NEWS AND NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20992, 1 October 1931, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES.

IMPROVEMENTS TO BOATS. Mr. P>. 11. Nccs, owner of the Dunedin six-n»et<ro yacht Dawn, lias placed an order with Messrs. Boyd and MeMastor, of .Auckland, for a new suit of sails. The Richmond Club will resume its activities this season and will carry out a programme of racing fixtures. The annual meeting of the club will be held at an early date. The B class keel yacht Waionc has undergone a very extensive overhaul at Devonport and will take the water in first-class order. She lias been refastened throughout and fitted with now garboards. A patent starter known as tho ReeKoil has been fitted on all tho now A class Johnson Sea Horso motors. It is a very simple and effectivo device, and takes the place of the usual rope attachment. The B class keel yacht Ivotiri will be put into commission this season by Commander Bert lion, of H.M.S. Philomel. Kotiri is hauled out at Devonport- and a start has been made to get her ready for launching. The annual meting of tho Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association will be held on October 20. At this meeting the dates for the 1931-32 racing season will be allotted to the various clubs requiring fixtures. Mr. r f. McWhirter has put a lot of work into his 22-footer Valeria, including the lit ling of new coamings. Tt is to bo hoped that Valeria will be among the competitors in the annual contest for the Lipton Cup. "The 26-fnoler Spray lias been refastened throughout and will take the water this season in excellent order. During the winter her crew have put a great deal of work into their boat and should again be rewarded for their efforts. The yacht I eddy spent, last week-end at Kawau. The run to Mansion *House Bay was covered in the smart time of four and a-quarter hours against the tide. According to Mr. Tambs', Teddy's new mainsail is very satisfactory, and is a big improvement 011 her gaff sail. A tine type of cruiser is nenr- [ ing completion for Mr, F. D. Bklgron at his shed in Orakei. She :s overall and has a goorl flare in her forward sections, long cabin-top with a big pilot house and bridge-deck built over the engine. The boat has two cabins and will be very nicely fitted out. The keel yachts Queenie and Scout have already been launched. Rangi is well forward and will take the water at an carl v date. The extra decking placed

over liangi's cockpit for her tran.stasrnan race lias been removed and she will be in first-class order wlien her refit is completed. A 50 li.p. E class Johnson motor is cxpecled to arrive in Auckland in about six weeks' time. It will be the first of its kind imported into the Dominion. In America a speed of over 51 miles an hour was recorded with a similar make of engine. An order for a fast runabout for a resident of Wanganui has been placed with the Invincible Boat Company. The new craft will be 17ft. by sft. 6in., and will be equipped with a 40 h.p. car engine. Unlike the usual type of inboard motor, :t will be fitted with a stern drive, similar to an outboard engine. The new boat is expected to attain a speed of 25 miles ail hour. She is now being planked. An extraordinary outboard craft mnde its appearance in English waters recently. '1 ho craft was actually the roof portion of a saloon motor-car, to the after cud of which was attached an old type of outboard motor. The owner applied to the commissioners to register his craft a.s a motor-boat for use on the Broads, but. the request, was refused on the ground that the outfit could hardly be termed a motor-boat within the meaning of tho local restrictions. Tho craft had accommodation for three of a crew. The lack of interest taken by a large number of yachtsmen in the social side of the various clubs was commented upon by Mr. J. Coyle al tho annual meeting of the Point Chevalier Sailing Club. Tt. was all very well, said Mr. Coyle, to enter for a race, but the sport did not end there. Boat owners should do more than race for trophies; they should assist ill the social side of their club by attending the various functions, which, after all, were held for the benefit of club funds. Jt was well known that many of the supporters of the sport were not yachtsmen and it was hardly fair to expect them to help the club when the yachtsmen themselves did not do their share. Kitting-out operations are being carried out in earnest at Cox's Creek, where the majority of Richmond Cruising Club's boats arc quartered. The following yachts arc almost ready for the water: —Matariki, Mowai, Awahou, Marere, Kathleen, Wendy, Wild Wave, Namu, Leveret, Lancia, Spot, Sunbeam, Romance, Paloka, Hetty, Sea Crest. Mistletoe 11. and Nomad have already been launched, the former leaving for her first cruise last Saturday. The 26-footer Esma, which has been afloat all the winter, has "been hauled up for drying prior to undergoing her annual refit. Mr. R. Thompson's new 18footer has had her centreboard ease shifted further aft and will be put afloat at an early date. Mr. J. Donald's fine cruiser Marion D. is being fittcd-out on her owner's slipway.