TAINUI CANOE CLUB REGATTA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6542, 5 April 1882, Page 3

TAINUI CANOE CLUB REGATTA.

For some weeks past there has been a little flutter of excitement among the canoeists of Wellington in preparing for their first annual regatta, which took place in Evans Bay, near the Patent Slip, on Saturday. Although not a year old, it is to the credit of the Tainui Canoe Club that it has successfully held what we believe to have been the first canoe regatta in New Zealand. Competitors had been expected from the Auckland Canoe Club and Pilgrims (Christchurch) Canoe Club, but neither of these Clubs was able to .send representatives this year. The day was an exceptional one for canoeing—not toe hot, and with a good fresh breeze from the northwest, sufficient to test the sailing powers of the canoes. We do not know whether it was the modesty of the young Club or not which prevented their making any announcement of their regatta, but the attendance of spectators was limited to the friends of the competitors who had heard of it and the perchance passers-by. Owing to the want of punotuality in arriving on the ground—a fault noticeable in all athletics in Wellington—a start was not made till after 12 o’clock, and out of the eight events on the programme only five were got through on Saturday, the remaining three, owing to the lateness of the time, being put off to some day this week.

In the first event—Paddling Race, 1 mile—six competitors started, and Mr Symonds, in the Sally Walker, accomplished a somewhat easy victory, Mr King’s Psyche coming in second nearly a minute after. The next race, undoubtedly the event of the day, was the Open Sailing Race over a 3 mile course. For this race especially, two members of the Club (Mr Fell and Mr G. Fitz Gerald) had come over from Blenheim, and a clo'e contest was expected between the Curlew, belonging to the former, and Mr Butts’ HSoone, whose sailing qualities are so well known in this harbor. The course had been 1: ‘d off so as to give the canoes a long beat up the bay, and the spectators were considerably astonished at the great reaching power shown by some of the boats. Mr Bothamby’s Beeswing got away first, closely followed by Mr Butts’ JEnono.aud Mr Fitz Gerald’s Geroit More. Mr Fell was unfortunate in getting off, and his chance was thought hopeless when, after losing at least a quarter of a mile, some of his gear got foul of the rudder and carried away his mizen. Nothing daunted, he gave chase to the rest of the fleet with a single lugsail, and gave such an exhibition of seamanlike handling of [his boat as it has not often been our pleasure to witness. Before half the race was over he had passed all the other canoes, and from then held the race in bis own hands, winning easily by seven minutes. Mr G. Fitz Gerald secured the second place by a very creditable piece of sailing in a by no means first-class canoe. Mr Butts’ canoe did not seem to be doing its best. It seemed to want ballast, and its gear wn out of order. The other canoes competing, Snark, Beeswing, and Geroit More came in some time after.

A paddling handicap race was then started, the handicaps being given at the start, and resulted in a remarkably close finish, the whole six canoes entered coming in within six or eight lengths of one another. Mr Bishop's Myra (15 seconds) was first, and Mr Symonds’ Sally Walker (scratch) second. A handicap sailing race brought out seven starters, and was won by Mr Stock’s Snark (12 minutes), Mr G. Fitz Gerald’s Taipo (3} minutes) being second. The last race competed for was that seen only in canoe regatta programmes—a land and water chase. This is a race over a short course, landing, carrying the canoe round a mark ashore, launching, and paddling to the finish. Here again Mr Symonds landed his light canoe, Sally Walker, a winner, Mr FitzGerald snatching second place by smart launching. It was now too late to finish the programme, and the remaining races—namely, a sailing and paddling race, an upsetting, and a fouling race—were put off to be competed for this week. There were eleven canoes on the ground, and some of them—particularly the Curlew and H3none were beautiful specimens of the boatbuildera’ art. The paper canoe, lately built by Messrs Pauli and Roberts was much admired, (and entered for some of the races, but being more of a travelling canoe could not achieve the speed of some of the racing canoes. The regatta, on the whole, was a great success, [and will, it ia

hoped, help :to attain the object aimed at by jiU true canoeists, “to improve canoes, promote ranoeiug, and unite canoeists.” Mr Cutten acted as starter, and Mr Brandon as judge, while these gentlemen, with Mr Muir, acted also as handicappers. In the evening the club held a supper at the Theatre Royal Hotel, and ended an, enjoyable day enjoyably. We hope next yearto see the number of canoes in our harbor, ' doubled, and competitors enter for the races from other parts of the colony. Canoeing is a pastime particularly suitable for Wellington, for when the weather is unsuitable for boating these little craft can be taken out with safety, and they do not entail the heavy expense, attending on the keeping of a yacht.