YACHTING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20282, 15 December 1927, Page 4

YACHTING.

By Ruddee.

FIXTURES. December 17.—Sanders Cup and Takapuna class trial races. December 26. —Macandrew s Bay regatta. January 2.—Broad Bay regatta January 7 Ravensbourne Club races, North-East Harbour Club races, Otago Yacht Club (cruising race to Broad Bay); Oliphant Cup race (Broad Bay). January 14. —Port Chalmers Club races. January 21— Port Chalmers Club (ladies day). , January 28.—Port Chalmers Club races February 18.—Otago Yacht Club (second series of races). February 25.—North-East Harbour Club (Strang Cup race); Port Chalmers Club (ladies’ day). March 3—Port Chalmers Club races March 17.—Otago Yacht Club (Moffett Cup race). Easter Saturday.—Broad Bay Club races. SANDERS CUP—STEWART ISLAND. February 13, first race; February 16, second race; February 17, third race; February 18, fourth race. Another fine launch has left Otago Harbour.- This is the Arawa, one of the best equipped boats in Otago. She was sold last week by Mr VV. ilendersuii to -.c Hughes, a Christchurch resident, and was shipped to Lyttelton last Thursday. The Arawa will be missed by local boating men, as she was a frequent visitor to the various bays around the harbour, and was a consistent performer in club races. Arawa won the Moffett Cup in 1926. Mr J. T. Paul’s launch Aotea carried a distinguished number of boating men on her cruise about the harbour last Saturday afternoon. Among them was Mr Cooper, an officer of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, Wellington. Commodore C. W. Sundstrum was also on board, and the Aotea flew the commodore’s flag in honour of the Wellington visitor. Boating men will be pleased to learn that Mr E. A. Gibson, of Macandrew’s Bay, who suffered severe injuries recently as the result of a motor car accident, has been discharged from the Dunedin Hospital. He is making a slow recovery. The committee of the North-East Harbour Club is now engaged in building a new slipway near the boat shed. This slip will be appreciated by boat owners. The Harbour Board’s pile-driver is at present alongside the wharf, which is being repaired. The crew of the Albatross are now putting their finishing touches on their boat, and expect to have her in running order next week-end. Another craft which is receiving attention at the boat harbour is Waipori. This boat has been neglected for some considerable time, and a lot of work will be necessary to put her into good order again. When near the boat harbour last Sunday afternoon the yacht Experiment met with a mishap to her rudder. The mainsail was lowered, and Experiment was brought to her moorings under her jib The 10ft sailing dinghy Spray, which has been a unit of the North-East Harbour Club’s fleet for some time past, has been sold to Steffanson, formerly of Oamaru. The boat will have moorings at the boat harbour. The former owner of the Spray, W. Clark, has purchased the sailing dinghy Lassie. The launch Tui II has been purchased by Messrs Mathieson and Campbell from Mr R. J. Paul. The boat will be placed on the slip at Macandrow’s Bay to have a new engine fitted. The first-class yacht Thelma, the pride of Otago Harbour so far as deep-keelevs are concerned, has been placed in commission. She sailed about the Upper Harbour last Saturday afternoon, with the veteran yachtsman, Mr G. Challis, at the helm. The boat was a picture, and was greatly admired when sh© sailed lazily past the Victoria wharf in the light breeze. A jubilee regatta will be held in Lyttelton Harbour on Saturday. The Lyttelton Harbour Board recently notified the Canterbury Yachting Association that the sum of £75 had been set aside for prizes for sailing and motor boat races. The third trial race for Lyttelton aspirants for Cornwell Cup contest honours was sailed last Saturday afternoon in a fresh north-easterly breeze. The race resulted in Brassell securing his second win. The result was: Wee May (G. Brassell) 1, Gadfly (F. Forman) 2, Pauline (R. Taylor) 3. The series of outboard motor boat races for the Paterson Cup have been postponed indefinitely. One reason for the postponement is due to the lack of entries, and another reason is the fact that Mr A. C. Paterson has disposed of all his engines to northern enthusiasts. This means that Miss Whippet and Aloha are without engines in the meantime. All the available racing engines are being absorbed for the New Zealand championship iftces to be held at Russell on December 27. A new stock of engines is expected to reach Dunedin within the next week or two, and if there are sufficient entries the first race for the cup will probably be held before the New Year. Britain won the ocean yacht race in a decisive manner on August 19. ri'-tm-y resting with Lord Stalbridge’s Tally Ho, after an exciting duel with the American designed La. Goleta. The official finish of the race was timed as follows: —La Goleta, Ihr 49min 35sec; Tally Ho, 2hr Slmin 47sec. Less than three-quarters of an hour after La Goleta (which allowed Tally ho 4hr 57miu 35sec on the handicap) had crossed the line flying the Stars and Stripes, the British representative had completed the course, had hoisted the burgee of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and had also sent up her winning flag. Fifteen boats started. LAST SATURDAY’S TRIAL. Although Eileen won the second trial race last Saturday, it would be idle to suggest that she quite pleased her supporters. Otago enthusiasts ireely admit the need of a boat superior to any of the older ones if the province is to be adequately represented in next year’s Sanders Cup contest, Kia Ora’s fine race, -therefore, left with some of the onlookers a feeling that the new boat was not all that could be desired. Yet a closer examination of Saturday’s race strongly suggests that Eileen will do much hotter when her sailing qualities arc brought out to the full. On such a light weather day as Saturday the new boat clearly showed that she is superior to both Kia Ora and Heather, and it is impossible to overlook the fact that the handling of Eileen m the early stages of the race failed to do her justice. Kia Ora was beautifully handled. Complete confidence in his crew evidently served as an inspiration to French, and he sailed one of his finest races. Nor must it be forgotten that the work of his crew reached an exceptionally high standard. The different changes of sails were made with smoothness and celerity—all evidence of a harmonious combination. The flaw in the wind when the boats wer© beating to the Yacht Club mark served Eileen to a turn, and no effort on the part of French could prevent the new boat going into the lead Sheer skill and handling gave Kia Ora the lead for three rounds of the course. 1., the final round Kellett seemed to get a better grip of his boat, and, favoured by the lightening of the wind, gradually caught first Meather and then Kia Ora. Kellet used excellent judgment in working the channel leg of the course. Heather did all that was expected of her, and more. The position at the finishing line by no means gives a true indication of Watson’s meritorious performance. During the first two rounds Heather was really dangerous, and perhaps a little freer use of the balloon sail might have given her the lead. It is little use striving for the weather gauge when the leeward boat can make the mark with cased sheets. The failing wind in the Inst round was fatal to Heather, as it was to Kia Ora, and Watson’s boat fell back to third place. Whilst it is premature yet to judge Eileen, the position so far may be summarised by saying that in light weather she is a fast boat, both on file run and with sheets started. On the clou© haul there is room for opinions, some critics holding the view that Eileen has not yet reached the standard of the crack boats. _lt must lie remembered, however, that Kia Ora has without question a better fitting suit of sails—a moat important item in light weather sailing. A good thrash round the Yacht Club’s course would give some idea of Eileen’s capabilities, and such a course would bo refreshing after the series of short legs and soldiers’ winds.