YACHTING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7027, 15 January 1910, Page 13

YACHTING.

£Br " Spinnakeb."] COMING EVENTS.Janiiory 22nd—Anniversary Regatta. January 29th —Mills memorial trophy for Ist class yachts. February sth—Ocean' race. February' 19th—Ladies' race r With no races for th© past month-'the bigger yacht owners have had to content themselves with a cruise on Saturday afternoon instead, of the usual fortnightly race. However, next Saturday yachtsmen will,be able to make up for lost. time, as the P.N. ' Club's regatta wiH. take place. The programme, which has already appeared in this column, provides races for all. classes of yachts, and: it is to be hoped that all owTiers of boats will enter, so as to make the regatta a success so far as fields are concerned. It is to be regretted ■that no provision has been made this - swimming and other events, which always, play a prominent part in, the success of regattas in other centres. Probably owing to shortness of ■mioniey the committee" have not been able to include these events. Let,us hope that next year provision will be made, in this direction.

Mr L. Palmer's launch .Vida was the only Wellington boat at the Havelock regatta, held at Moi Tapu, in Pelorus Sound, on Boxing Day.- There was a large . attendance of Sounds residents, most of whom came in launches.;. There must hiave bean, close,' on a.. hundred craft of, all descriptions present. "A varied proigi-amme of sports was indulged in, including launch, sailing, and rowing evenjts. The open handicap race for launches proved the best race of the day, the twenty boats staHanff under. the Mark Foy system. The finish proved most exalting. All the boats;' were bunched together, the scratch . boats winning by a few inches only. : Mr Harris's fast -launch : Slim Jim was unable to compete in • this race owing to one of the cylinders: getting out of order. The ladies'-rowing event proved an eye-opener to the visitors. The; day proved all too short,. but -will long remain in the memories of tho -crew of the Vida. . ! , ' '

Mr Palmer, who sold his launch Ferro in, Wanganui last month,' has just had completed at the yards'of Messrs Lane and. Sons, Auckland; a semi-speed launch, of the following dimensions:—Length, 29ft; beam, sft 3in. She is a i skinbuilt boat, and is a very handsome model, so says the "N.Z. Yachtsman., Her engine will be a 15 horse-power Ferro, situated forward of tho cabin. The lines of the boat are somewhat similar to Slim Jim, which is well known all over New Zealand.

T,e Aro Sailing Club will race-for a trophy presented by; Mr H. Highet this afternoo'n.

The yacht Waircre made an attempt early yesterday afternoon to return to Nelson, bnt • as luck would have, it,she was not able to get past Sinclair Head. Moorings were east in the boat harbour a little while after noon, and the little boat, with two "tucks" in,'started well on her voyage. As the wind wa6 fresh-

enrng . going ..down the entrance ,'Mr Huffanr decided to take in another reef. Everything then went well until the Island Bay coast was abreast, when the wind oaine 'swooping down without any warning and flattened the little boat right out.. To mate matters worse water began to "pour in through the. decking, .and so:, it' was decided 1 to .put- back.. Coming- home the storm : jib -began'., to come away in pieces, and when Point Halswell was reached very : little remained.', TJnnautical sailing had to be indulged' in to get back to the,boat harbour, which was, reached-shortly after 7 p.m. Mr Huffam,-. who has bo resume work on Monday, will probably girt away for "Nelson to-day, if hi- can arrange matters in ' regard to repairs. ' Mr Huffam, who .is accompanied by Mr Kingdom, has mot with' some severe weather on this cruise. When "off Cape Campbell on his way to Dunedi'n the weather met with proved too heavy, and. so Wellington was. made, far shelter.Repairs have, taken a good deal of tinie, v and now, as a consequence of this attempt to. get back' to 'Nelson, some mote will have to be done. ESCAPE OF YACHT SIREN. ': Particulars of. the cruise <jf : the yacht Siren in the Sounds and her'.,- narrow escapo at Tory Channel on the return journey ~jto Wellington show, : that aiychor was weighed at Whatamonga ! at 5.30 a.m., the crew intending to run down to Te Awaiti on the ebb tide and; be in readiness to catch Z the." afternoon ebb and. cross the Straits with it. As most people who are acquainted with, Tory Channel know, there is a strong current running on the northern side- ; of the ..entrance at ebb/ tide, and-it is necessary to go: faster than the current if steerage way has to be kept. Whatamonga was left with a good ; sou'-wester, and->good time was made .down {he chan-, .nel-toTe Awaiti, where the Ngajra-was • seen-, anchored. -\, The'afternoon was .filled in by fishing and preparing the' boat so as.-to catch,the- first of the ebb at 5.26 p.m.-'.The wind had been falling:away all as the beacons were brought : into . line -abaft . the boat .began to drift, ■with.the tide. The sweeps were'brought into action to keep the boat's head to ,sea, but the;boat kept on getting closer to. the north' cliff, and, as the minutes passed,: closer! still. The /crew" at once recognised that if they, were to,save the boat work they must, and work they did. Perpendicular rocks stood - out in front of them, and every moment was an anxious one to the:crew.- The,boat, however, drifted on. for thirty yards, but: never grazed-a-.'.rock, although the, crew could have jumped on to the rocks' if it had been necessary.--. The Pot Hole was passed, and, then an: ugly .row of jagged rocks '!presented .themselves, against which 'the crew,, expected; the boat to be,dashed to, pieoesiy the terrific waves that were breaking. '-'A- much bigger roller than the''others came in and sent a. shower, of spray all over the -boat. The surge of this wave as it broke round ■■ the-, ledge of the rock lifted 'tile boat , bodily over and = deposited her in the Pot. Hole without No time was lost in getting the dinghy out, and ropes, fastened ,on to '': adjoining rocks., ./A messenger was dispatched to call assistance,; but just as he had left the ship; a launch and whaleboat. from Te Awaiti hove in sight and gladdened the" heart 3 of:those on board-. With.some difficulty'.'. the Siren was brought,.,, out from, among, the rocks and towed up to a safe anchorage. But while the Siren was in the hands of the tide the Ngaira was drifting down mid-channel !. quite serenely.'- As there, was thought, to be no hope of saving..the Siren the Ngaira was asked/to render assistance",-but,she "too got into an eddy and'was carried down to where the Siren was .placed. - It must have !■ been a close -calL-'for the biggeryacht, as the dinghy was requisitioned to tow her off the rocks'that'threatened her." 'lt ' was/.- witK.,;., light i;- hearts that the Siren's .crew; looked ; at those forbidding rocks next day.: Tory Channel was left behind with the aid of a light wind. The wind ijied away for a time, but afterwards, freshened" again, and Terawhiti was abeam/at noon::," 3l sou'-wester was/picked up at this time, but fell flat when off Sinclair Head. As luck, would h ave . it, the' Siren: drifted miles past Terawhiti, and at the time of the next ebb they were enabled. to get abreast of Happy Valley. Anothercalm awaited them; but" with th'e'aid off an anchor drifting was lessened considerably. After some twenty-four hours' drifting in the Straits a fishing launch . hove in sight and towed the yacht inside 1 the heads. Sail was then set, and the J

{ boat, harbour reached in due course, Tho crew of the Siren wish to thank the men of the whaleboat and launch for their valuable assistance. Thie crew at the time of the mishap was Mr; H. Chisholni (captain), Messrs • Patterson, Smith, E. Rough and W. D. Rough.. ..