YACHT AND MOTOR BOAT NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18801, 2 March 1923, Page 3

YACHT AND MOTOR BOAT NOTES.

By Rudder.

[ltems of news or comtnentj on tho *port will welcomed by ** Budder* and should reach this office not Utcr than XhoTßday forenoon ol each week.]

Besides tho yacht and motor boat races at tho Ravensboume Rogutta to-morrow afternoon provision has been made to take visitors for launch trips on the harbour. There are several rowing races and half-a-dozon swimming events, which should add interest and variety to the day. The residents ot Ravensbourne are to be congratulated on possessing an energetic regatta committee. The first meeting wus held only throe weeks ago, and after the third meeting this week the money to defray expenses was in sight. Commodore Moller, who is familiar with all the details in organising u regatta, has witli bun a generation of young yachtsmen fidl of enthusiasm. Mr Teter Young (secretary) has worked hard and has everything well in hand for to-morrow. Tho course for the yachts will bo the Ravonsbouxne Boating Cflub’s course, the starting line extending from the flagship to a flagged post on the retaining wall, thence to ChaLlis’s buoy, ami back to the starting lino. Tho course alloted to the launches will be raced in the opposite direction. The starling line is the same, but the launches will race down to a* flogged r poet opposite St. Leonards, and then back to a post opposite Black Jack’s Point, finishing at the starting line. Messrs xi. Miller and J. Baird will control the model yacht and dinghy races, and Mr Webber will look after the officials with his launch Kclipee at the regatta tomorrow. Medora has been procured as a flagship, with Mr Frank Shanks in charge. Most boating men refrain from interference with the officials by tying up and attempting to board the flagship, but a few unfortunately ignore this rule. Some of the yacht and launches are not racing, generally speaking good entries have been received. n The seven fourteen-footers have all entered for the regatta to-morrow. Myro has been leaking slightly, and her crew attempted to put her on tho sup last weekend for an overhaul, but the tide being low they were not successful. Consequently site has not been entered for the General Yacht Handicap at Eavensbourne. Result lias been on the slip thus week anil will 60 ready in time, while Titcana, Viking, Miti, Minnow,' May, Gan ox Lass,, and Vera are all ready for the race. Eueen wdl not compete. , _ In consequence of tho Ravensboume Regatta the Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Club has postponed the harbour race, which was sot down for to-morrow afternoon. ihe Otago Club is to bo commended for giving way to the larger function. The Olympic Pictures entertainment on Friday evening, which was organised by the Port Chalmers Sailing Club to assist tho Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Association, proved a success. Mr D. Hutton, the proprietor, has generously ottered to allot another evening shortly to further supple* mwit tho association’s funds. Those who attended tho meeting hold at Port Chalmers to consider tho vexed question of holding a regatta, went fully into tlie matter. After due consideration it was reluctantly decided ‘to abandon tho regatta this year. It was mentioned at the meeting that financial support was promised in some quarters, but as business generally is not up to the mark at Port just now followers of the sport will not bo surprised at tile decision arrived at. The Port Chalmers Sailing Club decided at its last meeting to hold a series of yacht and motor boat races on Saturday, March 10. The first race will start at 3 o’colck.

The delegates representing the Macandrew’a Bay Regatta Committee and the North-East Harbour Boating Club met on Saturday evening to consider the question of amalgamation. After a full discussion it was decided to recommend the amalgamation of the two bodies. All that now remains to be done is for the members of the North-East Harbour dub to confirm at a subsequent meeting the decision arrived at by their delegates. Last Saturday evening in the Public Hall, Macandrew’s Bay, before a largo audience of residents erf week-enders and residents, the raffle for the dinghy Chloe, presented to the North-East Harbour Club, was drawn. Mr E. T. Moller (commodore of the club) and Mr G. _ Bevvley (president of the Improvement Society) supervised the drawing. Constable Farquharson drew the winning number, which corresponded with that of the ticket held by L. Eiliott, a Maoandrew’s Bay boy. Next day her new owner was out racing over the club’s course with Max Smith’s Vision, but the latter proved too good for Chloe in the northeast W'ind.

Adelaide, one of the old-time yachts, has been a familiar figure in Otago Harbour for many years. Mr George Latimer has once more got her in trim. She was out last week-end and looked well, beating down the Eastern Channel to Broad Bay. Craft of the Adelaide type are not seen much these days, ns the modern class of yacht has completely taken the place of her style and build. As boys yachtsmen who are now getting on in years will well remember Adelaide when they first .took an interest in tlie sport. Built in Australia, she was originally known as Prince Alfred. The late Mr George Mason, of Port Chalmers, bought her and brought her over to Now Zealand in the seventies, sailing her principally in the Lower Harbour. Mr George Latimer acquired Adelaide over 30 years ago, and at that period commissioned Mr Fred Patterson to_ alter her, so much so that she was practically reconstructed. To day she is in splendid condition, her timbers being perfectly sound. .Mr A. B. Moffat, the owner of Murihifcu, who has been on a visit to Auckland. Russell, and Rotorua, passed through Dunedin this week ; en route to Invercargill. Mr Moffat highly praises the sportsmanship and hospitality of Auckland boating men, and has had a most enjoyable holiday. Fishing for “big game” at Russell was one of his most enjoyable experiences. The half-yearly balance sheet of the Victoria Club (Auckland) showed that the club was in a very sound financial position. The receipts from all sources amounted to £SOO, and the expenditure to £3BO, leaving a credit balance to date of £l2O. The principal items of expenditure were for alterations and improvements to the club-house and social functions. The receipts included £IOO from members’ subscriptions. The membership of the club is now 787.

The annual Northcotc and Birkenhead regatta was held on Saturday last in Auckland Harbour. A stiff westerly breeze was Wowing throughout the afternoon, preventing or delaying many boats reaching the starting line, and also occasioning mishans to several competitors. _ These included the capsize, toward the finish of the race for the 14ft, one-dosign boats, of the Rona, this year’s winner of the Sanders Cup; also the Swift-sure when competing in the thirdclass yacht*. The fourth class yacht Sea Witch also overturned before the start of the race for her class.

Under the heading, “Fathers Usurp Sons’ Sport." an English paper has the following:—The model yacht season is in full swing. Fathers and their young song are standing two-deep round the ponds in some of the London parks. Tho front row consists wholly of fathers. Many onlookers during the holiday week-end noticed that early youth, whose keen delight playing with boats used to bo, now peers from between the legs of fathers, whose obsession it has now become. They see very little of the sport. There are challenges and wagers .as tho men trim sails. The best fathers keep their sons informed as to the results of races. Tho regatta over, the boys are privileged to carry the boats home, while their fathers walk ns if they hud no interest in the brightly-painted hulls. It is a cheap and exciting sport. Anyone having a few shillings and a small boy

can play it.. If the boy’s birthday is near, what bettor present is there for him than a small boat,?

In very olden times pleasure craft, or yachts, belonged exclusively to men in high places. The historian tolls that King Athelstan was presented by the King of Norway with a magnificent vessel, with a head amt dock of gold and sails of purple. The Dutch made Charles II a present of a bout called the Mary, and the same ruler later on designed a yacht and named Iter Jamie. This yacht the Morris Monarch sailed himself in a moo from Greenwich to Gravesend and back against a Dutch yacht, and won. 'That was in 1662.

The first yacht club was established in Cork in 1720, and was called the fork Harbour Water Club.

A 24ft cabin launch wliich can be used cn water only 4iu or sii; deep, is certainly something of a curiosity, but there are many rivers where au oxttoruely shallow draft boat is required, and therefore much interest attaches to a design which has perhaps gamed a record in shallow dratt work. Tfi« boat in question was supplied by tho Ailsa Craig Motor Co., Ltd., Chiswick, London, W., for (he South American waters and is propelled by tho Ailso CraigHotchkiss Hyoraufic Propulsion, which has proved most efficient. A dignified end is rare for horse or ohip. The most famous of their kind have immortality in men’s tajk, but their own last days nro a course set through moan tasks to the knacker's yard and tno shipbreaker. .y retired master mariner, Captain Dowman, lias determined that the Cutty Sack, tho most-talked-of clipper ol her day, shall not share that fate. According to tho Falmouth correspondent of the Observer, he has bought her, and proposes to restore her to her old rig and moor her in Falmouth harbour that men may give her tho rovoronoo that is her due. “She is,” sajs an English exchange, ■‘the last of the great sisterhood who were queens of tho sea before the days of steam. Old men who went to soa as boys toil with awe of occasions when tho ships they sailed in tried a turn of speed with her. To have seen hoc in her prime is introduction enough in dock-side taverns where tradition lingers. Legend, well authenticated, has it that once she sailed ovei three hundred knots in 14 hours —a record that it would stir the stokers on the fastest steamship of modem times to better. Certain it is that on voyage after voyage in the eighties she figured as a record breaker from Australia to England, and the tale is told of how the honours lay with her in tho groat race in ’72 with tin fastest of her rivals, although she lost her rudder off the Cape of Good Hope and was delayed for six days.” Sir Thomas Liptou has expressed his determination to again challenge for the America Oup in 1924. A controversy has boon taking place in the English yachting journals on the performance put up b\ Shamrock IV in the last throe races of the 1920 series, in which it is said she had very hard luck in losing the wind more than once. A wag at one of the music halt; is reported to have brought down the house with these couplets:

Sir Thomas Lipton had a yacht With sails as white as snow. And everywhere that Shamrock went The wind refused to blow.