GREAT SPECTACLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23276, 20 February 1939, Page 11

GREAT SPECTACLE

CEOWDED HAEBOUE HUGE SPECTATOR FLEET MANY THOUSANDS LINE SHORE INTEREST IN THE CONTEST Auckland loves a spectacle, and it has never seen one finer than that presented on Saturday afternoon in its favourite setting, the Waitemata Harbour, when the Inst of the series of three races for the world's 18-footer sailing championship was held. Hundreds of craft, including one of the North Shore ferries so crowded that she listed heavily when her burden of spectators pressed to ono sido or the other, followed the race, making a spectator fleet eclipsing anything seen on Regatta Days of the past. Coastal motor vessels, fishing craft, the Harbour Board's tug William C. Daldy and the pilot, launch Waitemata, hordes of private iaunches of all sizes, yachts from the A class down to sailing dinghies, and tiny cockleshells propelled by outboard motors and even oars alone, 6teamed or sailed around the course, lay at anchor or—in the case of some of the little fellows—moored to dolphin piles or harbour beacons. Harbour Waters Churned The wash from this great concourse of vessels turned the orderly rows of little swells kicked up by the westerly breezo into a mass of irregular hillocks of water, piling up and subsiding in every direction, and churned and furrowed into swirls and eddies by scores of propellers. livery boat was packed with,, watchers. thousands of cars lined the waterfront road, spectators swarmed along the water's edge, and crowded the crests of the promontories on either side of the harbour. A competent harbour official has estimated that 100,000 people saw the race. Great Press of Draft From the starting gun until the competitors reached the first mark of the course it was almost impossible to make out what boats were in the lead, so great was the press of hulls and sails crowding upon the racing yachts. Then it was seen that Taree, holder of the .championship, was out in front, a position she held until she crossed the finishing line nearly an hour and a-half later, followed by the Auckland cracks Jeanette and Manu, with Malvina and St. George hard on their heels. Convincing Victory The conditions suited the Sydney champion perfectly and her skipper, B. Swinbourne, made the most of them. The team-work of her crew, handling sails and sheets with, machine-like precision, contrasted with some of the Auckland boats, which had trouble in setting or taking in their "extras"— Jeanette, for instance, lost time in handling her spinnaker—but on the day Taree looked, and was, unbeatable. On the run down to the buoy near Bean Rock with spinnakers—and, in the case of, St George and Malvina. ringtails—set, the boats foamed along at such speed that they outstripped all but the fastest launches. Five races, instead of three, would have enabled a truer analysis to bo made of the performances of the three Sydney competitors. The third was the only race of the contest in which one of the Sydney boats showed herself to be definitely superior to her Auckland rivals, and on the data available Auckland yachtsmen would be justified in concluding that the M and V classes have, after all, little to learn from their brethren from over the Tasman. TAREE WINS AGAIN HANDICAP RACE YESTERDAY The Tamaki Yacht Club held a handicap race for thef Sydney and Auckland _ 18ft. boats yesterday afternoon, starting and finishing off the clubhouse. Owing to illness of St. George's skipper. M. Hayward, and her forward hand, G. Barnett, the only Sydney competitors were Taree and Malvina. There was a good muster of Auckland boats, however, no fewer than 24 facing the starter.

The race started at 3 p.m. The finishing times were:—Taree (Sydney, scr), 4h 36m 38s; Trina (3m), 4h 41m 465; Malvina (Sydney. 3m), 4h 42m 30s; Hawk (4-Jm). 4b 43m 9s; Memutu (5Jm), 4h 45m 7s; Riptide (2im). 4h 45m 12s; Mamaru (am), 4h 46m 355; Mercedes ('M m). 41i 47m 3s; Surprise (4m), 4h 48m 7s; Charmaine (7m), 4h 48m 40s; Manene (2m). 4h 49m 15s: Pnroro (sm), 4li 49m 455; Maratea (6Jm). 4h 50m 30s; Pontv (6m), 41) 51m 50s; Vaalelo (Hm),.4h 51m 235: Meteor (6.Jm), 4h 52m 15s; Mawhiti (4snf), 41) 52m 19s; Atalanta (sm). 4h 53m 525; Maroro (6m), 4h 54m 14s: Manoa (sm), 4h 55m 9s; Velox (8m). 4h 55m 16s; Miracle (6£m), oh 7m. St. George, Jeanette, Lanai, Arline. Shamrock, Torreus, Tiare and Tangidid not start.

The result on corrected times was: — Taree, I; Hawk, 2; Irina, 3; Malvina, 4. •