OCEAN YACHT RACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22612, 28 December 1936, Page 10

OCEAN YACHT RACE

AUCKLAND TO TAURANGA VICTORY FOR THE WAIOMO [FROM OUII OWN correspondent] TAURANGA, Sunday Tlio boats -which competed in the annual ocean yacht race from Auckland to Tauranga, which was started at 7.30 p.m. on Christmas Evo, experienced light winds for the greater part of the trip, and the leading boat Waiomo did not cross the winning mark off Mount Maunganui until 4.ir> a.m. yesterday. Her time for the journey was 32 hours 45 minutes. Queenio followed at 5h 17m 30s; Windward. 9h 36m; Scout, 9h 44m 30s; Altair, llh 10m. No other official times were taken. Corrected times made tho result:— Waiomo, 1; Queenio, 2; Scout, 3. Tho flag presented by Mr. Ernest Davis, Mayor of Auckland, for the iirst yacht to finish, was won by Waiomo. The progress of the yachts during tho contest was made known by a team of carrier pigeons owned by Mr. Harold Stevens, who for many years has gone to considerable trouble in training and preparing tho birds and sending them to Auckland to be placed on one of the competing yachts. On this occasion they were liberated from the Waiomo. This communication service is done gratuitously by Mr. Stevens, and his help is greatly appreciated by the regatta club and tho yachting enthusiasts of Tauranga. The informative messages which the pigeons bring are communicated by telephone to Auckland, and thus the sphere of tho birds' useful service is widened.