THE FAVORITES

NZ Truth, Issue 1301, 20 November 1930, Page 17

THE FAVORITES

Forgot Instructions, ; And Lost

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Dunedin Rep.) •TTNPARDONABLE , blunders by. the' V veteran, W. •'•_. J." : P.., M'Culloch, and Allan Hunter cost them, their'chances of winning .the first Sanders Cup trial on Otago Harbor. -With the Upper Harbor a" mill pond, the -r!4 -footers drifted over the 7-mile course, an outsider m Squib, which had not previously won a trial race, beating Heather, M'Culloch' s boat, by two, lengths. y. ■-■'-.-'. In every v respect,"the first, trial was a farce, and there was not one exciting moment to cause the .spectators^to.' rise 1 from the]r bard seats on the timber stacks on Victoria wharf. Before the start, the breeze was coming away with freshening force from the sou' west, but when Eileen, Squib* Heather and Mavis, the four contenders, were sent on the first leg of their journey, it died away. The ; light stuff suited last year's cup winner, Eileen, but her yoUng skipper was shown a. point- or two m sailing by Bill M'Culloch. , . . | Mac knows every pocket on *he harboif, and Hunter would have been wise If he> had .kept the experienced skipper under his lee. But the young fellow allowed the Heather to slip over to the Peninsula, from where the first cup winner obtained a good slant, putting her m the lead. At the end of the windward wprk and :

the lead. Heather' held the leading margin, slight as it was. Being slogged by the, old timer must have annoyed Hunter, judging by his loud declamations, as he jibbed for the run' and "swung up under Heather's quarter. . ' The lad yelled for room and x:ould be heard a cable length off 1 over the still water. He apparently forgot that he was the overtaking boat. He will learn. On the run to off the starting" buoy, Charivari took charge. Later, both Bill and Allen forgot the instructions that all marks must be passed to starboard. V Almost locked together, Heather and Eileen dawdled, on the shortest route for the leeward mark, Instead of keeping -the starting buoy on their . correct hand. They were well past the bearing when M'Culloch woke up. He hauled ih his sheet and lay-for the buoy, but Hunter careered serenely on the straight line..' Before Heather could reach the correct mark,. Squib had passed..' C. Pettit used his head. Instead of,following the.lead^ ers; he - followed instructions issued by the' judges." Of course, Eileen was disqualified right away,, and Mavis was SO far r behind as to be out of the race.. The result cannot be taken seriously. In jan exasDeratingly desultory drifting match, Eileen showed the best speed, and on the first.thresh, M'Culloch proved that he is far too experienced for the boys at the helm of the other" boats.