Yachting.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 914, 18 January 1918, Page 18

Yachting.

Last Saturday the Port Nicholson Yacht Club held a Veterans' Race, and the following skippers were allotted to the respective yachts : —C. J. Ward, Waitangi (scr); T. Ronayne, Rona (14min); C. McKeegan, Kotiri (14min); D. Howard, Viola (18min); C. Monkton, lolanthe (27min); C. Nelson, Venus (28min); J. J. Clark, Rawene (35min); J. McLean, sen., Atlanta (10-J-min) • R. C. Renner, Wairere No. 1 (30niin); Captain Forbes, Ethel (41min); J. Holdsworth, Miru (SOmin); and C. Elton, May (50min). The start was one of the worst I have seen, and was marred by a. most unfortunate contretemps. The Kotiri had just come out of the Boat Harbour and was about to reach the starting line, when the Waitangi, which had been manoeuvring for a good start, came from the west side of the wharf and struck the Kotiri amidships, carrying away the pin of her goose neck and ripping her mainsail. The lar.ge cutter also suffered severely, carrying away her bowsprit and part of her stem. I am not going to express an opinion as to who was to blame, but I will say that in all general handicaps the big boats hang about the wharf in a southerly and simply terrorise the skippers of the smaller boats, besides blanketting them nearly all the way to Jerningham. To return to the race: The Viola, smartily handled by that astute skipper, Davie Howard, rounded the Korokoro buoy first and was only headed by the Rona when nearly to Jerningham. She takes first place, the Rona. second, and the Rawene third. The lastnamed boat sailed the best race of the day, and it was hard luck that Skipper Clark, one of the staunchest supporters of the Club has, should miss the prize upon his initial attempt round the P.Y.C. course. The wind was a light southerly and the conditions generally were most favourable. All the yachts and launches that took the Sounds trip speak in most enthusiastic terms of the weather and sport they had in the Sounds. The trips across and back were not too enjoyable. On Anniversary Day the Club will hold a regatta. In the morning there will be races for Ist, 2nd, and 3rd dlass boats, and in the afternoon a general handicap for Ist and 2nd class and a race for 14 and 18 footers. It is to be hoped that all will roll up and make the function a successful one.