YACHTING SEASON CLOSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21776, 16 April 1934, Page 10

YACHTING SEASON CLOSES

IB IG FLEET ON HARBOUR A BRIGHT SPECTACLE The harbour presented a wonderful sight on Saturday afternoon, when over 100 .yachts took part in tho official closing of the yachting season in Auckland. All classes from 10ft. midget sailing; dinghies to the 50ft. keel yachts wore represented. The first race, for keel yachts, was started at a quarter past two and by a quarter to four, when all classes had been started, a long line of yachts extended over five miles from King's W.iiarf past Bean Rock Lighthouse. The weather conditions wore ideal for yachting, a steady sea breeze with bright sunshine prevailing throughout the afternoon.

The entries in tho various classes were considerably larger than on a closing day for a number of years past. Thoro were 52 of Auckland's pleasure fleot, including 27 yachts, anchored in Matiatia Bay, Waihcko Island, on Saturday evening. During tho afternoon tho Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron held its final cruising race of the season for keel yachts to Oneroa, but, owing to the wind blowing right into the bay, tho bouts had to return to Matiatia. A flat calm prevailed yesterday and most of the yachts were towed back to Auckland, some launches having as many as three sailing craft astern.