THE SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23276, 20 February 1939, Page 8

THE SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP

So much keen and healthy public interest was caused by the contests between the Sydney and Auckland boats for the 18ft. yachting championship that it is more than ever to be regretted that the result has had to be decided in the committee room instead of on the harbour. Before the races started last Wednesday the general opinion appeared to be that the visiting boats ■ and crews would be too strong for the local representatives, but the result of the first two events, in spite of the disqualification of Jeanette on Friday, showed definitely that Auckland has both the craft and the men capable of keen competition with the Australian champions. The position, then, was such as to cause unprecedented interest in the final race on Saturday. The harbour was so crowded with small craft that to the uninitiated eye it was difficult to detect which boats were competitors and which were not, while from hillside and roadside along the waterfront thousands of Aucklanders followed the striving in seamanship which saw the Sydney boat Taree first across the finishing line. Subsequent protests have all been based on the hard and fast rules of yachting, but the average individual, who knows nothing about the technicalities of the sport, would have much preferred to see the contest decided on actual sailing. The result at the moment is that the boats which were first to finish in the second and third races —Jeanette and Taree respectively—have lost the points so won and that the Auckland boat Manu, which triumphed in the first race and sailed well throughout the series, has been declared the winner. Even that decision may be subject to further appeal, but there is some consolation in the fact that Manu was not concerned in any of the protests.