YACHT AND MOTOR BOAT NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18759, 12 January 1923, Page 3

YACHT AND MOTOR BOAT NOTES.

By Euddek.

[ltems of news or comments on tho sport will he welcomed by “ Rudder,” end should reach this office not, liter than Thursday forenoon ot each week.] With the conclusion of the Sanders Cup trials the next, local fixture of interest to followers of the sport will be the second series of yacht, and motor boat, races under the auspices of the Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Club on January 20. Myro did not make her usual trip down the harbour last weekend, but Miti, Vera. Viking, Tucana, Lenox Lass, and Result were cruising in the vicinity of Broad Bay. Result lias effector! the repairs made^ necessary after her mishap ot Macandrcw s Bay Regatta on Boxing Day. Mr W. Colvin’s launch Tui 11. another of the high-speed launches, still remains on the slip, but: is expected to be ready for the water at any time now. Tho launch Tit I. originally owned by Mr

Ten Nees has returned to Dunedin from Lake Waihola and the Taieri River, where she has been m commission for a number of years. At present she is on the slip at tho boat harbour, where she is being overhauled and refitted with a new engine. Tui will be launched in the near future. T!io trip to Broad Bay and the entertaining of tho children of the various orphanages of the city on Saturday was a decided success. The weather was perfect, and a. refreshing breeze was blowing as the company left, the steamer basin for the bay. 'fhe Ferry Company’s steamer Waircka and (he launches Norana, Isabel, Aotea, -ran, Marewa, Matai, and Vvitin carried over 250 boys and girls down the harbour, and on reaching their destination they were supplied abundantly with r ®‘ re ®"" ments by Mnsdnmcs C. Speight. J. E. Calbaitli. Sundstmm. L. C. Story, Nyhon, A. Begg, Dr Emilv Nees, R. Hudson. E. 0. Nees. Dick, L. U. Gooch, and Miss Scolnu at their respective homes. Ihe officials of the Otago Yacht and Motor Boat, Chib capably supervised the arrangements, ’the club presented toys to the children at the residence of Mrs Hudson, and during the alternoon several groups sang nicely. Commodore 11. D. Moller addressed the gathering, and after cheers had been given

for the residents and the club members for tho day’s outing the company re-embarked lor ilio return journey, all agreeing that (hey had spent a most enjoyable time. The Launch owners and all who assisted are to be complimented for coming forward in aid, of such a commendable object. Winifred was designed by the well-known American (Mr C. D. Mower), a designer of yachts of international fame. She was buift in 1921 by Mr James M’Pherson for Mr Charles Speight. . At tho conclusion of the test races Winifred was placed in Mr Tom Bolton’s boat.shed at Ravensbourno. She has been thoroughly dried out. overhauled, and repainted. The colours chosen are —topsides, royal blue with a gold streak, white, water line, and orange underneath. Her deck is painted pale blue and inside light green, wliile all her spars have been varnished. Wmnred is written in gold on her stem with blue shading. The work has been done in a highly artistic manner, and is a credit to

Mr Bolton, who in addition to his skill ns a craftsman is a keen ■ lover of the sport. Winifred will be packed iij her crate at Mr .1. M'Pherson’s shed and shipped on the Holmdale for Wellington. From there she will go to Auckland by rail. The crew will leave at- the end of next week, and the first ‘race for the Banders Cup will take place on January 30. The crew of iho Winifred were born at Ravensbourne and educated at the local school. George Kellott. who will sad Winifred at Auckland, is the oldest member of the crew. He has had a successful yachting career since boyhood’s days. When war broke out in 1914 he owned the yacht Myro. but ho enlisted early in the war, and spent, four and a-half years on active service at the front. He is the eldest son of the late Mr Ed ward Kellett, who was member for Dunedin North until quite recently. Rub and Charlie Connor . are sons of the late Mr Daniel Connor, and both have been associated with sport. of various kind. Both brothers have seen active service of live and three years ve--peclively in (ho recent war. R. Connor successfully stroked (ho Senior Fours (No. 21 Port Chalmers Rowing Club’s crew last season, and at the present time ho is a member of the Otago Swimming Club. Charlie Connor is an active member of the Ravensbourne Football Club, ho being the youngest of the two brothers. Norman Trourn has had experience iq sailing small boats.

Hd is the youngest member of 1 lio crew. As scoutmaster of the Ravansbmtrne Scours lu. is very well known. His father is Captain Treuvn. stevedore for the firm of John Mill and Co. In addition to the crew of the Winifred, several members of the crews of other boats will visit Auckland, including Messrs W. .T P. M'CiJloeh (Heather). R. C. Miller (Agnes), D. Patterson (Eunice), and F. Goodwin (Heather). Any one of these yachtsmen will be available as an emergency member of the crew if neccssitv demands it, as thev have the required skill and experience. Under these circumstances Winifred will not, by any chance be at a disadvantage for a spare man. Commodore 11. E. Moller expresses himself as being mxite satisfied with Winifred’s selection ns the nominated boat for the Sanders Memorial Cup contests, and believes the choice made to be a proper one. Apart from the fact that she easily won the local tests, he is quite sanguine that both the boat and the crew will he equal to the task of upholding Otago’s reputation on the Wailoinata Harbour. He considers that on her showing in the local tests, even with the points system, which was condemned in some quarters, Winifred has proved herself to be the most consistent boat, and liis association had no other option but tf> send her to Auckland. The commodore added that bo was pleased to see that the public was showing a, keen interest in the Sanders Cup races, which would go far to help yachting in the dominion. At a meeting of the North-East Harbour Boating Club, held last Saturday evening, the resignation of Mr Y. M. Dickinson as

secretary was received and accepted. The chairman, on behalf of the members, thanked Mr Dickinson _ for the able and efficient manner in winch ho bad carried om his duties in the past. Mr Charles Hook, who is a keen yachtsman, was unanimously appointed to the position. In Mr Hook the club has an enthusiast who will do his best to push along the snort. Almost from the inception of the NorthEast Harbour Boating Club a movement has been afoot to amalgamate the club with the Macandrow’s Bay. Regatta Committee, and so have the two bodies working under one control. It is reported that the supporters of the idea have considerably increased lately, and a decision will bo reached on the question at a meeting to bo held on the 20tli inst.

It is pleasing to record that early this week the secretary of the North-East Harbour Boating Club was in a position to hand over to the Olago Yacht and Motor Boat Association the guaranteed sum of £25. which the club offered to raise In assist the fund to send Winifred and thn crew to Auckland. For a. club so recently established

this ready response to the, appeal is highly meritorious.

Mr B. f. Irwin, who is owner of the fourteen-footers lona and Mona, wgs present at all the recent test races, and also «.» the Maeandrcw Bav and Broad Bay regattas. lio is one of ihe keenest boating enthusiasts as well as nno of the most sociable and genial sports, Mrs Irwin and Miss Irwin were also present at the trials and regattas this season. _ It is not generally known that Mr Irwin is the local port captain of the New Zealand Royal Yacht fqundron. the headquarters of which are at Auckland.

The yacht Gem. which was taken over recent by Mr W. Rose, has had a long and eventful career in Otago Harbour. She v.a- 1 originally built for Dr John M’Donald by Mr Henry Green, a boat builder of note in the early days, fihe was raced at the Dunedin and South fleas Exhibition regatta over 30 years ago, winning ber event in the third class yacht race. The Gem is strongly constructed throughout, being diagonally built with ribs six inches apart. Sbc was originally sheathed with copper from Ihe keel to (he watc line, drawing four feet of water and carrying about two tons of lead on her keel. Over 20 years ago the present commodore of the Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Club was a part owner with Air W. Webber, owner of the new launch Eclipse. Another creation of Mr Green’s was the sirongly-bild-; vo-afit Aiioiiyiiin. at present fishing off' Tiniaru. The idea of exhibiting Mr W. J. P.

M'Culloch’s Heather (which won the Sander.' ('up at Auckland and narrowly missed roiainiu.g il) in full rail in (he Octagon was original and croaled much interest. 'lho object, is to induce the public to subscribe for the purpose of sending the challenging boat, and crew to Auckland. The response has not been as ready as the Yacht and Motor Boat Association expected, and 1 have heard it suggested that the expense incurred in transporting the challenging boat and crew should not be defrayed by the public. On this point the association is emphatic-—the boat, in common with ot.hora competing in the tests, immediately became subject to certain conditions on entering, and when chosen virtually became the association’s property for the time being. 'J he owner bus no control over the boat and cannot direct her movements, nor can lie nominate or direct the crew. However willing lie may Im to lake his beat to Auckland the association believes that the precedent of sending the boat backed by Otago’s collective financial effort has proved preferable to individual effort. j! is further pointed out that an individual cannot challenge for the (“up and therefore individual effort should not be encouraged. Tins explanation is necessary to make the po-iliou of the association clear and is fair to the owner of the challenging boat, who, I understand on good authority, was anxious to prevent a public appeal. While this was appreciated it was felt that on some future occasion invidious distinctions and awkward questions might arise. Hence the association’s firm stand on tho point, and its insistence that complete control of boat and) crew should to vested in it.

Arrangements for sending the Wellington challenger to compete in the Sanders Cup contest at Auckland on January 30 have boon almost completed (says a Wellington writer). The Wellington Yacht and Motor Bout. Association has decided that only four —Messrs Edward Bailey, Aldred, Seager, and Crawford —should accompany the vessel north. This decision will no doubt come as a great disappointment to many. It has been the general opinion among yachtsmen that to do justice to the Eynin at least six men should form a crow. No doubt a shortage of funds had prompted tho association in making (his decision. At least £IOO would Ire required to maintain a boat and crow at Auckland for a week, and at tho middlo of tho week £4O was the sum in hand. The Eynin is to leave for the north by the Auckland express on January 24. Tho Eynin, which has been undergoing overhaul at Rotone, has been enamelled red.

There will be two special attractions for visiting heals on the Auckland Anniversary Regatta programme set down for January 29, the day before tho sailing of the first Sanders Cup race. A race for the 14-foot one-desiirn class for Captain Ross’s Cup will be held at 5.45 a.m. and another for tho same class of boat for (he Auckland Anniversary Regatta Championship is timed to commence at 1 p.m. Both will ba open to visiting boats. Tho prizes for the latter event are £lO and £5, with £ls added to tho first prize if the race is won by. .a. .visiting boat. It is expected there will be entries from Tauranga, Hamilton, Whangarei. Napier, Wellington, Can-

terbury, Otago, and Southland. The Sanders Cun representatives are almost certain to be seen in -action in the championship race, which will afford an indication of tho relative merits of the contestants for tho dominion’s most, coveted yachting trophy to be competed for on the following days. That the weather can be had in places other than Dunedin is proved by ‘‘Speedwell’s yachting notes in Auckland Star. “The holidays are over and the boats will be coming back to-morrow evening. Tho weather, except for an odd day or two. has been very unsettled and not at all like Christmas. It commenced with a galo on the Saturday before Christmas and blow for several days after. New Year’s Day was also wet, and very high winds marred the two regattas scheduled foe that.,day. one at Whangarei and the other at Cowes Bay.” Then follows the narration •of a chanter of accidents, in which several boats were damaged.