DISASTROUS REGATTA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19216, 4 January 1926, Page 11

DISASTROUS REGATTA.

BOATS SWAMPED AT AKAROA. TWO SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday. Tho Akaroa Regatta was a disastrous affair. Only one race was lowed, and most of tho clubs suffered great loss through damage to boats. After a postponement to to-day the ragatta was abandoned. New Year's Day was a day of tragedy for tho oarsmen. Every boat in the second race, tho junior fours, swamped, and tho crews and boats had to be picked up by launches. Before tho regatta started a good, stiff southerly was blowing. The first race was tho youth's double sculling event, rowed in doublo sculling clinkers. There wera only three entries, but all survived the rough sea because of the light loads tho boats were carrying. Tho junior fours got out to start their race at 10.30, but by then the wind had increased considerably, and despite the fact that the boats had splash-boards on they were shipping heavy seas as they pulled down to the starting point. Here they turned round and faced the wind. The gun went, and within two or three minutes the Canterbury Rowing Club's boat had foundered, and it was not long before all the other boats had followed suit. Launches were dispatched from the wharf to pick up tho crews. It was blowing almost a gale by that time and the launches had great difficulty in picking up the men. Some were in the water for about half-an-hour. The coxswains had a bad time, as only one of them could swim. The others clung to the boats until they were rescued. Tho picking up of tho boats was very arduous work, and somo serious damage was done. In manoeuvring round one of the launches rammed tho Canterbury boat and left a bad hole in its side. The Avon boat was picked up by a laifnch and taken to the landing, when an examination revealed three or four big cracks running down the centre. This was the first time this craft had been in tho water. It was a brand new boat just bought by the club.. Tho damage is very severe and it will cost a considerable amount to have it made good. The other boats were also rescued by launches, but suffered little damage.