MOTOR – BOATING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20255, 15 May 1929, Page 18

MOTOR - BOATING.

NEW AUCKLAND CRUISER. SOME VERY NOVEL FEATURES. ANOTHER M CLASS BOAT. BY SPINDRIFT. A welcome addition to Auckland s fleet of pleasure craft is a motor cruiser just completed by Messrs. Collings and Bell for Mr. L. Stericker, the well-known outboard motor-boat enthusiast. The new boat is 37ft. overall by 9ft. 6in., and has a draught of 2ft. Bin. Of the round bilge and raised deck type, she has a nice flare forward, and a rounded tuck with a tumble home on the topsides. A wheelhouse is built fairly well forward, and aft there is a dodger. Below decks a chain locker is provided right forward, and also a toilet basin. The ladies' cabin is 6ft.. 6in. in length, and contains two permanent bunks on the starboard side, and a lower permanent and a swing--back bunk on the port side. The usual lockers are provided in this cabin, which is a roomy one for a boat of her size. Passing through the ladies' cabin the engine room is entered, and it is indeed a novel one. On the starboard side there is a tiled galley with benzine burners, sink, cupboards, plate-racks and several lockers. Ample floor-room is provided here at tJie same level as both cabins, giving a clear, easy passageway through the boat. On the port side of the engine room the floor level is raised to a height of a little above the cylinder head of the engine, and a fore-and-aft seat is fitted over the engine itself, giving access to the motor. A brass rail gives protection to the motor in a seaway. The wheelhouse is slightly forward of amidships between the two cabins, and contains the engine. The steeririg wheel is located at the port side of the wheelhouse, and a door in front of the wheelhouse provides easy access to the foradeck. All controls are centred at the wheelhouse. The main cabin is 10ft. 3m. in length by the full width of the boat, and contains the usual lower berths and swingback bunks, the lower berths having eight drawers. Mirror-face cupboards open into the engine room from the main cabin. The cockpit is 6ft. 6in. in length, and has two wide seats underneath, to which are fitted benzine tanks, aggregating 140 gallons capacity. Water storage under the bunks in the forward cabin totals 115 gallons. Telescopic pipes fitted .fore and aft on either side of the dodger can be extended aft for the purpose of lifting the dinghy on to the deck. The power plant is- a six-cylinder, 0 4 bore, 4J, stroke Universal engine, with a 2} to 1-geai* reduction. It is of the highspeed type, and is fitted with an oil cooler, electric starter, etc. It is anticipated that a speed of at least 11 knots will be attained by the new cruiser. She has been named Rautangi, and will be launched to-morrow. An order for nn 18ft. M class boat has been placed with Mr. A. Logan by Mr. If Chamberlain, of Ponui Island. A start has been made on the new craft, which will be sailed to Ponui Island on completion and will be a competitor in several of the local clubs next season. Mr. Chamberlain has ordered the boat for his son and nephew, who have had some experience in the 14ft. X class boat Betty, and are looking forward to meeting Manene, Mara tea, Matarere and others belonging to M class. Without exception the M boats provide the closest racing on the Waitemata and the advent of the new craft next year will further add to the keenness in the class. A number of clubs has decided upon the dates for their annual distribution of prizes. The Northcote and Birkenhead Regatta Club will hold its prize night ori May 30: the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on May 31; the Ponsonby Cruising Club on June 12, and the Manukau Cruising Club on June 19. The Point Chevalier Sailing Club will hold its function in July and the Akarana Yacht Club in August. SPORT OF CYCLING. MANUKAU CLUB'S TIME TRIAL J. WHITTEft'S SPLENDID RIDE. Thirty-two competed in the 22 miles' time trial which was held by the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club last Saturday afternoon. The fine weather was somewhat marred, as far as riders were concerned, by the strong westerly wind. Over the final portion of each circuit of the Mangere course the wind was a deciding factor and accounted for nine of the eleven retirements. The other two were compelled to withdraw through punctures. Competitors rode the 22 miles unpaced and started at intervals of 30s. The order of starting was decided by a draw, which took place just before the event commenced. J. Wliitten's sterling ride of 61m 43s did not occasion much surprise, for he is regarded as the club's best rider at this particular form of competition. It must be remembered he holds the 22-miles* unpaced record for the Mangere course. Tie clocked the phenomenal time of 58m 37s on July 28, 1928. His lap times on Saturday were:—l4m 58s. 15m 375, 15m 26s and 15m 425. His first lap proved to be the fastest done during the day. The next best was F. J. Casey's at 15m 245. A powerful rider at all times, Whitten found the difficulties presented by the high wind decidedly in his favour. By his excellent ride he featured second on the sealed handicap. Only 49 seconds slower was R. G. Foubister, whose ride of 62m 32s stamps him as another performer of high merit at unpaced events. Ho was third on the handicap. Foubister has competed in only one other, event this season, an 11miles' consolation race on April 13, which he won by the comfortable margin of 32 seconds, and also registered the fastest time of 28m 555. The biggest surprise of the event was furnished by L. P>. Roberts, who. although starting third, finished first. His time of 62m 57s shows a vast improvement on any he has previously registered in contests of this description. With nn allowance of lm 50s on the sealed handicap list his time was sufficiently fast for him to account for first place with 36 seconds to spare. His previous best time for an unpaced- 22-miles was 66m 575, returned on. June 9. 1928. His last success was in the three-laps' race of 32miles at the Mangere motor speedway on April 27. when ho was third off 30s. Next week's race will be over five laps of the Mangere course—2B miles. As this will be the first lengthy road race of the present season special interest will be occasioned by the event. J. Whitten holds the record time for this distance. On May 12. 1928, he clocked 73m 8s when he won the event from a field of 40 off lm. BEST TENNIS PLAYER. CLAIM FOR KAREL KOZELUH. It has been claimed that Karel Kozeluh is the best lawn tennis player in the world. A well-known American critic does not think so. His opinion is: "Comparing the games of Kozeluh and the leading amateurs I can see no escape from the conclusion that, on paper. Kozeluh is inferior. Vollevers like Borotra and Cochet would test him to the limit, while Lncosto and Tilden have the same superlative back court game as Kozeluh, while they are much superior in the forecourt. * Koze.luh's volleying and overhead is an unknown quantity, and the history of the game contains tho names of only a few baseliners who were really great—S. H. Smith being tho outstanding one. A wonderful player is Karel Kozeluh, one who would rank high in any company. But the greatest player of the day ? I repeat, assuredly not."-