AQUATICS.

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 48

AQUATICS.

SATURDAY’S SAILING RACES. THE LEVIN CUP. After a number of postponements, the Port- Nicholson Yacht Club got off the 1901 contest for the Levin Cup on Saturday afternoon, a total of eight entries being received. The afternoon was a perfect one for yachting, a glorioxis cne-reef breeze blowing, and the air being warm and pleasant. Punctually at half past two o’clock the Blue Peter came down and the starting gun was fired, the boats crossing the line in the following order : —Atalanta, (25min), Kona (SOmin), Rainbow (scr), Waitaugi (lOmin), Maritana. (20min), Kotiri (30 mm), Marital and Jennie Reid not starting-

The result of the race between Waitangi and Rainbow came as a surprise to all yachting men, Waitaugi beating the champion by 4min 46sec from scratch, and, with tier time allowance added, by 14miu 46see. This was Mr D. Howard’s first attempt with Waitangi, and lie is to be congratulated upon the skilful manner in which the beat was sailed. It was also Mr E. C. 13. Mills’s first race as skipper of the Rainbow. There is no doubt he will get more rut of his beautiful little craft on better acquaintance with her.

The boats arrived as follows: —Waitangi, 4hr 59min 30see ; Rainbow, ohr 2minllsec; Maritana, shr 17min 53see; Atalanta, shr 24miu lOsec. Kona and Kotiin were a long way behind, and their time was not taken. On handicap allowance Waitangj wins the cup, with Maritana second and Atalanta third. Mr James B. Speed acted as starter, judge and timekeeper. On Saturday next the club will race for “The Mills Memorial Cup,” which concludes the season’s racing. THE ABAWA CLUB. On Saturday afternoon the Arawa Sailing Club resumed its weekly races. The half-rax--rs Dauntless and Arawa, with reefed mainsails, wore tho only starters for the second heat of the Highcfc Challenge Cup. At the completion of the first round Dauntless had the substantial lead of 2min 58sec. The Arawa, shortly after hauling the wind for the beat to Kaiwarra, met with an accident to her rigging and retired, further interest in the race thereby being ended. Dauntless finished the course alone. Dauntless (6 points) and. Arawa (4 points) will sail the final heat for possession of the Cup next Saturday. The Maroro sailed over the course alone, and thus scored the winning points in the first heat for Mr E. Sealer's trophy.

Speaking of Henley Regatta, an English writer says:—“Henley Royal Regatta of last year was expected to prove a failure, but the crews entered well, the public attended in great numbers, and all seemed to go well, but the stewards’ report shows there was a loss of £9OO. The total expenditure was £2792. Henley has become merely a social festival, and the boat racing is the excuse rather than the reason for the attendance of thousands of welldressed people. It has been said that Henley would be very nice only for that beastly boat racing. There is, however, no sign at present that Henley is going out of fashion, and it is wealthy, too.”

A race for the sculling championship of South Australia, was rowed on the Torrens, on January '2Bth. The contestants were J. J. Fahey and G. Steele, and the race was a desperate struggle from post to flaar, Fahey winning by about 3ft. Capable critics are highly tdeased with the form and technique of Fahey, and are inclined to think he will develop into an exceptionally good sculler.

A conference of inter-state yachtsmen was held at Sydney last month, at which the following representatives were present:—Royal Yacht Club of Victoria-, Messrs Alfred Gollin (commodore), Vivian Parker, and W. F. Langdon; Queensland Yacht Club. Messrs J. Knight-Eaton and C. C. O’Beirne ; Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Messrs S. T. Wilson and Walter Reeks; Prince .Alfred Yacht Club, Messrs S. M. Dempster, F. J. Donovan, and A. C. Jewett. There were also present Messrs D. M. Barry and W. Barry, of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. Mr Alfred Gollin was

elected chairman, and Mr J. H. Harris, hon. secretary P.A.Y.C., was elected lion, secretary. It was proposed by Mr Donovan, and carried unanimously,— “That this conference recommends that am annual series of races be instituted between the Australian States and New Zealand, with a uniform type of yacht, to be hereafter agreed upon.” It was then decided, on Mr S. T. Wilson’s motion, —“That the competing yachts be built to the British Yacrvt Racing Association’s rule.” After a discussion on th© class of boat to be adopted, it was decided,—“That the inter-Statc class be 30 linear-raters, under the Y.R-.A. new rule, but that boats already built to the 80rating class be allowed to- compete, such boats which may be in excess of the new measurements to allow the others their rating allowance, under the Y.R-.A. scale.” The following limitation to the a bove wa s c-a me d:—‘* Th at c o-m p e t-i n g yachts shall be decked (a fixed coach top to be considered a dock) and have a companion, and if fitted with a cockpit this shall be floored and self-draining, tho open area, thereof not to exceed 24ft-.” Further conditions were also settled as follows:—“That races be held in each State consecutively, and that the order be decided by ballot ; that the races be held between the months of November and February in each season , the actual date to be decided by the State in which the contest is to take place, ar.d at least three months’ notice be given to visiting States; that competing craft be sailed by amateur members of recognised yacht clubs, and that not more than one professional hand be allowed on board each yacht; that the various yacht clubs be invited to raise sufficient funds for the purpose of obtaining a perpetual challenge cup at a cost of iiot less than fifty guineas, and that the cash prize for each race be 160 guineas, with a trophy of not less than 5 guineas for the steersman of the winning yacht, to be in each case provided by the State in which the race is sailed.”

At a subsequent meeting it was decided that th© conference should favour that the contests be decided by the greatest number of points scored in a series of three races. The conference closed with a vote of thanks t° the chairman and the secretary. DUNEDIN, February 16. At Ravensbourne Regatta, Trilby (llir 24min 18sec) won the First-class Yacht Race; Waitiri (lllsee), the Secondclass; Rambler (smin 2sec), the Thirdclass. The North End crew won the Maiden Four-oared Outrigger Gig Race, with the Dunedin Amateur Boating Club second.