THE SANDERS CUP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20645, 18 February 1929, Page 12

THE SANDERS CUP.

THIRD RACE ABANDONED. . TIME LIMIT EXPIRES. (From Our Special Reporter.) AKAEOA, February 16. Tlic third race for the Sanders Cup was commenced this morning over a windward and leeward course, but had to be abandoned as the boats could not complete the course in the time limit owing to the very light winds. It was most exasperating, as every boat was left becalmed time and again. The Auckland crew was more unfortunate, as Avalon had a lead, of’ seven minutes from Clyde when the gun fired as a signal to the crews that the race was called off. The light winds and calms affected the boats to such an extent that each, with the exception of Murihiku, held the leading position at. various stages. Towards the end of the first round the Otago boat led the fleet for some distance, but she then shared in. the misfortune by losing the wind and being becalmed with Clyde and Colleen. An interesting feature of the race was the fine seamanship displayed by the Auckland skipper, Avalon making one of the most remarkable recoveries seen in any yachting contest in Dominion waters. Avalon was in the doldrums for about 20 minutes when the boats had the windward mark at Wainui Island in line in the first round. The Auckland crew had to sit idle with not a breath of wind stirring Avalon’s sails. Colleen, Eileen, and Clyde sailed slowly along further out in the harbour. Avalon eventually worked her way out of the calm, and when • she turned the mark was far astern of ( Colleen, the leading boat. Using all hie Auckland training to the best advantage, Willetts sailed Avalon close along the eastern shore. The little Auckland boat gained steadily. Eileen, Colleen, and Clyde all were becalmed a few feet apart when within a few hundred yards of the starting line, while Avalon was sailing along nicely right along the shore, a ripple on the water showing Willetts that a breeze was there. When the other three boats picked up a breeze again Avalon was with them, the boat having made up the whole of her leeway. A fresh breeze, but of short duration, sprang up when Clyde, Avalon, Colleen, and Eileen in that order set out on the second journey to the Wainui Island mark. The boats came on the wind, and Avalon quickly went into the lead, with Eileen under her lee. It was now a question of time. With only 20 minutes left it was realised that Avalon had no hope of making the mark at Wainui Island and the run of two and a-quarter miles back to the line before, the limit of three hours expired. Sailing into the wind in fine style, Avalon rounded the mark at 1.20 p.m., but the wind fell right away immediately afterwards and the Auckland boat travelled only a short distance with sheets free when the gun was fired as a signal to the crews that the time limit had expired. Avalon was the only boat to make the mark, and when the race was called off she had a lead of seven minutes from Clyde aud about eight minutes from Eileen. There was hardly a breath of wind when the five boats set out from the boat shed for the starting point at 10 a.m. One launch towed Avalon, Murihiku, Eileen, and Clyde, and a Dunedin launch towed Colleen over the line. The start of the race was delayed nearly half an hour with the hope that a wind would spring up. Each boat carried the lightest crewofthreo.