YACHTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22432, 29 November 1934, Page 4

YACHTING

By Ruddeb. COMING EVENTS • December I.—Ravensborne Club's races ; commencement of ' Z class trials at Vauxhall. ■ ■•.-•:'■ December 8. —Vauxhall Club's races (open to all clubs). " December 15.—Port Chalmers Club's races (open to all clubs). December 22. —Vauxhall. Club's ■ 14ft and 12ft 6in class races (open to. all clubs). '■■■■<. December 26. —Macandrew Bay regatta. January I.T-Broad Bay regatta. January 5. —Ravensbourne Club's race for A Grade yachts (open to all clubs). . January 12.—Port Chalmers Club's races (open to all clubs). .■ •• January 19.—'Otago Club's Nees Memorial . Cup race (open to all clubs). January 26.—Otago Club's gala day. SANDERS CUP TRIALS Judging.by Betty's win on Saturday arid by the fact. that she has . now won both the Sanders Cup trials held! to date, it. looks as though the selectors cannot go past-her when selecting the boat to represent Otago at the Sanders. Cup contest at Stewart Island next February. Their principal duty now, therefore, is, to select a crew. Betty was well handled last Saturday on the whole. Over the first stages of the race she outpaced her opponents with ease, and when passing the beacon at Macandrew Bay had a lead' of four minutes from Val. On the beat from there to the weather mark at Raynbird's point, however, she appeared to be baffled in the tides, and lost a. good deal of her advantage. Hall, the skipper, would have done better to have doused his leading jib before reaching Macandrew Bay and to have set his working jib. Perhaps he' thought there was not much need to.worry since he had. such a substantial lead• at : Macandrew Bay, but lie should remember that if he is going to win he should win by as big a margin as possible. It isnot the fact of the win that counts so much with the selectors as the seamanship and skill displayed in gaining that victory;', Val, skippered by Ivap M'Grath, was handled very well, as was shown by the fact that over the last portion of therace' she gained over three minutes and a-half on the leader. M'Culloch and Mason, skippers of Heather and Squib respectively, deserve credit for the manner in which they handled their craft, which are. much older than.the others competing in the trial. Both are youths, one being still in the Z class and the other just out of it, and they should do. well in the sport if they continue as they are doing. ; The. next Sanders Cup trial will be sailed: over a triangular course on the Upper Harbour on Saturday afternoon, commencing from the Victoria wharf at 3 p.m. ' VAUXHALL CLUB During the.past week members of the Vauxhall Club have been busily engaged, in preparing their boats for the Sanders Cup trials. Betty,'Squib, Heather, and Eileen-have all received attention. Syma X. arrived at the boat shed during the week from Waihola. and is-at present in. the charge of K. M'Culloch, Mr 11. A. Ewing having loaned her for-the trials. The Z class 'trials will be commenced at Vauxhall on Saturday; Quite a number of entries have been received, and the selectors should have some good material from which to pick a crew to represent Otago at. the contest to be held at Lyttelton early next year. ... ; •' The club's ;first series of races will take place on Saturday, December 8. Members of all clubs are invited to com-: ;pete. : ' v . '• ', :: .''.'•♦."; ; NORTH-EAST HARBOUR CLUB Fine ■weather 'and good sailing, conditions -were experienced last Saturday, when the North-East Harbour Club's first, series of races was. held. Both-trophies changed hands, the Fulton Shield going to Lark, and the Captain Nicholas Mem-, o'rial Cup to the launch Marewa. Officials of the club- controlled tie. races in' a very satisfactory planner. \\ The next big event on the, club's programme is'th'e. annual regatta, .which will, ,bc: held at the bay on Boxing Day, and (judging by the,support that, has already been promised it. .should "provide a thoroughly enjoyable,day's spdrt; Jewelt is/at: present. '. on the .slip for alterations.. and ( is, expected to take .the water in about a weekte time. ~ , The crew of .'the' Vera is at present fitting and rigging Ithe! boat and should .'1 be seen out Bailing very shortly. \ . Club officials;were busy over theiweekend bringing in the buoys from the; course", for cleaning and painting. ■; a ,;; ■.' ~, . . BROAD CLUB . . ' vA'n 1 enthusiastic' riieetirig of the'Broad' Bay Regatta Committee was' held on Tues-day-at Broad Bay" and the business connected with :the regatta Vis now; well luridcr •Way.- • Everything points to an unusually ■attractive fixture *• being • held - on; New Year's Day, arid'the-demolition of a large •portion of the old'wharf will have the; effect of bringing the.racing course.more into the bay, making, the regatta .more interesting to. the ,onlooker." - Members were plesaed to welcome back the past secretary (Mr S. Lawrence), who has consented to- take over the rein s for this regatta owing to. the:absence through illness of the secretary; (Mr M.C.Brown). Tucana stayed at'Broad Bay last weekend, and members look forward to seeing this fine yacht.taking permanent or at' least week-end moorings in the bay. She l was seen out with Dawn on Sunday at Harrington Point. ' x . '■..<• One of the- popular littlq idle-along boats being built for Mr J. C M. Somerville, the club's commodore; is Hearing completion in Mr. I. Brown's shed' and looks a sturdy and sensible little craft. The •performance of: this class will be watched with great iriterest. The Broad Bay launch Marewa was successful in winning the North-East Harbour Club's race on Saturday, while Dawn filled second place in the Yacht Race. Marewa's crew was seen under sail in Dawn on Sunday, and in spite of the fickle breeze i en joyed their change from power to sail. '•• RAVENSBOURNE CLUB'S RACES On Saturday afternoon next the Ravensbourne Club will sail its.first series of club races over the club's short course, the fixture set down being a handicap for B Grade yachts.' It is hoped that a number, of yachts from sister clubs will par-, ticipate", as the. event is open t0.a11., j The B Grade is composed of ■ yachts which, in the opinion of the club's Sailing Committee, cannot be satisfactorily handicapped in. with the larger and faster boats on the harbour. They must be 16 feet or under, excluding X class boats. During the afternoon two model yacht races will be run off for the local boys. Al AT LLOYD'S ; Very often the expression "Al at Lloyd's" is heard, but few are aware.of the real significance of the phrase. Most people know that it is a terra used in connection with shipping. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to think of the mercantile marine without Lloyd's. Lloyd's, of course, is not an insurance company. It is. simply a combination of individual members, each, bound by common rules. In other words, Lloyd's does not insure as a body, all business being transacted by individual members. These members divide the risk, each member taking a small portion. only. Thus, in. the case of a policy for £IOOO, it is quite probable that, the risk would be split up between 10 members. As the signatures are. written on the policy, one under the other, the meaning- of the term "underwriter" becomes apparent. While Lloyd's is mostly engaged in ! marine insurance, still every kind oi risk ! is undertaken; practically the members will insure any person against, any imaginable risk. Sea insurance, by the way, is by far the oldest form of insurance; fire and life insurance "are comparatively new compared with ,the form of insuring against the perils of the sea. The combined capital of the underwriters of Lloyd's amounts to many million pounds, and it is the boast of the corporation that it has never refused to pay a genuine claim, even in cases where it has not been legally responsible. In order to conduct its business, it is convenient for Lloyd's to classify and register ships. Ships, of the first class are denoted by the well-known mark Al, the "A having reference to the quality of the ship and the " 1 " to the quality of the equipment. Only the best ships arc classed A l, and their risks are readily accepted by any company^