YACHTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22520, 14 March 1935, Page 5

YACHTING

By Rudder. COMING EVENTS March 16.—North-East Harbour Club’s races for Strong and Elliot Cups, all comers’ yacht and motor boats (open to all clubs). March 23 Ravensbourne Club’s race for C. W. Sundstrum’s trophy (21 and under, open to all clubs). March 30.—Ravensbourne Clubs race for Cuthbert Cap (open to all clubs). April 6. —Vauxhall Club’s races for Vauxball Cup and Sell Memorial Shield (open to all clubs). , April 13—Broad Bay Boating Clubs Oliphant Cup race (open to all clubs) and club race. Easter Monday.—Portobello regatta. April 20. —Vauxhall Club's race for C. C. Wakefield Cup for motor boats (open to all clubs). PROTEST AT RAVENSBOURNE REGATTA In connection with the unfortunate incident during the sailing of the race for yachts 13ft and under at the Ravensbourne regatta on Saturday, when Pupuke and Lady Luck collided and a protest -ivas entered by the skipper of the former boat, the judges (Messrs A. Chains, G. A. Wiseman, and G. Currie) considered the question on Monday evening and upheld Pupuke’s protest. Following on this decision, the result of the race, which was left in abeyance until the question had been settled, is as follows:—Pupuke (E. Walker), smin 30sec, 1; Pcgety (W. Trotter),: Ruin, 2. Also started: Lady Luck (disqualified). Harlequin (disqualified), and Rio Rita. HOBART-BLUFF RACE OFF The proposed race between Captain George .Dibbern’s Te Rapunga and Mr John Wray’s Ngataki from Hobart to Auckland, via Bluff and southern ports, is definitely off, no support offering fertile proposal that each port should provide a prize and Te Rapunga, from latest reports, is now on her way to Bluff. The same informant, Mr Austin yaile, says ho expects that the Ngataki will no on her way to Sydney, thence to Lord Howe and' Norfolk Islands and home. It is just possible that Te Rapunga will be back in time to compete in the race to Coromandel at Easter, as she did last year. MONOTYPE RACING The latest Olympic Games bulletin issued by the German Organising Committee gives details of the new Germandesigned centre-boarder which .will be used in the monotype races in Kiel Fiord next year. “ The types hitherto used in the Olympic contests have been either the 12-foot dingliy or a recognised monotype boat,” state s the bulletin. “ Experience, however, has shown that these boats are not sufficient to enable a helmsman to give the finest evidence of his yachting skill. Therefore, when it became known in Germany, where centre-boarder sailing has always been especially popular, that an Olympic regatta would be held in 1936, efforts were at once made to secure the replacement of the hitherto types by a boat which -would enable the possibility of true yachting skill being brought into play, and which through the exhibition of the full art of individual trimming would add to the sporting attraction of the contest.

“ Several years of co-oporatiou on the' part of German designers have now led to the production of the ‘ Olympic centreboarders/ an improved all-round ‘ boat which, in view of her small dimensions, is exceedingly fast. By this boat German designers will demonstrate to the world the high level of their art. The harmonious dimensions of this boat not only please the eye of the expert but also that of the layman. Her overall length is 5 metres, maximum beam 1.60 metres, freeboard 0.35 metres, mast height 6.40 metres, and sail area 10 square , metres. Experience ha s shown that its speed is beyond any expectations; owing to the happy proportions between the hull and the occupants’ weight her stability is so groat that a wind of 18 metres per second can be encountered without danger. Exact building regulations ensure the uniformity and equality of the boats. “The German Yachting Union hope that the new ‘Olympic centre-boarder’ will prove to be the. classic one-man boat for the future. Numerous orders for the new type have already been placed by. nearly all yachting centres.” MELBOURNE-HOBART RACE Details of the race between Captain Dibbern’s Te Rapunga and Mr John Wray’s Ngataki are to band from a communication received by_ Mr Norris, who was one of the winning crew on To Rapunga in the race from Auckland to Melbourne last December (writes “Speedwell,” in the Auckland Star). The race started from St. Kilda, Melbourne, on Tuesday, January 22, at 6.30 p.m., and finished soon after 1 a.m, on Monday morning, January 28, Te Rapunga’s time for the 460-mile course being 5 days 6 hours and 43 minutes. Ngataki finished three days later. Te Rapnnga’s crew consisted of Captain Dibbern and his mate, Mr Gunter Schramm, and Messrs A. E. Vaile and J. N. Tattersfield and Mrs Roehr, who acted as cook and stewardess, and enjoyed the experience. From a diary kept by Mr Tattersfield it appears that the race actually started from the bar of the St. Kilda Yacht Club, about 100 yards from the end of the pier, where the starting gun was fired and the time actually taken. Each boat had been prepared to start, and no time was lost in getting aboard. At the last minute Gunter Schramm was missing, and this allowed the Ngataki boys to get away in the lead. The wind was very light going down to the heads, but later freshened into a full-sail breeze from the sou’-west, with a fairly big fJ_>a. _Te Rapunga caught and passed Ngataki half way to the Port Phillip Heads, which they cleared at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 23. A course sou’-west was set across Bass Strait for Tasmania, passing west of the Flinders Group, Out in the straits the wind went to the west and freshened, necessitating the- mizzen being stowed. At daylight on Friday, I January 25 the Swan Island lighthouse was picked up. As the yawl neared the Tasmanian coast the wind increased, but a course was set close in to the land. ' Nearing the Eddystone the westerly breeze freshened again, the jib and mainsail being lowered. I lie yacht made good progress under staysail and mizzen only, the smallest amount ot sail carried since To Rapunga left Auckland. The Eddystonc lighthouse was rounded at 11.15 a.m. on Friday and good time was made down the east coast of Tasmania. The wind now went towards the north and eased up sufficiently to allow the reefed jnainsail to be set. Later, the wind eased up, so that full mainsail and a square sail were set for a time, but eventually it freshened again and the reef taken in the mainsail. The sea increased, but the yacht was taken on through the Schouten passage inside Maria Island, where the water was smooth. Cape Raoul, at the northern end of Storm Bay, at the head of which Hobart is situated, was rounded early on Sunday morning, and then began the long slog to windward and Hobart against a fresh south-west breeze. This part of the trip was the worst in the race, but the sea was easier as the yacht neared the land, and good time was made under Bruny Island on Sunday evening. The finishing line off the Castray Esplanade was crosssod at Ihr 13min lOsec a.m, on Monday, January 28. Ngataki had a bad time, and was three days and a-half later in finishing. The yacht and her crew were welcomed by the commodore (Mr G. IT. Evans) and the secretary (Mr J. Boyes) of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, who were in attendance at the starting tower on the esplanade to record the finishing time, the line being indicated by a motor car’s headlights and a powerful torch which also helped to direct the yacht’s crew to a berth at the Princess wharf. Here the yacht club’s officials and Mr Hilton Vaile, a brother of Mr A. E. Vaile, welcomed the crew to Tasmania. Later advice states that after competing at two local regattas Ngataki was" expected to leave on her return to Auckland by way of the Bluff, and all the principal ports between there and Auckland.