THE YACHT OIMARA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21264, 19 February 1931, Page 2

THE YACHT OIMARA.

INTERVIEW WITH CAPTAIN. XOT ANXIOUS FOR RACE. (Special to Duly Times.) WELLINGTON, February 18. In an interview Captain Bennell was able to give something definite in regard to the controversy which has raged during the past six months about a proposed race across the Tasman. “The idea of a race from Australia to New Zealand originated with a friendly challenge between Norman Wallace, a Sydney yachtsman, owner of the Wanderer, and myself. Wallace later found that he was unable to participate in the race, and in the meantime Mr I*. J. Stacey, of Christchurch, cabled me accepting the challenge. I cabled back that I would take, him on, and during the following three or four months I spent _a great deal of money preparing the ship for tlie voyage. Then at the‘last minute Mr Stacey cabled that as far as he was concerned the race was off, as the Canterbury Yachting Association refused to approve of his boat on the ground of unsuitability. I first heard ot Mr M Lean, the owner of the Restless, when, on the inauguration of the wireless telephone service between Australia and New Zealand, he challenged me in the Australian press through that service to race him across the Tasman. Although I did not know anything about Mr M'Lean, I replied that I would accept the challenge, and continued with preparing the boat for the trip. Since then nothing has transpired, and Air M‘Lean, in the end, came to light and denies that he has ever offered to race. I am not going down to the sounds to make any terms with him, aud I do not care if I do not race back. None of us has seen Lew Zealand before, and we are merely on a nonday visit.” x In conclusion, Captain Bennell remarked that the trip that he had just completed demonstrated the practicability of a Tasman race when proper precautions were taken.