SANDERS GUP WON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18016, 15 February 1922, Page 6

SANDERS GUP WON.

DESERT GOLD VICTORIOUS,

FIVE MINUTES TO SPARE,

RIVALS ENCOUNTER CALM,

AN UNSUCCESSFUL PROTEST

[BY TELEGRAPH.-OW COmsPOKDEKt.] T. AA- D ? NEDIN ' TU^Ihe deciding rare for the Sanders Cun was sailed this afternoon, resulting m [ win for the Auckland boat, Desert field Great interest was taken in the event an ,i every handy position that afforded a J view of the race w U thronged with 1? spectators. The weather wa* again X ioudy fine, but the wind, aa has been tU case for a week past, Waa U hl an,) flaky. At the slart the direction £ north-east. The race was o*cr a triangu. lar course. b The boats got away before the wind well together, Desert Gold being \eJjJ tTT *f The Auckland bj had Hea her a length behind, and l£? hiku another length awav. i n lh /Xf. I beat to «i„d« ar d t0 ill 9r V betn .Heather crossed Desert G,ld', how bj I the latter got a nice eastern lead and came out. to w-dward. fullwrf i»'m ■ hiku Desert Gold w* firs J

The breeze carried the boat* well down -e w,„d At the leeward mark £ were bunched tether. Heather fIS forged slowly ahead „, a h\:kl ß bre", Hero the craft hi"»»n (r, trouble The,, waswS *„£%& out, but none at all where thev lav ml course was impossible. The b*t« drift*) out to the eastward, mostly £*£ The monotony of the broken when Gold struck Z2 wind. A minute later ,„ had a £ breeze, and wa». racing across l 0 Z wharf. Heather and Itfurihiku being left badly in the calm patch. Thev did not strike the breeze until five minutes later when Desert Geld was practically "£ of the course ahead. ' * Murihiku was the first to follow nj n , r wake. The limes round the wharf mark were: Desert Oold.JHm; Murihiku , 38m 235: Heather, 39m 12s.

A Long Stern Chase. In the thrash to windward the Southland and Otago boats set out upon a long «Um chase of the Aucklandcr, at the same £ entering upon another interesting contest on their own account. Desert Gold was relishing the smartness of the breeze and making good pace. The times at the end of the windward leg were: Desert Gold 51m 10s; Murihiku, 56m 265; Heather' 156 m 50s. To windward Heather had made | a slight gain on Murihiku, and both had j knocked a few secondis off Desert Gold's | lead, but their only chance was that the I luck might treat Desert Gold as badlv u it had treated them. yw At the Peninsula mark the Auckland boat got round comfortably, however, and was soon reaching for the wharf in her best stvie. At the leeward mark she led Murihiku b* 5m 40s, having drawn awav down the wind. Mu:rih ; .ku had increased her lead from the Otago boat to 58s. A Clean Pair of Heels. Coming on the wind apain the boats found its weight all they wanted. Desert Gold's skipper was giving his craft every chance to show her pace, while Hurihikii and Heather continued to hang to one another, the first-named just maintaininz the weather berth. They had made up but little ground on the Auckland boat. The times round the lower beacon were Desert Gold, lh 25m 4s; Murihiku lh 30m 28s; Heather lh 30m 455. Down the wind again Desert Gold ttor away a trifle, the other two boats hmu their respective distances. Desert Goto led by 5m 35s at the leeward tuft, Heather being 15s behind Murihiku. In the long reach across to the whirl Heather gained on the Southland boat, and was scarcely a length behind as they made the mark. It was a final thrash to windward for the finishing line, but Desert Gold was in an absolutely safe position barring accidents. The breeze was now coming up more freshly than before, and the boats made great pace until Desert Gold crossed the fine an easy winner. Heather Defeats Murihiku.

The Otago and Southland boats made a great race of it. Sailing his craft, a trifle freer, Mr. McCulloch pushed her through it and got her across the line five seconds to the good. In the last windward leg Heather and Murihiku had made up a little over half a minute on the winner. The finishing times were:Desert Gold .< .. lh 57m 30s Heather .. .. 2h 2ra 2os Murihiku -.. .. 2h 2m 30s

A protest which was entered against the winning boat was dismissed, and tho Aucklanders were presented with the cup at a function in the Town Hall to-night, the Mayor presiding. Particulars regarding the protest are up to the present vague, the officials declining to make any statement except that the matter has been settled in Auckland's favour.

The Desert Gold, which is owned by ! Messrs. T. and J. Patrick and P. Cloke, was selected to represent Auckland in the contest for the Sanders Memorial Cup las the result of a series of tests. She was the first 14ft one-design boat to be built in Auckland, and has an enviable record. Out of 25 races, she has carried off 19 first, two second, and four third prizes. Besides the owners, the following yachtsmen went to Dunedin a* members of the Desert Gold's crew: Messrs. W. Wilson, E. Lee, and V. Lidjtard. the last-named having sailed the Nyria in tho test races in Auckland ap.inst Desert Gold, Last year the races for the cup trere sailed at Auckland between the GovernorGeneral's Iron Duke, representing Auckland, and Mr. W. J. C. McCulloch's Heather, representing Otago, on dates between March 24 and 29. The Heather won three races and the Iron Duke two.

"NOT A PAJDR RUN." MB. McCULLOCK COMPLAINS. [by telegraph.—PßESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN. Tuwdty. Tho executive controlling the Binders Cup contest mot to-night to consider Mr. McCulloch's appeal against the Murihiku for alleged crossing at the half-tide wall in Saturday's race. It was resolved that the executive had no power to entertain the appeal, which did not come within the rules of yachting, and the question in dispute was therefore subject to tho decision 'of the judges. ! The executive in a further minute j stated : "No protest against sculling in to-day's race was lodged by any of the competitors, and the judges did not report that there had been any sculling." The formal ceremony of presenting tn« cup was then proceeded with. Mr. J. P. McCulloch. owner and skipper o? the Heather, created something akin W a sensation by stating point blank taat he had not had a fair run.