YACHTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23106, 4 February 1937, Page 5

YACHTING

By Rudder

FIXTURES February 4.—Sanders Cup contest commences at Lyttelton. February 13.—South Island Championship regatta at Port Chalmers February 14. —Vauxhall Power Boal and Sailing Club. February 20.—Port Chalmers Yacht and Motor Boat Club. February 21.—Otago Yacht Club. February 27.—Ravensbourne Regatta. March 6.—Vauxhall Power Boat and Sailing Club; Mussel Bay Aquatic Club; Ravensbourne Local Challenge Cup. March 13.—Broad Bay regatta. March 14.—Vauxhall Power Boat and Sailing Club (Veterans' Race) March 20.—Ravensbourne Boating Club (Cuthbert Cup). March 26.—Vauxhall Power Boat and Sailing Club. „, . March 27.—Broad Bay Boating Club. March 29.—North-East Harbour Boat ing Club. . „,_ April 3.—Ravensbourne Boating Club. April 10—Combined Otago Yacht Club and Vauxhal 1 Power Boat and Sailing Club. April 24.—North-East Harbour Boating Club. SANDERS CUP CONTEST The seventeenth annual contest for the Sanders Cup will be commenced at Lyttelton to-day, and will be continued until one boat has won three races. The cup is at present held by Canterbury, which won it last year at Auckland, for the fifth time in succession, with Avenger. Since the inauguration of the contest in 1921 Canterbury has annexed the trophy on no fewer than eight occasions. Auckland on four occasions, Ocago three, and Wellington once. Otago last won the cup in 1930 with Eileen, which, but for an unfortunate occurrence, would probably have represented the province again this year. The boats and their crews for the coming series are as follows: Auckland.—Endeavour: D. Rogers (skipper), F. Rogers (for'ard hand), R. Bell-Booth and W. Parkes. Wellington.—Lavina: J. Coleman (skipper). J. Nolan (for'ard hand), J Sandford, and B. Williams. Canterbury—Colleen: W. Tissman (skipper), K. Sillers (for'ard hand). G. Harris and W. Hemsley. Otago.—Lynette: C. J. Pettit (skipper), W. Mason (for'ard hand) E. Burt and J. Arnold.

Southland.—Rawene: R. P. Gough (skipper), H. J. Gough (for'ard hand), J. T. Nelson, and E. N. Jackson. Lavina is the same boat which carried the capital city's colours last year. Lynette and Rawene are both new boats, having been built only at the start of this season. , Pettit and his crew travelled to Lyttelton last Saturday, so that they will have had four full days to overhaul their craft and to have some little practice over a course which 1:3 at all times tricky ' for visiting yachtsmen. The course is usually straight out to Godley Head and back, being varied for the triangular course, as the wind is generally right up the harbour, giving a splendid test over a windward and leeward course. The complete record of the Sandeis Cup so far is as follows: — •year Boat. Province Where held 1921 Heather Otago Auckland 1922' Desert Gold Auckland Dunedln 1923 Rona Auckland Auckland 1924 Rona Auckland Wei ington 1925 lona Otago Auckland 1926 Betty Canterbury Dunedln 1927 Betty Canterbury Lyttelton 1928 Betty Canterbury Stewart Is. 1929 Avalon Auckland Akaroa 1930 Eileen Otago Auckland 1931 Betty Wellington Dunedln 1932 Avenger Canterbury Wellington 1933 Avenger Canterbury Lyttelton 1934 Irene Canterbury Lyttelton 1935 Irene Canterbury Stewart Is. 1936 Avenger Canterbury Auckland In addition to the Sanders Cup, a regatta will be held on Saturday, which has catered for yachts and motor boats of all classes and ratings. The prize money allotted is well over £IOO, and, given fine weather, the meeting should prove to be one of the largest and best of its kind ever held on the Lyttelton Harbour. MISHAP TO DAWN Yachtsmen will sympathise with Mr H. M. Nees in the unfortunate mishap which occurred to the Dawn on Sunday. One of the most modern boats on the harbour, she is only about five years old, and with her speed and graceful lines she is a prominent craft at all regattas. Dawn, which is a 33-foot keeler, was built by the Port Chalmers Shipwright Company, and ever since has been recognised by yachtsmen and handicappers as the fastest craft on the harbour. She is Bermuda rigged. The mishap, which was purely accidental, occurred as the Dawn was beating up the channel between Quarantine and Goat Islands. A strong southerly puff hit her just as she was going about, the result being that she mis-stayed and drifted on to the rocks. Fortunately the hull was r.ot damaged, but when she was being pulled off her temporary resting place her hollow mast snapped. Mr Nees intends to repair the mast in the meantime—he expects to have the boat ready for the Port Chalmers regatta—and a new mast will be secured for her next season. AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY REGATTA The Auckland anniversary regatta of 1936 was held under ideal summer conditions, except that an almost flat calm was hardly what the yachtsmen wished for. The 1937 regatta, hold last Friday, nowever, saw the most miserable tnat have ever accompanied this important and eagerly-looked-for meeting. A stiff south-easterly and driving rain completely spoiled the event for spectators, and there were many capsizes before the last race was concluded. A striking picture of the conditions which prevailed is given by the yachting writer in the Auckland Star. . . It was hardly, ne says, a day loi spectators. Where last year hundreds gathered early at every vantage point to watch the placid picture of yachts drifting through the suns.nne. omy a comparative few in overcoats and under umbrellas gathered at the ends of the wharves and at prominent part- o. the harbour. Yet there was still magnificence in the day's panorama—the growing flecks of white on the waves, the effortless rush of yachts as they turned down-wind and the flurry of foam in their wake. The craft loomed now and again out of the misty rain, which blurred the horizon bevond them. , The wind had increased in suade.i squalls bv the time other of the smaller classes had been sent away. It proved too tricky for one or two of the earliest starters, whose crews found themselves floundering in the water near their over-turned boats. Although

visibility was poor, a keen watch was kept for mishaps such as these, and launches were sent out in haste Most of the crews knew what to expect, and had little else on beneath their oilskins than "shorts" or bathing suits. The C class keelers slipped across the line and heeled sharply in the stiffening wind. Soon the A class boats were sent away, cleaving into the choppy sea. The Viking, training ship of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, was among these, and it made a proud picture as it ploughed away towards the wail of rain, manned by navy men in black oilskins. Other ratings bent their backs to the oar in a spirited race for naval whalers. A speedboat lurched across the waves, and launches cruised about the flagship. The regatta was well under way—and all the time it rained and rained IVIOLLEPv CUP RACE POSTPONED Owing to the boisterous conditions prevailing on Saturday the sailing judges decided to postpone the race, held under the auspices of the Ravensbourne Boating Club, for the H E Moller Memorial Cup, there being not enough follow-up boats for the number of entries The race will now be held on Saturday. In order that the young yachtsmen who had come from other clubs should not be disappointed, a short race of two miles was held over a course in front of the club's pavilion, and the spectators were provided with plenty of thrills as the boats ran down the harbour with spinnakers set. The best exhibition of spinnaker work was given by the crew of the Cornwell Cup boat Oakie, which planed so well that she passed the field and rounded the leeward mark first. On the beat back to the finishing line. Rio Rita was well handled and actually gained time on some of the larger boats. On corrected times. Rio Rita won by 40sec. The latest addition to the Ravensbourne Club's Meet is the 14-fooler Evelyn, from Southland. R. Todd, who will have charge of her. is a promising young yachtsman, having represented Otago in the Cornwell Cup contest and has won the junior yachtsman's trophy on two occasions. At the annual meeting of the Ravensbourne Regatta Committee on Monday night, the following officers were elected: —Commodore, Mr A. Smith: chairman of committee. Mr W. Webber; vice-presidents—Messrs D. J. Cameron. A. Grant, F. Boswell. T. Cuthbert, R. Cahill. W. Watson. J C. H. Somerville, W Rowlands. W. H Sell, and E. Sell: secretary and treasurer, Mr J. F. Robertson: assistant secretary, Mr R. Todd. The following were elected to control the regatta:—Handicappers: Yachts: Messrs A. Grant. A. D. Asher. and N. Trewern: launches —Mr J H Barton; judges—Messrs G. Currie, A Wiseman. A. Challis. and G. Kellelt; Starters —Messrs C. J. Hook, D. J. Cameron, and T. Cuthbert: timekeepers—Messrs W. O. Martin. C. George, and N. Lamond: clerk of course Mr J. Potter.

The regatta will be held on February 27.