YACHTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23364, 2 December 1937, Page 4

YACHTING

By Rudder

FIXTURES December 4.—Ravensbourne Boating Club races. Fourth Sanders Cup trial. December 11.—Ravensbourne Boating Club Junior Yachtsmen’s Race. December 27.—Macand"ow Bay regatta. January I.—North-East Harbour Club, races. January 3.—Combined Vauxball and North-East Harbour Clubs, races. January B.—Port Chalmers Club, races, January 15.—Otago Yacl' Club. Nees Memorial. January 22.—Port Chalmers Club races. January 29. —Ravensbourne Boating Club, races. , LYNETTE’S FIRST WIN With three Sanders Cup trials decided and a different boat coming home first on each occasion, this season’s series continues to hold the interest of yachtsmen. On present form, however, unless one of the other boats shows considerable improvement during the next few weeks, it would appear that Otago’s challenger for 1938 will be found among one of the three boats which have already registered wins—Val, Eileen and Lynette. These three craft have generally managed to keep the finishes of the races to themselves, and the third trial on Saturday was no exception. Lynette lived up to her short reputation as a light weather boat, but she is beginning to find that Val is a serious contender for that title. Peculiarly enough. Eileen has so far shown that she is capable of keeping up with these two craft in light weather, and it will be interesting to see what happens when a trial is sailed in a breeze that really suits her. It has been Cuthbert’s seamanship that has kept her among the major placmgs in the three trials sailed to date. It would have been unfortunate if Saturday’s race had had a different result. Pettit handled his craft in a workmanlike manner throughout, and his crew gave a masterly exhibition on the wind. Lynette came up the harbour in both rounds on the long board to the Kitchener street pile beautifully trimmed, and Pettit got every possible ounce out of her. uit the wind, too, she showed surprising speed on occasions, and was given a good start each time by smart spinnaker work on the part of the forward hand. Indeed, the spinnaker work on all the boats was good and showed a marked improvement on that at tne previous trials, when many of the craft lost valuable seconds at the beginning of a run. Val is proving herself to be « consistent performer in the trials, and with a first and two seconds has the best average so far. With perhaps a little more luck, she might easily be in a position which forces the other contenders to try to stop ker winning another race. She missed ner start on Saturday and chose to roturnrather than risk disqualification. As it was. she could probably have gone right away at the gun without any fear ot being recalled. Had she gone away to a flying start she must have been in the lead at the end of the run. As it was, it took her practically the whole race to make up her lost ground, and was then beaten by only six seconds. She appeared also to lose time in the latter part of the last round when the three leaders came together off Waveiiey Point. She was probably just a little too close to the Peninsula to get the full advantage of dhe southerly which came up in the Upper Harbou. about that time, but once she did ge. properly going she came up to weather Eileen in great style. Lynette at that stage, however, was going away from both of them. . Betty showed an improvement in form on Saturday and was only 3Jmm behind Eileen in fifth place at the finish. She gave a real indication of the speed of which she is capable at the beginning of the second round, and went down the harbour well squared off and moving freely. Evelyn, in fourth place, again faded towards the end of the race. Her crew wants just a little more experience and she w*.l be among the major placings. After a good start Colleen, the ex-Canterbury champion, drifted back and was bringing up the rear when she retired in the last round. She will probably not be seen at her best yet awhile. BROAD BAY CLUB During the past few years the Broad Bay Boating Club has more or less slipped into the background, but this season a few energetic members have gathered together and intend to do their utmost to place the club in a sound position, and yachtsmen on the Otago Harbour may be assured that in the future the club will do its utmost to foster the sport in all its branches. An effort is being made to encourage the Idle Alongs, and already the club has the only boat of this class, the Sunbeam, on the harbour. Early in the New Year two enthusiasts intend to build a new one. The vice-commo-dore (Mr J. C. H. Somerville) has offered to supply all the timber required to anyone who will undertake the building of one of these craft. Particulars may be obtained from the secretary, Mr R. E. Ham. The commodore (Mr I. C. Brown) is making a good job of his new cruising launch. This boat will be a big asset to the harbour, and the best wishes of boating men go out to Mr Brown in his enterprise. That ardent enthusiast Mr Hugh Sullivan is hard at work on a boat to replace his well-known pleasure craft Bonny Mary. Mr Alex. Begg has his launch Laura in commission again and is still keen on fishing. Miss May Nees’s Daphne has been in commission for some time, and is proving a great source of pleasure to her owner. The crew of the yacht Dawn have reason to be very thankful for assistance received when it has been becalmed. Mr A. Robinson’s Marewa is still very active, and her owner obtains many hours of pleasure out of this popular craft. Any past members of the club who still have its interests at heart and anv yachtsman on the harbour who at any time would like to give or receive assistance from the club will always find the club secretary willing to give his help in any direction. NORTH-EAST HARBOUR CLUB Last Saturday the North-East Harbour Club held its first series of races for the present season. The first was for all-comers’ yachts for the Fulton Shield. The course was from the Victoria wharf, down to Raynbird's buoy, and back to the finishing line at the bay. The race was started in a fresh southerly breeze, which died almost to a flat calm later, so that it resulted in practically a drifting match. The event was won by Starlight, with Sunbeam second and Miti third. The Launch Race was sailed over the same course, and resulted in a win for Jean, with Marewa second. The Ladies’ Committee provided afternoon tea for all the crews of the competing boats. The local boats are all on the water again, with the exception of the Te Tiku, which is on the slipway having her cabin and wheelhouse refitted. She should be in the water again in about a week. The launch Ngaire has been sold by Mr W. Rowlands to Mr W. D. Henderson. and has been taken to the Yacht Club. The members of the committee are now working hard for the regatta to be held on Boxing Day, but the attendance at the weekly meetings is not up to expectation. FIRST WELLINGTON TRIALS Three Sanders Cup trials were held at Wellington over the week-end two of the races being won by Kitty and one by Lauchlan’s Jewel. The first race was sailed in a light and patchy northerly over the Jerningham-Fraser Rock - Miramar buoy - Jerningham course. The race started at 3.5 p.m., and Lauchlan’s Jewel finished first, the time taken for the course being 3hr 54min lOsec. Lauchlan’s Jewel took the lead in the second lap, and increased it slightly in the third and last. Vanguard was second, 55 seconds after the winner, with Kitty 5 seconds back third. Then came a gap to Jean, Watti. Idono, June, Wellesley, and