THE BLUFF REGATTA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12551, 3 January 1903, Page 3

THE BLUFF REGATTA.

V (Fbou Ora Own CoBBBSPOND»NT.) .'.'•;" lOTEROARGILL, Jamraiy'2. . ,Tlie,fpi(y-firsfc' annual ■ regatta,..held at Bluff to-day,-was .to a largo extent spoiled ' by-''unfavourable ■weather. '■'All' day long a strong /-westerly breezo prevailed and raised *.choppy sea, in .which light racing; boats could'not have lived, and these had reluotantly.to be abandoned, and ,not only these, . .but alt the other events arranged fori except the cutters' dingey and cutter and fishing--boat traces. This is all the more to be regretted, because, the regatta ; promised to be the* most successful'and enjoyable ever held at Bluff; Through the, influence'of the president (Sir J.' G. Ward)'the' warship / "Wallaroo was present, and:no doubt helped :■■ to attract the thousands of town and country 1 people who reached port-during the • day.' The club had added new features to ■'their'';programme, and increased the.prizemoney: by about £50, and. there were present the ■ largest assemblage' of oarsmen— about 100—ever attracted to- Bluff. So keeiilyvdid the/Regatta Committee appruciatey.the disappointment of visiting oarsrn'en; that they practically handed over io them, the deciding what should be done in the'matter of the-oared events. During the, day several'meetings were/held, and about + o'clock,the representatives of the competing';crewß considered the alternative of taking advantage of a possible lull,at nightfall.or. disponing of the;rowing events.at an early hour tomorrow morning. Several northern men having to leave- to leave by the night train.'the'former proposal, had to be.aban doned, but it was decided that if the wind ' fell .at 7 the boats (should be got off the trucks'' arid the Maiden' Junior and Senior Fours rowed.. Unfortunately .the galei'jon-i tinued,. and when the delegates again met at f it was only to reluctantly abaudon the "■•' hope of getting off'anv more of the events. The 'sliin Westland, kindly- placed at the .'disposal of tho committee as flagship, gave a-clear view of the course; but as. she was light-in ballast only ,a..limited number -of persons'could bo 1 allowed on her at ia time, but some thousands must have availed themselves' di the opportunity during the day. The.tug Theresa Ward had; been chartered by the committee for the (lay,'and made frequent trips to the ..warship', and about the harbour, and took aitcge-thbrfor fares about £,100. ; This, added to the sixpence per ticket' allowed by the'"Railway Department',off i Inyefctogill passengers will total a good sum; as a vory large proportion', of'the 3000 visitors must have been townspeople. The following arei the results:— ■ -Ciitter'a Working Dingey Race (inrigged). .First prize '£!, second 15s.—W Hanning 1, R. CDixqn 2. Won somewhat easily by 100 yds. i .■ .Glitters and Fishing-Vessels',,Racc. First prize £35,- second £15, third £5— G. Preston's T-alriance 1, *W. Dixon's Kuruhan 2, C. Hansen's Garnot 3. _ ,j •The 'committee, to mark their appreciation of; the" courtesy of' the commander: of the . 'Wallaroo and the captain of the Westland, .dded'a rowing- race, open to the man-o'- ' war's men; and ohther /open, to the boats of both ships, £10 being-offered for the first _nd' £8 ''for ■ the 'other. The man-o'-war's, galley whaler and two cutters competed, and made a splendid race, cutter No. 2 winning by two lengths, with the whaler galley and ( Gutter. No.' 1 close up' in the order named.' The,'galley and'whaler'cntered for. the next race, the Westland being represented by ' one.boat only. The ship's boat steered,a •bad;course, and at'the turn was a dozen lengths'behind, and so continued, the galley' ' . beating her heavier companion .by two lengths. It should, however, in justice to the Westland's boat, be mentioned that,she only rowed.four oars against her opponents' sis land eight.