ON THE HARBOUR

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11737, 26 January 1924, Page 2

ON THE HARBOUR

ANNIVERSARY REGATTA AND SANDERS CUP

GENERAL NOTES AND COMMENTS

The harbour has been gay during the i week with the white sails of scores of ■ boats, and yachtsmen have had their fill of interest—and excitement. The Anniversary Day regatta has taking place, and the blue riband- event of New Zealand yachting. The Sanders Cup competition is being decided. Visiting yachtsmen from afl the centres in the 'Dominion have been in the city, and have contrived to make themselves very popular with everyone with whom’ they have come in contact. And Wellington, in a sud- . den -gift of generosity, furnished a spell of perfect weather at the begin- - ning of the .week to welcome them. Even the favoured visitors from Auckland or Hawke’s Bay could find nothing to cavil at in the weather which greeted them for their first appearance before the public on Anniversary Day. A WELL-SAILED RACE. All honour to the June and to her resourceful skipper, G. Kellet, who sailed her to victory in the race for the Rona design class <m Tuesday. It wais a great race, and was won by one of those sudden departures from the orthodox which distinguishes the really able skipper when the conditions demand that a special effort be made to secure victory. Konini, the Hawke’s Bay boat, was the first over the line, with. Rona in close attendance, while June was third, some distance away. In the light breeze which prevailed Rona made rapid progress and overhauled Konini, rounding the Jemingham buoy 25 seconds to the good, while June came round a minute later. On tho beat back towards Clyde quay Rona continued to forge ahead, and the relative positions of the boats were unaltered, though when they rounded Rama Rona had increased her lead of Konini to lmin 58seo, and turned 3min 21seo ahead of June. Rona certainly seemed at this stage to be in a winning position and though the two back boats picked up somewhat on the run down to the Home buoy, there appeared every indication that on the bacik back the leader Would still further increase her advantage. It was at this point that June’s akipiper made the decision which won him the race. He had an enormous distance to make up, and saw that there was but slender chance of doing it if he battled along in the wake of the ether boats. Instead, then, of following them on their course in towards the shore, once they had rounded Jerningham, he stood boldly over towards Somes Island,', and was rewarded by striking a 'good sailing breeze. The. change of conns© at first put Rona and June far apart, but approaching Rama they drew together, when it was seen that June’s tactics had placed her in the lead, and she rounded the mark lmin 25sec ahead of the Auckland boat, which lead she increased to nearly 2 minutes by the end of the race. SANDER® CUP CREWS The point was raised by the Otago delegate at the Dominion conference of yachtsmen on Monday, of tho introduction of a rule stipulating that all members of the Sanders Cup crews should bo bona fide residents of the province whose boat they sailed. The idea, he said, was to prevent such a thing as men, disappointed, perhaps at their non-inclusion in th-eir own province’s crew, offering their services to another province and thus doing their best to defeat their own boat. Something of the kind, he said, had already cropped up, and it might simplify mat ters if a definite rule were laid down. Idle chairman, Mr J. B. Johnston, did not think that any yachtsman worth his salt would turn against his own provinpo in this way, and said that it did nob seem that a special rule was required. THE SPORTING SPIRIT. The conference was evidently of the same opinion, and while it may have been right in not deeming it necessary to further add to the list of cup rules, Otago was no less right in seeking to prevent anything in the nature of un sportsmanlike action by members of crews. Yachtsmen are certainly entitled to boast that theiris is a sport which develops upright and manly men, and there is perhaps a smaller percentage of the other kind in this sport than in many others, but while human nature remains what it is, there will always ho, the few, who, smarting under what they are pleased to deem an injustice, will seek whatever means of retaliation is available. The matter, however j is one which the individual yachting associations can con- 1 trol, for no provincial body need ac- 1 oepi the services of a man from another district under the circumstances . described. 1 THE YOUNG IDEA. - In choosing a crew of youths to sail ; its heat in the Sanders Oup races, the 1 Auckland Association, is acting on the right lines, for the essential idea of the competition is to encourage the art of sailing among the young New Zealanders. For this reason, the olas- , sio sailing event of tho Dominion has , been restricted to 14-footers, a com-

paratively cheap, and easily-obtained type of boat, and, therefore, within the reach of young men and youths. It is generally admitted that there is no finer or healthier sport, nor any ■which better develops those qualities of initiative and resource, which form so invaluable a trait of national character. During the recent Great War, magnificent service was rendered by New Zealand yacht and motor-boat men in the campaign against enemy submarines, and though no one wants to see the youths now growing up ever employed in a. similar occupation, the same characteristics which were so valuable then in time of war, will be no less valuable in time of peace.

! SOME AUCKLAND YACHTSMEN. Credit for establishing the 14ft alass boat as a separate entity belongs to Mr W. A. Wilkinson, of Auckland, at present in Wellington to witness > cup trials. Mr Wilkinson has , been aotively connected with yachting on the Waitemata for the past twenty , years, r making his debut as owner of i *ke Speedwell, a 24ft linear rater. , She was built by C. Bailey, and had a . great record for speed. As a member i of the Arakana Yacht Club, better , known as the North Shore Yacht dub, , Mr Wilkinson has taken a prominent , part in Auckland yachting matters for many year?. He was for fourteen consecutive V years commodore of the club, establishing a record for the office, and, after retiring, was elected an honorary life member of the dub. Latterly, he has given up sailing, and taken on the more leisurely sport of motor-boating, his spick-and-span launch, Speedwell, named after his first and best love, being a familiar sight on the Auckland'"harbour. His services are always much in demand as starter and judge at boat races, being honorary starter in all his own dub races, besides acting in a similar capacity at Tauranga and Whangarei. He has been a consistent attender at the Sanders Cup races in the different centres, having filled the position of timekeeper and starter at these contests. It was about ten years ago that he first conceived the idea of standardising the 14ft design of boat, being impelled thereto by a desire to hold the interest of the young men in sailing as against motor-boating, to which they were drifting in large numbers. He accordingly had a boat designed and built, the first of what are now generally known as the Jelliche class, the cost, fully rigged, being £35. The war and other circumstances are to be blamed that the same dass of boat now costs nearer £135. The official head of the Auckland contingent of yachtsmen at present in Wellington, is Mr J. B. Johnston, Commodore of the Yacht Squadron, chairman of the Auckland Yacht and Motor-boat Association, and chairman of the Auckland Begatta Committee. He has always been a keen sailing man, and has the confidence of all the Auckland clubs. He is part owner of the Waitangi at the present time! and before becoming interested in her, owned the second class yacht Kohiri, a boat which was formerly owned in Wellington. Mr Johnston has spoken of retiring from some of his executive positions, but he is still a young and vigorous man, and he may have difficulty in persuading his colleagues to I6t him go. Other members of the Auckland party are Mr E. J. Kdly. who has just retired from tha position of Commodore of the Ponsonby Cruising Club, and who has been a member of the Auckland Yacht and Motorboat Association for the past 15 years; and Mr A. E. Gifford, whoso son is owner and skipper cf the Rona. Mr Gifford is vice-Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and owns the first-class yaoht Rawene A BAD BEGINNING. The Sanders Cup contest, which opened on Wednesday, had a bad beginning, ,'n that the first race was abandoned after two of the boats, the June and the Ivonini had capsized. The sailing committee does not seem to have added very greatly to its popularity over the incident, dissatisfaction among Auckland’s supporters, at any rate, being keen. The opinion was freely expressed by seasoned yachtsmen before the race that the weather was not fit for 14-footers to venture out in. The same men were no less emphatic in stating that the race, having been once begun, should not have been abandoned so long as there was a single competitor left in action. The sailing committee doubtlessly were thinking of the safety cf the crews participating, and they were apparently technically within their rights in abandoning the race. Nevertheless, the affair .is one of those things that rankle, and was, as has been said, a bad beginnning. EVANS BAY NOTES. The Romp came off the slip on Sunday last before her repairs were entirely completed, in order to compete in the Anniversary regatta races, and was successful in securing a place. Her crew had an anxiotis time with her after she piled up on the rocks alongside the new slip wharf, and it was thought at first that she would be a total loss. When she was examined on the slip, however, it was seen that the damage was not quite so extensive as at first supposed. She went back on the slip on lYednesday to complete repairs, and sails for the Sounds on Tuesday next. The Nancy Stair, Mr E. Sexton’s boat, returned from the Sounds on Monday last, after a most enjoyable trip. The Evans Bay dub is holding its annual picnic for limbless soldiers on February 10th, when members will place their boats at the disposal of the disabled men. Last year the picnic was held at Scorching Bay, hut ito location this time will depend’upon the weather prevailing at the time. ROWING SCULLING RACES. The fine southerly weather which prevailed last week enabled the Star Boating dub to get off some of its sculling races, Which had previously been held up. In the senior sculls, Oborn defeated Bently by a comfortable margin, after a strenuous race. The weather was choppy and seemed to trouble Bently, while Oborn, with a steady, fairly rapid stroke, drew away almost from the start. In the junior competition. Steward had a rather easy .win over McGowan. MOTHES SHIELD. The following will be the crews to represent the Petqne Club at the

Mothes Shield regatta next Saturday, February 2nd: —■ Senior Fours—A. White (st), O. SJ. Haddock (3), A. Hickson (2), A. Warden (bow). Junior Eours —G. Grardiner (st), A. L. Warden (3), A. Hickson (2), is.. Rodgej (how). Maiden Fours —A. Jones (st), K. Jordan (3), L. Boyd (2), T. Ohinu (bow). Maiden Four (No. 2) —J. Nicho’ls (st), R. Cameron (3), J. Ootlins (2), F. Oropp (bow). Youths Four—O. McLauchlan (st), R. Cameron (3), J. Nicholls (2), A. Mnnde (bow). Ligbt-weight Maiftett Four—J. Bucknail (st), F. Croff (3), J. McLauchlan f2), JT. Palamountain (bow). Light-weight Junior Four—C. MoLauchlan, (st), K. Rodger (3), R. Y. Allan (2), R. <J. Duncan (bow). Senior Pair—Not yet picked. Junior Pair—Not yet picked. Maiden Pair—Not yet picked. Maiden Single Scull —W. Shannon. Maiden and Junior D. Sculls—O. H. Burridge (st), H. K. Adamson (bow). There were no club races over last week, but the crews put in some training in view of the Mothes Shield Regatta..