YACHT RACING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22685, 24 March 1937, Page 21

YACHT RACING

ENI) OF THIS SEASON

COMBINED CLUBS' EVENTS ! NEW STARTING ARRANGEMENTS lIV Sl'lNDltlir Arrangements for the official closing of the Auckland yachting season, which \ takes place on Saturday, April 17 were | made at the last meeting of the Auckland Yacht and .Motor-Boat Association. With the exception of the Roval New Zealand Yacht Squadron, which will hold a cruising race for keel yachts I anil a harbour race for -M class boats, | all clubs will take part in combined l cruising and harbour races. The destin- | ation for the cruising events is lslingi ton Bay. The races are open to keel yachts, 20ft., 22ft. and 26ft. mullet boats and launches. The 18ft. and under classes will compete over a harbour ! course. The squadron yachts will race I to a different place from tho smaller ; clubs and this will not be decided until ! the dav of the race. At the request of the Richmond Cruising Club, tho association has I adopted tin.' following course for mullet boats: —From starting line between end of King's Wharf and buoy moored north, thence direct to Islington Bay, finishing between the motor-yacht Linda and mark boat, observing Sandspit beacon. Bean Hock lighthouse and beacon oil Rangitoto Island, near lsling- ! ton Bay. The launches will use the same . course, but all the keel yachts, excepting Squadron boats, will proceed to Islington Bay, via the Duder Spit buoy, observing the usual fairway ma rks.

With the object of speeding-up the starts and enabling the boats to finish earlier than usual /on closing day, tho three-flag method of starting will be used in the combined clubs' races, instead of the five-flag system. The Squadron keel yachts will be sent away under the Yacht Racing Association's usual method.

For some years past it has boon the practice of the association to start the lift, and 12ft.. Gin. classes before the 18ft. ami 16ft. classes and while this method has enabled the smaller boats to finish early it has not proved entirely successful. The 18ft. and 16ft. boats usually overtake the others, and in so doing cause a fair amount of "blanketing." Apart from that the task of the judge is made more difficult, especially on combined opening; * and closing days, owing to boats of 18ft. and under classes finishing together. This year it has been decided to start the 18ft. and 16ft. classes before the 14ft. and 12ft. 6in. boats. The adoption of the three-flag system should enable the smaller boats to finish no later than under the old method, as at lacst half an hour will have been saved in speeding-up the' starting times. ANNUAL OCEAN RACE REGATTA AT WAIHEKK The annual race to Coromandcl will start from King's Wharf to-morrow evening at 7.30 o'clock. The race will be divided into two classes —keel yachts and centreboard boats. The Royal Akarana Yacht Club will hold a long-distance cruising race, starting at the same time as the Coromandcl race, and finishing at Kawau. The boats will go round the judge's boat anchored on the port hand entrance to Coromandcl and will then set a course tor Kawau, a distance of 73 miles. This will enable keel yachts to compete in both races. A programme of sporting events Mill be held at Coromandcl on Easter Saturday. The Cowes Bay Regatta, postponed from New Year's Day on account of stormy weather, will be held of! Cowes Wharf on Saturday. Captain J. McKinnon has placed his auxiliary vessel Rahiri at the disposal of the committee and she will be the flagship. The first race will start at 10.40 a.m., the others following at 10-minute intervals.

The Howick Sailing Club will hold its annual regatta on Sunday, April*4. lhe fixture will be open to all-coiners and the programme will include races for keel yachts, H, L and N classes, M class, V class and all 14ft. and under boats Prizes will be cash. Ihe first race, for keel yachts, will start at 11.10 a.m., the yachts following at 10minute intervals. In addition to the regatta events, a special race tor M and V club boats only will be held, starting at 2.15 p.m. The Royal Akarana Yacht Club, the Richmond Cruising Club and the Tamaki Yacht Club, are holding a combined cruising race to Howick on Saturday, April ■'!, and a large number of the boats are expected to take part in the Howick regatta the following day. COMBINED CONTESTS GOOD HANDICAPPING EVIDENT A feature of the combined races held bv the Victoria Cruising Club and the Devon port Yacht Club on Saturday was the good handicapping in the keel and mullet boat classes. ]n the Devonport Club's race for keelers the winner, Mahaki, defeated Janet by only 15s on corrected times, while Moana, which, gained third prize, was onlv lm outside her time for second place. In the race for class li Arawa gained first, place by lm 50s from Omatcre, which defeated Starlight for second prize by 10s. In L class Valkyria won first, prize from Marika bv lin 15s. Omatcre, winner of the Victoria Club's general handicap and race for class H, defeated Starlight by 2m 10s in both events. Corona was 20s outside her time for second place in each race. Valkyria won first prize by 20s from iMaeushla in the race for L class. Boats taking part in the cruising races experienced a fairly steady northerly breeze throughout the afternoon, but competitors in the harbour races were not so tortunato. fho wind held until about 4 p.m., when light airs and calms were experienced. Toward 5..'!0 p.m.,a light southerly breeze set in which enabled the majority of the boats to finish, the last one crossing the line at 6.'10 p.m.