skipper deemed it advisable to run for the Heads. With the dinghy swamped and a heavy sea running the run was no picnic. The Corona has the maximum measurements permissible in the class, and is sailed' by a crew which knows its ship and has never been really pushed in a race.