Yahting

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 871, 16 March 1917, Page 17

Yahting

Saturday last produced one of the best day's sport the Port Nicholson Yacht Club'has had for some time. The leading feature' was the re-appearanee of that old champion, the Waitangi, in a club race. Many were the remarks made as to how ' she. would shape against the Rona and the Wairere. The wind was at 3 p.m. light S.E., but at 3.15 it suddenly chopped to due east. The first race to start was that for the second class yach'ts, and the following were the competitors: Windward (ser), Lizzie lolanthe (6min), Rawene and Venus (7min). The Windward, Rawene, lolanthe, and Lizzie rounded Jerningham in a bunch, the first .to;. emerge therefrom being the Windward, which . gradually drew ahead. Spinnakers were got out for the run to . Korokoro, when suddenly the wind drew from the east, and there was a nice "how do you do" on board some of .the craft. Leading jibs were taken in .and with a freshnihg breeze the Windward lead a merry pace to Korokoro. ' The Lizzie gradually improved her position, and ;ibunded" the. buoy three minutes - after -her big opponent, follewed some minutes later by the Rawene and lolanthe. Leading jibs were sfet on all the craft, and the lolanthe, which was "the only craft to carry a topsail, gradually drew on theLjizie. The Windward crossed the finishing line first, then came the Lizzie, lolanthe, and Rawene. The Venus, which got badly left, at .the start, was never prominent, in the race. ~~ Corrected times place the-Windward Ist, lolanthe 2nd, and' Lizzie 3rd. The first-class .yachts'" started-at 3 p.m. Owing to the change in the. wind the craft had: to make several boards before Jerningham was reached. On the lead to Korokoro the Waitangi led, followed by the Rona, and Wairere _in that order/ Coming back-to. Jerningham there 1 was no change in the position of the boats. After rounding the "buoy there was a lovely set-to between the Roha and Viola. Both boats had their spinnakers set, and first one and then the other would forge ahead. The finishing times were: Waitangi 4.26.6, Rona 4.38.13, Viola 4.38.13, Wairere 4.38.21. The corrected times place the Viola Ist, Wairere 2nd, and Rona 3rd. - .It was a pity the skipper of the large yacht did not set his topsail better. It did not appear to be of much use to his craft. '■''•..""■'.-;■.■ Another race that.caused a good deal of interest was the contest for a club trophy, between the 14-footei- Nan, holder of the Winder. Cup, and., the dinghey owned and sailed by Mr. Breen called the Ginty; which received 9min.\ The start was Mark Foy. and the little, craft, making every mark a winning post, was never caaight,. and won the race by 3min 14sec. _~ - *'