YACHTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21300, 2 April 1931, Page 5

YACHTING

By Rucdee. FIXTURES April 4. —Broad Bay Club races. April 18.—Vauxhall Club races. j EASTER RACING Th« Broad Bay Club will told a series ©f races on Saturday. ' The races for both sailing and power boats will be started on the Mark Boy system. The skippers of the boats which compete in the race for yachts of 20 feet and over will meet before the raje to decide the handicaps. The following are the entries.: i Yachts (20ft and oyer J. Start 2.45 p.m. —Dawn, Tucana, Eileen'(skimmer), Minnow, Miti, Vera, Shadow. Speed Boats (including outboard motors). Start 3 p.m.—Mist, Sirena, Hawk, Argo, Nymph, Tui 11. Yachts (12ft 6in and under). Start 1.30 p.m.—Pupuke, Colleen, Suzette, Lone Star, - Lassie, Harlequin, Good ; Luck, Ngyra, Frolic. >. Yachts (over 12ft Oinjand under 20ft). Start 2.15 p.m.—Mavis, Squib, Eileen, Swastika, Shamrock, VSnifred, Heather, Avalon, Agnes, Experiment. , Motor Boats (all-comers). Start 3.45 : p.m.—Wee Mac, Manuka, Sylvia, Joy, Car- ' men, Marewa, Hermione. Rover, Vyella, , Muritai, Tui, Reena, (Daphne, Stella, Ngaio.

WINNING SANDERS CUP CREW Miniature cupa were presented to the skipper and crew of Betty, this year’s winner of the Sanders 'Cup, at a social evening tendered by thp Wellington Yacht and Motor Boat Association recently. Betty’s skipper, Mr A. Johnston, said it was good to know that Wellington would have the contest there ndxt-year, and paid; a tribute to the crew, which had worked splendidly. 1 ‘ J Mr W. Duncan, sole selector, said he thought it was wrong of; the association not to allow him to change the skippers about in the trials. ’ Mr Johnston said tha;t a change of skippers would be all right if they had 12 months in which to'run the trials. A skipper needed time to get accustomed to his crew. He suggested that the skippers, owners and experienced yachtsmen should form some sort of sailing committee and conduct thb trials like a Sanders Cup contest. He did not think one skipper would agree- to Mr-Duncan’s suggestion. ; 3 The chairman of the !> nssociation, Mr A. W. Thompson, said that definite rules should be laid down for -the conduct of the trials. The matter should bo thoroughly discussed for next season. } THE TASMAN YACHT RACE The first race between small sailing craft across the Tasman. Has been completed. The Oimara arrived at Sydney at 10.40 am. on Thursday- March 26, the first to finish in the splendid time of ’ll days 20 hours'4o mirfUtes. .The Norwegian boat Teddy reached Sydpey at noon on Saturday last. She made the trip in about 13J days. The Auckland yacht Rangi was the most unfortunate of the three, as she was delayed by calms and light winds. When the story of the race is told it. may be found. that light winds were the rule for the'first two or three days after the yachts lift Auckland, on March 14. Owing to the necessity Jor the crew of Rangi to return to Auckland as-soon as possible, she will only remain in Sydney long enough to give them time for a look round and to: have- any ‘necessary work attended to on the boat. A new mainsail, and made from canvas,, hjill be sent to Sydney at the earliest opportunity. While a number of yachts have crossed the Tasman from time to;, time none has raced across, the passages taking from three to* five weeks. Onq of the earliest was the Taniwha, which sailed from Auckland to Melbourne, and Rawhiti, in charge of the late Jack Bell, xfeith a crew of two, took over three we?ks to make the trip to Sydney. - The Volunteer came from Sydney to Auckland in shout 18 days. A yawl-rigged auxiliary yacht, only 38ft overall, named Ra-ata, built by Charles Bailey, of Auckland, for Sir Chappe Hall, was spirited away from her moorings one 1 night, and the next heard of her was her arrival at a port well nori;h of Brisbane, where she still lies. Two years ago an auxiliary yawLmade quite?* good passage from Wellington, to Sydney, whose .herowner, Mr Jackson, had gone to live. The yacht OnSuay built for tberKihg of’ Tonga, by C. Bailey, made - a very-smart passage of -seven days ;■ from Auckland to Tonga. Volunteer sailed .to, Suva,| where she was later wrecked in a hurricane. The palm for the smallest boat to cross the; Tasman undoubtedly goes to Captain W. Voss, of the canoe-rigged Tilicum, a boat of less beam than a 14-footer, and only 28ft overall. She was sailed singlehanded by Captain Voss, who just jogged along , and lay to, a sea-anchor when the wind was too strong to toil in comfort. He gained his objective oj sailing round the world, and his boat is j still preserved, on the Thames, near Londop, where she lay for some years on the mud. ... A yawl sailed to Auckland about 20 years .ago from-Bunbury, West Australia,, in charge of two captains, Blythe and Arapakis, a Greek. She safely rounded the Horn, but .was dismasted oft the Falklands, where, she refitted and proceeded to New York. . She was lost on the trip across to England. * GENERAL N(SIES At a recent meeting of the Otago Yacht Club Committee, the' resignation of the club; captain (Mr T. G. 'Lynn) -was received with. regret. Mr -Lyim had held the position for some time, and carried out his duties in a very capable and satisfactory manner. He is one of the most enthusiastic members of the club. Mr L. T. Paul was appointed to the vacancy. The Jellicoe class boats Avalon- and Eileen competed in the race for the ,01iphant Cup at St. Leonards last Saturday afternoon. Avalon! "was sailed by Allan Hunter, and she led the fleet from start ,to finish, the ex-Auckland Sanders Cup challenger giving a fine exhibition of her sailing qualities in. the fresh northeast breeze. Eileen was hampered by « Ismail crew. The boys had trouble with the spinnaker, but the boat sailed well oh- the wind. On March 23 the North-East Harbour Club commenced a series of races for aCornwell Cup. The trophy was presented to the club by, Mr E. T. Holler to be competed for under ’ the same conditions as the interprovipeial trophy of the same name. Three-races were held, and were all won by Colleen. There were only three crews centered for the contest, so that by reason of the change in boats, each crew hap one win to its credit. ’ A fine race between Avalon and Eileen was witnessed in the Lower Harbour last Sunday. Both boats Sailed very fast board for board when on f the wind. They finished off a good try-out with a quick xun before the wind. The. Port Chalmers yacht Tucana carried a young crew last '-Sunday, and the hoys shaped very well in the big keeler when she beat down Spit. The Port Chalmers Ihunch Valmore is having a heavy engine installed, and the owner hopes to obtain bjetter results from the additional power. . Mr J. Holden, who, is well known among all Otago yaehtsjpen as one of the old brigade in the early days of the keel yachts, can be seen a| the Port Chalmers Club’s boatshed every Sunday morning. He spends most •of the time giving the young members'of the club tuition in sailing, and it' is very pleasing, to see the advance being made by the boys. ’■ At the last meeting of the Otago Yacht Club Committee, the Sailing Committee reported that no decision had yet been made in regard to the r,ace held on March. 21, owing to some confftsion arising from. the presence of two buoys at the turning mark. The committee decided to accept tho placings of the Sailing Committee, as there was no evidence that the placed boats did not go round the club buoy. The placings were: Shadow 1, Miti 2, Starlight 3,' : f . Boisterous weather conditions prevailed in Evans Bay (Wellington) on March 21 when a race for keel ydchts was held and one for centre-board boats was abandoned. When the centre-board; boats were de-

spatched there was a > strong northerly blowing, and almost immediately after starting the recall flags were waved. Bonzo and Damfino, however, got as far as the patent slip buoy, where they capsized, and Betty, this year’s Sanders Gup winner, completed the coure once -round and then capsized opposite the Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat Club’s clubhouse. Noneof the occupants of the boats suffered anything worse than a ducking. Started by the Mark Foy system, the first keel yachts were sent away at 2.30 p.m., and the-crewsfound plenty with which to occupy themselves when they reached the head of .the bay. ‘ Rawene crossed the line_ first, followed. 27 seconds later by Wairere I. Marangi, the scratch boat, only managed to arrive home fourth. There was quite a thrilling finish between Viola and Wairere 11, who were placed fifth and sixth respectively.