YACHTS CAPSIZE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24876, 24 April 1944, Page 4

YACHTS CAPSIZE

SQUALLY CLOSING DAY

•twelve crews in water Twelve vachts taking part m the official closing day of the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association in the harbour on Saturday afternoon capsized during south-westerly squalls. Some of the yachtsmen were m the water for over an hour before being picked up, and the damage to the boats is estimated at some hundreds ot pounds. Much irreplaceable gear was J °The craft which capsized were the 18ft vachts Marie Dawn, Athena, Mawhiti. Manaia, the 16ft Sonoma, three 14ft. boats, the Sonata, Vamp, Oreti the skimmer Isa Lei, and the / class Juno, Havoc and Career, lhe Marie Dawn was extensively damaged and some of the yachts drifted all night. i The Oreti and Sonata were recovered at Island Bay, near Hobsonville, where they were towed on Saturday night. 'Die Juno and Career were righted at Chelsea and were sailed home by their crews. , T c The rescue craft included Mrr J. Callinan's launch Kopuru, which was taken out by Mr. A. Crawford. Mr. G. Hyauiason's launch Mason is., a Navy 'patrol boat, a Coastguard .Division's launch, and a tow-boat hired by the association. Difficulty was caused by crews who wanted their craft salvaged _by the rescue boats immediately after thej had been picked up themselves, said Mr. A. -J. Ceilings, secretary 01 the association, yesterday. The hired towboat was always ordered to rescue crews from the water first. One yachtsman. who was picked up on Saturday, in attaching a rope from the tow-boat to his capsized craft, fouled the towboat's propellers and considerably reduced' its speed. One of the association's rules was that each craft should carry an anchor and warp and if that rule was observed capsized yachts would not drift away, added Mr. Collings. All crews carried life-jackets.