AQUATICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10080, 16 March 1896, Page 6

AQUATICS.

YACHT CLUB RACES. The race for the Yacht Club trophies for two and a-half raters took place on Saturday afternoon, and proved decidedly uninteresting. At the hour of starting thero was almost a dead calm, what little wind there was being from tho eastward, with a strong flood tide running, which drifted the yachts along up past the starting point. Only Mahaki, Rarere, and Huia put iu an appearance. Messrs. Bloomticld Brothers' fine yacht Viking acted as flagship, and was moored off the end of Queen-street Wharf. The course was from the flagship, round mark off the Bastion, thence round black buoy off Rangitoto reef, returning the same way, and finishing at the starting point; twice round. It was, however, very patent, from the state of the weather, that the boats would never get over the course twice, and finish before seven p.m., so Mr. J. L, R. Bloomfield, the commodore, interviewed the three contestants, who agreed to go over the course once. Tho start was a vory uneven one, Mahaki having much the best of it, with Huia second, and Rarere a long way astern. For some considerable time it was just a game of "see-saw," what wind there was being ahead. With a flood tido tho boats were drifted up the harbour, not having a chance to work down. Fiualiy the wind went into the south-east, and Mahaki got the first of it, which carried her down to off the Railway wharf, when the wind again dropped, but soon afterwards went into the south-west, blowing a fair breeze. Huia got the second sharo of it, and made a move off after Mr.haki, but the latter soon got the breeze and made tracks. Rarere in the meantime had been having a very bad time of it, being drifted a long way up tho harbour. Ultimately she got tho breeze, but was _ fully 10 minutes later than Mahaki in passing the flagship. The Mahaki maintained her lead throughout, finishing about 2 minutes ahead of Rarere, liuia fallinc out without going round the course.