News of the Month.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 76, 20 January 1872, Page 3

News of the Month.

SOCIAL. NELSON REGATTA. Our annual Regatta, which came off on Boxing Day, if not so successfulas might havebeen desired, afforded some exciting and excellent sport. Tho absence of what has generally been regarded as the great race of tbe occasion — the yacht race, and which last year possessed peculiar interest from the presence of no less than three boats built specially to oppose the formidable " Red Jacket" from Canterbury,. carrying off the Cvp — ■was a great drawback ; but this race is only deferred, and will be sailed some time in February, when there is every promise of seeing the prize — a cup given by Messrs. Shaw, Savillo, and Co., •well competed for, which at this moment would not have been the caso. As the Bteamers Taranaki aud Wellington brought some 200 excursionists from Wellington to be present at the s ßegatta, and five boats to take part in the contests, there appeared every promise of the sports beiug unusually good. For reasons, ■we shall presently state, these expectations •were only in part realized. In the two whaleboat races, in which the Wellington boat, Tito Kowaru, took part, differences arose which created some degree of ill-feeling, and the Wellington men withdrew from all the subsequent contests. The decision of the sailing committee was given in one instauce against the Wellington bout, and in the other instance in its favourbut it was tho apprehension that the second decision as well as the first (not given until after the sports had terminated) would also be against them, that caused the ill-feeling spoken of on the part of our visitors. We state both cases : In the whaleboat race, •with professional crews, three boats started — Tito Kowaru (Wellington); Clio, and Phantom (Nelson). The start took place at the wharf, and Tito Kowaru led to the buoy at the bottom of the harbour, on reaching which she had gained a full length on the Clio, the second boat. In rounding this buoy, the Clio attempted to get inside, and slightly fouled the leading boat, although not so as to seriously interfere with the race. On getting again into a straight .course the two boats maintained the same relative positions until they reached the buoy at tho top of the harbour, where the occurrence which had taken place at the lower buoy was respeated. After rounding this buoy, the Wellington boat lost ground, and in passing the wharf the first time round, the Clio led by a quarter of a length, and so far increased her advantage in her second circuit round the buoys, that she won by 1 mm. 7 Bees. In the Amateur Whaleboat Race, tho Wellington boat was opposed by the Clio, Queen, and Phantom, but Bhe led from the Btart, and Avon easily. A dispute arose here through the Tito Kowaru being steered by an officer of the Tarauaki, although warned that this might be regarded a violation of the conditions of the race, that the crew should consist only of amateurs. When at the close of the races these questions were referred to the Sailing Committee, the first race was given to the Clio, and the second to the Tito Kowara. If the questions to be decided had simply related to the merits of the boats and their crews, these decisions would have been right, because the fouling in the one race, and the assistance of a professional steersman to an amateur crew in the other, did not in the slightest degree affect the result of the respective contest. But these were not tho questions to be considered. Were the rules under which the races took place violated ? We think they were in both instances, and that the decisions should have been reversed. The first race should have been given to Wellington, and the second to Nelson — the second boats in the respective contests. If racing rules are not construed strictly ihey cease to have any effect, and decisions are mere arbitrary expressions of opinion of persons accidentally in authority. Laxity in this respecfc destroys all confidence in the judges, and will do more to put a stop to sport than could be achieved by its greatest enemies. But we must describe the races of the day :—: — Two-oabed Race.— Three miles. First prize, £5 ; second prize, £2. Mr. Logan's Napi-napi . . . .1 Mr. Logan's Firefly .... 2 Mr. H. Freeman's Wizard . , .0 This was an exceedingly well-contested race between two Wellington boats, and was won by Napi-napi by only a length. The Nelson boat was quite out of the race. First-Class Open Sailing Boats.— Four miles. First prize, £7 j second prize, £3. Mr. Wimsett's Rose . . . .1 Mr. Calder's Tommy Dodd . . .2 Mr. Frunzen's Eclipse . . . .3 Great interest was felt in this yaeo horn the Rose and Eclipse having sailed two matches last year. Mr. Wimsett has made some alterations in his boat which improved her sailing qualities, bo that her old opponent, which she had previously beaten, had no chance against her on the present occasion. Whaleboat Race.— Five miles. First prize, £12 ; second prize, £5. Mr. J. ri. Cross's, jun., Clio . . .1 Mr. Logan's Tito Kowaru . . .2 Mr. Freeman's Phautom . . .3 This was regarded as the chief race of the day. Last year, the Wellington boat, Tito Kowaru, was beaten in Nelson by the Phantom, then a now boat, but at the Wellington regatta, a month later, the Nelson boat was easily defeated. To uphold the honour of our boating men, a now boat, the Clio, was built by Freeman for Mr. J. Cross,

but so confident were our Wellington visitors of success with the formidable Tito, that 3 to 2 on her were offered with the greatest freedom. Unfortunately, through an oversight, the Clio was not provided with suitable oars for rowing a match, nor could such bo procured in Nelson, but having obtained for this particular race, in which the Queen was not engaged, the loan of her oars, the Clio was fully equipped for the contest. Our introductory remarks have described the race, which waß never in doubt after the first time round the course, when the Clio passed the wharf first by a quarter of a length. Tbe boats finally passed the winning buoy as follows :— Clio, 1.2.25; Tito Kowaru, 1.3.32; Phautom, 1.3.45. i Second-Class Open Sailing Boats. — Two miles. First prize, £5 ; second prize £2. Mr. Moore's Seabird .... 1 Mr. C. Cross's Ichthyosaurus . . 2 Mr. E. Adams' Minnie — late Toothache 0 Mr. Elliott's Unknown .... 0 Mr. Ricketts' Rosella .... 0 The wind, which had freshened since the morning, was too strong for these small boats, and the raco therefore afforded little interest. Ships' Boats.— Three miles. First prize £5 ; second prize £3 ; third prize £1. Mr. Wilcox's Charles Edward . . 1 Mr. Con way 'b Murray .... 2 Mr. Crompton'BPretender (Ann Gambles) 3 For the first mile this was a very close affair, tho three boats keeping well together, the Charles Edward having however a slight advantage. For the remaining distance Blue had it all its own way, although the crew of the Murray gamely persevered, but were beaten by some distunce, while the third boat was quite out of tho race. Coasteks Race.— Eight miles. First prize, £7 ; second prize, £3. Mr. J. S. Cross's Three Brothers . .1 Mr. D. Hall's Planet . . . .2 Captain Fisk's XXX .... 3 The three boata entered for this race were very unequally matched in size, but an allowance of one minute per ton on their difference in tonnage was supposed to place them on an equality. | The XXX was considerably the largest of the three, and she had the reputation of being one of tho fastest little vessels on the coast, so that although the Planet, built for the Motueka trade, was known to be a remarkably smart craft of twelve or fourteen tons, XXX, which hails from Blenheim, was rather the favourite. Through the two smaller boats fouling their anchors in the Government moorings, the start was most unfavourable to them. XXX got away smartly, and went down the harbour before a Btrong breeze to beat out to the boat anchored about three and a-half miles up the bay. The Three Brothers was not able to follow for fully a quarter of an hour, while it took the crew of the Planet three-quarters of an hour before they could unshackle her chain and get free. Of course this was supposed to put the latter boat out of the race, but her crew thought otherwise, and to the astonishment of everyone, from her weatherly qualities, she was really the first to round tho buoy, and gained the winning buoy three minutes in advance of the Three Brothers; but the allowance in tonnage will, we believe, give the race to the second boat, as she claims from the Planet at least five minutes' allowance. XXX, of which so much wus expected, could not get to windward, and never reached the flag boat. Amateur Whaleboat Race. — Three miles. First prize, £S ; second prize, £3. Mr. Logan's Tito Kowaru . . .1 Mr. Astle's Queen 2 Mr. J. Cross's, jun. Clio . . .3 Mr. Stallard's Phantom . . .4 This was a very easy victory for the Wellington boat. The Clio, without suitable oars (those used in tho first vaco having been returned to the Queen) could do nothing, and the Queen, although well pulled, is too heavy a boat for racing. The three first boats came in as follows : Tito, 3.18.40 ; Queen, 3.19.35 ; Clio, 3.20.35. Scxtllees' Race, with or without Outriggers, open to all comers. — One mile and a-half. I First prize, £4 ; second prize, £2. Mr. n. Freeman's Little Duko . . 1 Mr. M'Rae's Nemo .... 2 Mr. Logan's Star Mr. Logan's Turtle The two latter boats, which were from Wellington, did not start in cousequence of the dispute concerning the previous race, which had not then been Bettled. There was too much sea for the Nemo, and she nearly swamped, so that Little Duke won easily. Volunteer Whaleboat Race. Three miles. First prize, £5 ; second prize, £2. Mr. Bird's Phantom . . . 1 Mr. D. Burn's Clio .... 2 The Phantom was pulled by members ol the Fire Brigade, and the Clio by Rifle Volunteers. It was a well-contested race, and was won by three seconds only. This concluded the regatta. There were three other races in which the Wellington boats were engaged, but our visitors exhibited indiscreet temper concerning the Amateur Whaleboat race, and although informed that the decision rested with the Sailing Committee, who would consider the protests as soon as the nices were over. They however withdrew their boats, and took no further part in the eport. A variety of amusements in the intervals of tho racing was promised by the programme, which did not come off. A good deal of sport might have been afforded in these intervals to the hundreds of people present who took very little interest in the racing. The weather was gloriously fine, and nothing was needed but bet- | ter management to have made the holiday a great success.