YACHTING.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4294, 1 March 1901, Page 2

YACHTING.

The annual race for the Mills Memorial Cup. sailed under - the auspices of the Port Nicholson Yacht Club, and which was postponed from last Saturday on account of the weather, will be sailed on Saturday afternoon at 2.30. The starting point will be. as usual, from, a point off the south end of the first tee of the Queen’s Wharf. Mr Munckton will be handieapper. The Roua Eaiabow Marituua, Atalanta, Siren. Mahina and Waitaugi will compete for the cup, George W. Watson’s desertion of the Hendersons and his employment by the Dennys (who have never built sailing yachts of any description) to construct Sir Thomas Lipto'n’s second .America Cup challenger, has created much discussion and hitherto has not been explained. A representative of the London press learns, however, that Watson was influenced by the benefits derived from the testing tank used by the Dennys, which he first tried with the yacht Lysistrata. After this he utilised the tank for a series of experiments to determine the best hull shape for the Shamrock 11. before he signed the contract with Sir Thomas Lipton. He is convinced that he has discovered a bull much better than anything that he has ever designed The testing tank is in reality a pond 200 feet long, 22ft broad and 9 feet deep. Over it is a railroad with a car drawn by a stationary engine. The model is attached to the carriage and the speed got from .every model for every ounce of power is automatically recorded. There are arrangements also for testing at all keel angles. The apparatus is said to bo the only one*"of its kind in the world. By its means Watson has tried a dozen models. The importance of these experiments can bo judged from bis admission that it was due to a fault of the hull that the Valkyrie and Shamrock failed. It is believed that the new boat will stand driving hard without drawing a big quarter wave behind, hence the secrecy which is sfT carefully observed.