YACHTING IN AUCKLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17632, 19 November 1920, Page 4

YACHTING IN AUCKLAND

SEASON OPENS TO-MORROW. PROSPECTS VERY BRIGHT. NEW AND OLD BOATS AFLOAT. The 1920-21 yachting season in Auckland, which will he opened tomorrow ■with a combined cruising rare for Yachts and launches to Matiatia, bids fair to eclipse any season within the knowledge I of present-day yachtsmen. | Almost every boat that was afloat last 1 season will again take the -water this vear ' while a number of new yachts and numerous new Launches will also make their appearance on the Waiteriata A feature of the season will be the !ar~e number of sailing boat-; afloat The demand for yachts, especial'y ceepkeelera, is far greater than the supply, and many ; old-timers, which under normal conditions . would have probably ended their dav s be- ! fore this, will be relaunched this season. ; The oldest of these is the Rarere, built by the late Mr. R. I.cgan over 25 vears i ago. Formerly one o: Auckland's best- ; known keelers. the Rarere raced regularly ' until seven years ago. when she was ', hauled up on the bcaAii at Freeman s Bay I where she has since remained. The lead ; was taken off her keel c-rni sold, and dur- . ing a heavy gale sue «as lather badly damaged, as a result of '•«!.;< h it seemed as though her career hud ended. She was i gradually becoming bu;.i\i in the sand, and was practical!} ui'jnJ. Ned by h»r owner, who sold tiei ti> Mr A. M. Oliver last year. Two ton:- of lea* have been moulded on her keel. ani extensive repairs have been carried out on the hull. She has been equipped with a new suit of . sails and will be laumhcd at an early ; date. "i Another "Old-Timer.'*

1 Another old-timer that will bo in commission is the Ida. Burt 23 years ago bv I Messrs. C. ami W. Kailey! this we*Ji known keeler raced consistently in AuekI land until 1916, when ? li<? was hauled up at Devonport and dismantled. The lead was removed from her keel and fold, and while on the beach she was knocked about by the gales that caused so much damage to the Ariki. Hex. and Thelma. The Ida ; was afterwards brought to Auckland and ; sold at a low figure to Mr. A. Jenkinson, 1 who has spared no expense in repairing ; and refitting her. A new lead keel weigh--1 ing 3i tons — more than formerly— ! has been moulded on her keel, and new ! covering boards and rails on both sides ■of the yacht have been fitted. The inI ternal arrangements in the boat have been completely altered and brought up-to-date. j Two raised* bunks have boon tit ted in th» I fore part of the main cabin, and two in i the after part, leaving a space of 6ft. bei tween each bunk for a settee, which can : be used as a bunk. A number of other imi provements have been carried out, includi ing the enlarging of the floor space, which ; is now 4ft- in breadth, instead of 18in., as ! formerly. The Ida will take the water in j the course of the next few days, and will ! be a competitor in several of the local | yacht clubs this season. 1 Of the smaller keel boats comine under the heading of old-timers, the Yum Yum, Romp, and Anahera will shortly be alb at. The Anahera has not raced in Auckland for over 24 years, having been owned and kept at Onehunga during that period until last year, when she was brought back to Auckland on a trolly. In addition to the boats already mentioned, the ex-Auckland yacht Waitangi will shortly reappear here, having recently been purchased by several local yachtsmen from "Wellington owners. The * Waitangi ■was built in Auckland by the late Mr. K. Logan, senr., in 1895, and was sailed to Wellington by her builder shortly after being" launched. Here she has remained ever since.* Her principal dimensions are : Length 55ft., breadth lift., and depth 9ft. 6in. She has a 12ft. saloon cabin and a 6ft. cabin aft, and has 10 tons of lead on her keeL She will bo sailed to Auckland by her owners at an early date.