SANDERS CUP CONTEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18320, 9 February 1923, Page 8

SANDERS CUP CONTEST.

INFLUENCE OF THE TJLDES. i **

VIEWS OF LINNET'S SKIPPER [BY telegraph.-—own correspondent.] ,"" ■ CHRISTCHtmCH. Thursday. Mr. S. .Sinclair, the owner and skipper of the Linnet, which represented Canterbury in the Sanders Memorial Cup contests held at Auckland, stated in an interview that so far as the contest was concerned, he was. satisfied that the best yacht won, and Rona deserved her success. The contest generally was a hard one. The Auckland crew had one advantage, that of being better acquainted with the tide currents, which proved somewhat of a handicap to the visitors at hrst. He would- not like to insinuate, however, that it was through the tide currents that the visitors lost the contest. '" Linnet, he had had luck in not making a better showing, which was due to a great extent to mistakes being made by him in sailing the craft,- but they were mistakes that were made through not being acquainted with certain peculiarities of the harbour. It was generally admitted by yachtsmen that Auckland was a hard harbour to race in, on account of the tide currents. It was ideal for pleasure yachting, but in racing one was inclined to try experiments, which often proved a failure, as happened to the Linnet.

Mr. Sinclair added that the Auckland Yachting Association did their level best' to run the races, to suit the tides and wind, and altered the courses accordingly. He is of opinion that Dunedin is an easier harbour to sail in than Auckland, as the tide is not nearly so strong.