YACHT RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19563, 16 February 1927, Page 16

YACHT RACING.

SANDERS CUP CONTEST. TWO RACES WON BY BETTY. RONA VICTORIOUS YESTERDAY. BT SPINDRIFT. The contest for the Sanders Cup has now reached a decidedly interesting stage, for with four races sailed Betty, the Canterbury boat, has scored two wins, Avalon, the Hawke's Bay boat, one, and Rona, of Auckland, one. The first raco was sailed on Saturday and resulted in a rather easy win for >the defender Betty, which again proved that she is a good all-round boat. Great things were expected of Murihiku 11., but she only managed to finish third, although she was actually placed second through Rona being disqualified. The most disappointing boats were Winifred (Otago) and Peggy (Wellington), which did not sail up to expectations. The weather for the second race, which was held on Monday, was again favourable except toward the finish, when the wind fell light. Betty took the lead early in the race and it looked as if she were going to have matters all her own way. However, Peggy (Wellington) made a good impression on the champion while the breeze freshened, but when it eased off Betty improved her position. Meanwhile Avalon, which was watching the two leaders very carefully, slowly picked up on Peggy and finally passed her. Then she went after Betty and, thanks to the good judgment of her skipper, N. Gillies, she was able to carry her spinnaker to within 200 yds of the finishing line. He then set a jib and, drawing up level to leeward of Betty, finally got through Betty's lee and won by Bs. The results of the two races yesterday were awaited with keen interest. In tho third race Betty gained her second victory, Avalon being second and Murihiku third. Betty all but won the trophy in the fourth race, but was just beaten out of first place by Rona. Thus at least another race will have to be sailed, and, should Betty win, she will hold the trophy for another year. Sanders Cup Type Boats. On Saturday tho Akarana Yacht Club will hold a cruising race for keel yachts only to To lvume, in conjunction with the Rgyal Now Zealand Yacht Squadron races to Arkle's Bay for keel yachts, centreboard boats, and launches, and harbour races for classes M, S, T, X, Y and the star boats. Entries for all events will close this evening. At Amsterdam there has lately been inaugurated a service of small motorboats fitted with taxi-meters. Owing to the many waterways in the city,, it is claimed that journeys can be more rapidly made by "fares" by taxi motor-boat than by taxi-cab. A new 30ft. by Bft. launch has been completed by Mr. R. Lang for Mr. Leo Weston. She is equipped with a 25 h.p. engine, all the controls being in the cockpit, which makes her a very easy boat to handle. Speaking at the Dominion Yachting Conference at Lyttelton on Friday, Mr. E. A. Davys said Otago would not compete in the Sanders Cup contests if all boats were restricted to the Rona type. In the opinion of Dunedin yachtsmen the Rona design was a failure. A remit from Wellington supporting tho Rona type was defeated. An unsinkable rope, which should prove of value in the shipping and yacnting world, has just been invented in Holland. Not only may it revolutionise life-saving methods, but it will also bo useful for a number of other purposes in connection with shipping. The composition of the core of the rope :is foam rubber, a substance which, while having a specific gravity only one-half that of cork, has a tremendous criishing and tensile strength. Furthermore, the weight of this rope is said to bo appreciably less than that of the ordinary hemp and manila rope in use at present. Northcoto-Birkenhead Regatta. The Wellington-owned 14-footer All Black will bo shipped to Lvttelton tomorrow to take part in the championship of Canterbury on Friday. All the Sanders Cup competitors will bo engaged in this race. All Black will be sailed by M. Crawford. It is interesting to note that in the last two years the provincial championship has been carried off by an outsider, which has beaten the Sanders Cup winner on both occasions. Last year's winner in Dunedin was the Winifred, which beat the Betty in a fluky southwester, and the winner in 1925, at Auckland, was the Konini, the Hawke's Bay representative, which was well beaten in the Dominion championship during ib*. following week. The Northcote and Birkenhead Regatta Committee has drawn up its programme for the annual regatta, which takes pl«co on Saturday, March 5. All classes of boats have been catered for. The first prize for classes A to N is £6, second £1 10s, and third £l. For these events tho course is from the starting lino between the Rona buoy and the flagship moored north, thence round Resolution buoy on the port hand, thence round white light buoy on the starboard hand, thence round the markboat off Chelsea on the starboard hand, finishing at the starting line. For classes M, V, S, T, X and Y tho first prize is £5, second £l, and third 10s. The course for all these events is from the starting line between Rona buoy and tho flagship mooretf north, thence round "w dedge Maui on tho port hand, 'hence round the outer Bayswater beacon on the port hand, thence round the markboat off Chelsea, on the starboard hand, finishing at the starting line, twice round. In additioi to the events mentioned special races have been provided for Northcote and Birkenlhead-owned yachts, launches and auxiliaries. At the conclusion of the races for all the larger classes —keel yachts down to 20-footers—the Victoria Cruising Club, which also has a cruising race set down for decision op March 5, will start its races from the flagship used by the regatta club. The Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club will hold its annual ocean race from Wellington to Port Underwood and back on Saturday. The probable starters will he; Seabird, lolanthe, Windward, Oyster, Nanette and Wairere I. Owing to some confusion having arisen over the distinguishing numbers shown by two of the competitors in the Victoria Cruising Club's race for Class T on Saturday, some delay has occurred in announcing the result. * A3! the times of the boats finishing were correctly recorded, but the numbers on the sails on Ngaio and Resolute did not agree with their entry-form. However, the matter has now been cleared up in a very satisfactory manner. the result of the race on corrected times is Joan, 1; Tamure, 2; Ngaio, 3. NAMING A YACHT. FEMININE NOMENCLATURE. The women of the community ought to take a keen interest in yachting, remarked Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P., in { speaking at the civic reception to the {Sanders'* Cup competitors at Chri&lehtsrcb 5 last week, 'for he noticed that almost ;l every yachtsman had christened his boat I with a feminine name. He did not knowwhy yachtsmen did that, and he wished i that the speaker who replied to the web j come would enlighten him. I The query was neatly answered by Mr. I J IJ. Johnston, of Auckland, who replied j as follows: —"Ships are the most gr&reI fa! tilings man has ever created, so the yachtsmen thought they would name their boats after the molt gtacdul Uuugs God eve? t"