YACHTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22710, 24 October 1935, Page 4

YACHTING

By Rudder.

OTAGO YACHT CLUB The following 14-footers of the Otago Yacht Club are now ready for action, and will be competing in the first Sanders Cup trial on Saturday:—Joan, Eileen, Rada, and Yvonne. The Rada is a new craft to the harbour, having been brought from Auckland during the winter months, and will be racing here for the first time this season. She will be skippered by Mr J. Kewish, who, although he has not sailed the 14foot class of boat before, has had plenty of experience in both large and small yachts. The remainder of the crew will be G. King, F. Henderson, and B. Huntly. Yvonne is the old Mavis, and has only recently been renamed. All the 14-footers were out on the harbour on Sunday last, and are in fine trim for the trials. The follow-up boat for the trials will this year be the Wairangi, which has replaced the Nell in this capacity. The Wairanai has been extensively overhauled, and has a new coat of paint. The yacht Dawn, which moors at Broad Bay. has come off the slip. She has had her Marconi mast restepped, and makes an imposing sight. Tucana, Lark, and Miti arc all off the slip, and will be seen on the water very shortly. The Lark, with her white top sides and buff deck, will be rigged with the Minnow's sails for experimental purposes, and this should be an advantage in light to medium airs. Arrangements have been made by Mr C. L. Nees to moor his yacht Waiata in the boat harbour. The Waiata was built locally las't season, and it is her owner's intention to spend the week-ends at Broad Bay. The launch Tdeal has recently been purchased by Mr J. Stone, who intends to recommission her as an up-to-date pleasure craft. The Loiterer, which is now owned by Mr Urquhart, has been renamed the Wanaka, and after 15 months on the slip, she is onc e again on the water. Her owner has spent much time in altering this craft. This vear the A ilea is to be powered by a four-cylinder Chevrolet engine, which should mean a great improvement in the speed of the boat. NORTH-EAST HARBOUR CLUB Fine weather was again responsible for much activity in the North-Fast Harbour Club's shed and slipway during the week. The Olita was rigged and went for a trial spin on Sunday. The overhaul of Mr G. *. Bewley s Joy (to be renamed) is expected to be completed this week, and the boat will be returned to the water on Saturday. It is pleasing to learn that the Rena is to be reconditioned and run in club races by its former owner, Mr D. Jenkins. The crew of the Vera spent a busy week-end, and expect to return their boat to the water next Sunday. Among the visiting boats to the bay during the week end were Lark, Waiata, and Sadie K. The committee is pleased to note the interest taken in the club locally, as since its annual meeting several new members have been elected. Mr J. H. Barton is again the club's handicapper for motor boats and Mr J. Robinson for

yachts. At a recent committee meeting a strong Social Committee was set up under the guidance of the commodore (Mr W. T. Rowlands). Last season the shed was painted and concrete piles were fitted, and this year it is the committee's intention to make alterations to the shed. Timber for this work has already been ordered. VAUXHALL CLUB The Vauxhall Club's yachting activities are now in full swing. The entire 14footer fleet was on the water during the week-end, getting in readiness for the first trial on Saturday afternoon. Iney are all in first-class order, and the competition between them will be very keen. The two Bona type boats, Val and Betty, are both in ideal racing trim, and their respective skippers, I. M'Grath and P. Walker, can be relied upon to get the best out of their craft. The Squib, sailed by W. Mason, will bo a very hard boat to beat in light or moderate weather, especially as she is maimed by a very experienced crew. The Heather was on the harbour (luring the week-end airing for the first time a new set of sails in the ideal sou'-west breeze that prevailed. When these have been properly stretched they will be a great assc*; to her sailing speed. Mr F. Davis is at present working on his new purchase, a powerfully-built double-ended launch, in which he intends to go cruising in the summer months.

RAVENSBOURNE BOATING CLUB The opening of the season for the Ravensbourne Club is due to take place about November 30, and this year the programme will be a series of .snort races over the club's course. It is the intention of the club to hold six series of races, and also the local regatta, which falls on February 23. Ihe Ohphant Cup is to be sailed oft this year by this club, and should bring to the line a good field of N class boats. The various races to be held will be: Open club races, Oliphant Cup, Bowie Cup (A Grade), Shamrock Cup (« Grade). Junior Yachtsmen's Race, regatta, Ross Cup, and Cuthbeit Cup. A NEW ENDEAVOUR Endeavour, the unsuccessful challenger for the America Cup last year, is to be sold. The owner, Mr T. O. M. Sopwith, has ordered a new J class yacht to ue named Endeavour 11. ft will be longer and heavier than the present Endeavour, and, it is hoped, more speedy. The object of building the new vessel is to challenge for the America Cup in 1937. Mr Charles Nicolson, designer of the present Endeavour, has been given the order for the new boat. It will be ready for next season's racing in England. The longest yacht permitted by J ciase rules is 87ft waterline, but up to the present no yacht built to the full length lias been successful. The earlier successful vacht Enterprise of 1930 was 80tt. hambow and Endeavour in 1934 were about 83ft. Yankee is just over 86ft. Whirlwind, one of the proposed pi the America Cup five years ago, was 87tt, but she was not a success. ft is now thought by yacht designers that the fastest J class yacht should be the full length allowed. Therefore Mr Sopwith has decided to build his new yacht 87ft on the waterline. There is, however, a very great difference in the yacht's weight in tonnage (displacement). The smallest weight allowed for the 80ft vessel is about 130 tons, and the minimum for an S7tt boat is 164 tons. For every foot added to the waterline length five tons must be added to the yacht's weight. Thus the new Endeavour will be 4ft longer on the waterline than the present Endeavour and 20 tons heavier; that is. she will be about 164 tons instead of 144 tons. The scientific problem to be solved is: Will the longer, heavier yacht go faster than the shorter and lighter boat, both to be driven with the same sized sails? In smaller craft the answer has been favourable to the long, heavy vessel, even in light winds. Although Yankee is nearly the full length allowed, and 20 tons heavier than Endeavour, she has not proved quite so fast as the English boat. Mr Nicholson and Mr Sopwith evidently expect, however, that a new Endeavour of the full length and greater tonnage will show more speed. NOTES The Tort Chalmers Club, which has been allotted the official opening day for this season, has notified the association that it has chosen Saturday, November 2, as the day on which this event will take place. The latest ideas in the Idle Along class of yacht are incorporated in the boat built by Mr E. C'orley and launched at Redcliffs recently by Messrs B. Bryson end J l . O'Conner (says the Christchurch Star-Sun). This is the fifth boat of this

class that Mr Coiley has built. Last year his boats were first and second in the Idle Along Championship. Reference is made in the annual report of the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association of the steps being taken for the conduct of inter-provincial races for the Sanders Cup on a basis of strictly conference control and the completion of arrangements for the resumption of Dominion-wide interport racing for the Corn well Cup. In connection with the Sanders Cup it was stated that discussions are in progress to determine the conditions to govern craft eligible for the contest and the terms under which the 1036 contest is to be held. The association had tentatively agreed to a suggesgestion, made jointly by the southern associations, that the 1936 contest be held at Auckland, and that at the time of the lacing a Dominion conference, representative of all provincial bodies, consider the control of all future contests.