YACHTING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19980, 23 December 1926, Page 5

YACHTING.

By Rudder. December 27. —Macandrew Bay regatta. January 1. —Broad Bay regatta. January 15.—Ravensbourne Club races. Otago Yacht Club (cruising race to Broad Bay). January 22. —North-East Harbour Club (Elliott Cup race, motor boat race). January 29.—Port Chalmers Club races. February s.—Port Chalmers Club (ladies’ day). February 12,—Port Chalmers Club races February 19.—Otago Yacht Club (second series of races) February —j£lorth-East Harbour Club (Strang Challenge Cup race and motor race). March s.—Ravensbourne regatta. March 12.—Ravensbourne Club (Challenge ihe? 'ace). ♦iurch 19.--Otago Yacht Club (harbour race for motor boats). Easter Saturday.—Broad Bay Club races. SANDERS AND CORNWELL CUP CONTESTS. February 12.—At Lyttelton—First races. February 14.—At Lyttelton—Second races. February 15.—At Lyttelton—Third races One of the principal holiday attractions on Monday (Boxing Day) will be the Macandrew Bay regatta. This annual aquatic display haj always claimed good support from the public, and it is expected that a largo number of city folk will visit Macandrew’s Bay on Monday., A very atiiactive programme, comprising yachting, motor boat, speed boat, rowing, swimming, and other events has been arranged. There is every promise that the regatta will bo as successful as those of past years. Mr H. Nees, one of Otago’s former yachtsmen, left Dunedin on Monday last for Auckland. He has accepted an invitation from a number of prominent Auckland yachtsmen to spend the Christmas and New Year holidays on an extensive cruise in northern waters. Although Mr Nees has retired from the sport, he still takes a keen interest in boating matters. ■ He is one of the recognised yachting authorities in New Zealand, and has made a host of friends among the boating men of Auckland. The full list of challenges for the 1927 Sanders Cup contest has been received_by the Canterbury Yachting Association. The six provinces—Auckland (Rona), Hawke s Bay (Avalon), Wellington (not yet selected), Canterbury (not yet selected), Otago (Winifred), and' Southland iMurihiku 11) will be represented. The Cornwell Cup contest to be held in conjunction with the Sanders Cup races at IMteiton >n February promises to be the best so far held. Entries have been recetlved from Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Christchurch, Lyttelton, and Otago, as against four last year. It is hoped that Southland will also enter a juvenile crew for this contest. Southland’s new boat, Murihiku 11, was finished off at Auckland two weeks ago. She was built by Chas. Bailey, and an Auckland writer states that “she is a beauty.” The boat will be shipped to Invercargill without a trial in Auckland at the first opportunity, to give Carol Hansen a chance to get her in trim. The Lyttelton Harbour Board will do everything possible to further the Sanders Cup contest, to be held early in February , The board has promised to provide suitable accommodation for all contestants, and to help in many other ways, as the members realise the great interest attaching to these annual contests. The only outstanding feature in connection with last Saturday’s Cornwell Cup trial race was the big difference in the speed of Colleen and Betty, and the clever way fti which Carl Holier sailed the new Macandrew boat. Betty has proved in the two trials that she has not the sailing qualities of Colleen, as the latter has simply led her rival by several minutes over the full course in both trials. In Saturday’s race Betty appeared to bo hardly moving at times, while Colleen was going through the water at a fast rate. It was probably wise to change the crews, as it gave Hugh Riddell an opportunity to get the measure of a boat which proved one of the fastest of her class when sailing on Auckland Harbour. The race was only a procession, but it was no lault of Holler’s that Betty was left so far astern. He did very well-with a slow boat. When Colleen can win two trials with a margin of from 4min to Smin it proves that Betty is not up to expectations. The officials should have no difficulty in select ing Otago’s crew to sail in the Lyttelton contest after the third trial has been sailed. , , Rona has again come into the limelight at Auckland. An Auckland writer states that the way Rona planed on the last halfwile of the course in the first trial race in competition with Nyria, with her spinnaker drawing to perfection, was a great eight, and proved conclusively that she has lost nothing of her former speed. Nyria was carrying Iron Duke’s Englishmade sails, but Rona had an Aucklandmade sail. The trial race sailed at Lyttelton on December 11 proved unlucky for lona, the former Sanders Cup winner. It was sufficiently hard luck that she should be put out of the cup trial by a capsize before the race was well begun, but her illfortune did not end there. Two fishing launches were standing by to pick up the crew, and one of them salvaged lona. She was on the weather side of the waterlogged 14-footer, and somehow managed to over-run her, with the result that lona’s bow was stove in on the starboard side, below the water-line. Three new planks will be necessary before lona can sail again. . . Those enthusiasts, and there was quite a large number, who witnessed the races sailed last Saturday afternoon under the auspices of the Ravensbourne Boating Club, were provided with a spectacle seldom seen on Otago Harbour. The number of yachts that competed in the two races was much larger than the total usually competing in club races. Eight boats started in the 16ft and under class race, and three in the all-comers’ race. When the 11 yachts sailed towards the upper harbour they presented a very imposing sight with their sails spread to the light breeze. Eileen, Shadow, and Winifred especially made a fine spectacle. Eileen was a perfect picture bowling along with her striking new sails drawing full. Viewed from a short distance Eileen reminded one of the sights to be seen on Auckland and Sydney Harbours when the big yachts heel to the breeze with every stitch of canvas set. Eileen, very capably handled by Duncan MTherson, led the way. Shadow, conspicuous by reason of her Marconi rig, was close up, while the trim and speedy Winifred, with her perfect sails drawing to a nicety, and only a short distance astern of Shadow, completed t£e picture. One _ hears a lot about-spinnaker work, and if any person holds an opinion that Kellett’s for’ard hand needs practice, then such a ridiculous opinion should be dismissed, as' the lad sitting in Winifred’s bows gave a perfect exhibition of spinnaker work on Saturday afternoon. Within ssee of the jibe at the upper harbour mark, Winifreds for’ard hand had the spinnaker hoisted and drawing beautifully. Such is the perfect combination of Winifred’s crew, and these lads, barring accidents, will give a similar example of their smartness on Lyttelton Harbour early in February. The skipper and crew of the Heather feel greatly indebted to Mr W. J. P. M'Culloch for ms kindness in allowing them the full use of his boat to compete in the recent Sanders Cup trials. Mr M’Culloch has shown his sporting spirit by placing -Heather at the disposal of A. Booth and his crew to race in all the regattas. The offer has been accepted On Sunday last the four skippers of the 14-fpotera which competed in the Sanders Cup trial races made a trip to the lower harbour by lauch, and spent several hours fishing with a seine net. Boats and nets were provided bv Tooro Watson and J. W. Watson. The party met with no luck, and Dug Paterson is inclined to believe that one of the skippers was the Jonah. BROAD BAY NOTES. In the past many motor boat races in the regattas at Broad Bay have been spoilt by lack of co-operation between the skippers of boats and the Starting Committee. However, it is expected that these difficulties ■will be overcome at the coming regatta, as the Broad Bay Boating Club Committee has decided to use a new method of starting—namely, motor boats under the Mark Foy ■system. The skippers of the competi-.g boats will not require to carrv a watch of any kind, and it should be very easy to secure a good start. They will have to keep their attention on a board displaving the respective boat’s numbers placed pri the flagship. A hand similar to a dock’s will indicate when each boat is to start by pointing to its number, at the correct time. . , . The Broad Bav Club has received a large number of entrier for the various events, and a successful regatta is assured if the weather will hold fine on New Year’ Day Scotland has over 100 deer forests, yimm'M about 2,000,000 acres.