BONA VICTORIOUS

Southland Times, Issue 19157, 29 January 1924, Page 7

BONA VICTORIOUS

WINS THE SANDERS CUP LINNET AND RONA FIGHT OUT EXCITING RACE AUCKLAND BOATS EASY VICTORY (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, January 28. Rona (Auckland), to-day won the Sanders Memorial Cup. The little champion not only proved to be a superior boat, but she was handled better than were her oppenents by her youthful crew. Five races have been held and Rona won three of them. She won her third and last race in easy fashion and the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association now retain the Sanders Cup for 1924. THE FOURTH RACE. The fourth race proved to be the best and most exciting of the series. Linnet maintained a lead from Rona right up until the last buoy was near. Here, V. Lidgard, the young Aucklander, outmanoeuvred the Can terbury veteran, S. Sinclair, and snatched the race from the Canterbury boat. Murihiku blundered early in the contest and after that was not in the race.

The conditions this morning were ideal for racing. There was a moderate, if fluctuating northerly blowing. The course lay from a line between the Clyde Quay Wharf and the starter’s launch, thence down to <nd around Coromandel Buoy moored off Kaiwarra and back to the starting line. This course provided a lead and a run and was sailed three times round. The total distance was about nine miles The boats and their crews were as follows: Rona: V. Lidgard (skipper', W. Smith and R. Brown. Linnet: S. Sinclair (skipper),-R. Sinclair and W. Morton. Murihiku: W. Johnston (skipper), T. Bragg, R. Bragg and A. Booth. At 10.55 o’clock, the last starting flag went down and Linnet crossed the line first with Rona at her heels and Murihiku bringing up the rear. The wind for the start was very light and the first 100 yards were covered in slow time. When the yachts were well away from the wharf, the breeze freshened and Linnet efreyv to the fore, Murihiku, in her element in the light conditions, was sailing well and she also drew ahead of Rona. Rona was caught right in the doldrums. The water had a fair jobble and Murihiku, with her crew of four, was very steady. Rona changed-tactics ’and-stood well into the wharves. Linnet followed these tactics and soon bdth* 'bohts weri*' sailing well under a steady breeze. Lidgard’s move, although at first it appeared to be an error, stood him well and Rona was soon heading Linnet and Murihiku. Rona was on the windward side and had the advantage of picking up ilie frequents puffs first. Linnet drew ahead of Rona again before the Coromandel buoy was reached and she rounded it 5 seconds ahead of the Auckland boat. Murihiku now blundered. Her skipper failed to make the buoy and she had to put about. After standing stationary for some seconds she turned Imin. 25sec. after Linnet. On the run to Clyde Quay, Rona’s spinnaker came away but it was recovered before any damage had been done. It was never set after but she carried on with a leading jib set high. Linnet was making headway on Rona and rounded Clyde Quay Imin. 15sec.s ahead of Murihiku. Always good on the wind, Rona caught up to Linnet considerably on the lead to Coromandel and she rounded only 45 seconds after the leader. Murihiku was 3A minutes away. The race now resolved itself into a battle for honours between Rona and Linnet. The wind was very patchy on the run to Clyde Quay again, and Linnet lost ground. Her spinnaker at times seemed to be more of a hindrance than help to her. Rona lifted to every puff with her dry sail. Linnet turned Clyde Quay buoy on the final round 15 seconds ahead of Rona and smins. 15secs. ahead of Murihiku. Now begun a battle royal for wind advantage between Linnet and Rona. About 100 yards from Coromandel Buoy, the two boats drew level. Rona changed tactics to endeavour to get to windward of her opponent, but the skipper of the Linnet was watching her every movement and round she came too. Linnet held the advantage five times within seven minutes. This was repeated and still Linnet managed to hold the advantage, but it did not last. After one such manoeuvre, Linnet drew well ahead with Rona directly in her wake. Rona changed tactics and took a long beat to windward. Sinclair had now lost the Auckland champion and with her the race. Rona caught a freshening wind and drew away. She rounded Coromandel on the final run for home 36 seconds ahead of Linnet and 8A minutes ahead of Murihiku. It could now be seen that if Rona could hold the wind she could never be caught. She held the wind and crossed the winning line amid cheers still 36 seconds ahead of Linnet. Murihiku did not finish.

Linnet’s skipper said he was outgenerailed. The win of Rona can be solely attributed to the fine judgment of her skipper. She was handled admirably. Rona now had two wins to her credit. A POOR FINAL—RONA DRIFTS TO VICTORY. If it was the judgment of Rona’s skipper that gave him the race in the morning, it was perhaps his good luck that gained for his boat the Cup in the afternoon. Soon before the fifth race was timed to commence at 3 pjn., a full sail northerly wind was blowing across the harbour, ideal for racing. The competing yachts therefore carried heavy-weight crews. They were as follows: —

Rona: V. Rrdgard (Skipper), H. Brown, W. Smith, and J. Gifford. Linnet: S. Sinclair (.Skipper), R. Sinclair, W. Morton and Williams.

Murihiku: T. Bragg (skipper), S. Bragg, R. Bragg, and Johnston. The Sailing Committee fixed a course lying from the starting line between Jerningham buoy* and the starter’s launch, thence down to Coromandel buoy and back to the starting line. This course, which was repeated four times, provided a lead down and a run back. The start was made sharp at 3 o’clock. Rona and Linnet crossed the line almost simultaneously. Murihiku was last away. On the lead to Coromandel Rona and Linnet stood over towards Pipitea Wharf while Murihiku made over towards the eastern side of the harbour. All the boats were meeting the steady breeze and they made good headway. There was another fight between Linnet and Rona for the weather position Rona eventually drawing to the fore. Rena was first round the buoy, leading Linnet by 23 seconds and Murihiku by 48 seconds. All spinnakers went out on the way to Jerningham and maintaining her lead Rona rounded 65 seconds ahead of Murihiku and Imin. 15secs. ahead of Linnet. All the time the breeze was dwindling, Linnet seeming to do better in the light wind, and she was only 30 seconds behind Rona on the second turning of Coromandel buoy. Murihiku was 3| minutes away. Linnet was slow in getting her spinnaker out on the run to Jerningham and lost much time. Half way to the buoy the wind dropped right away and the boats just drifted along. Linnet made more use of the occasional puffs and soon overhauled Rona, while Murihiku began to overhaul both the leaders. The racing was painfully slow. Linnet benefited by catching a favourable breeze before rounding Jerningham and turned 31 seconds ahead of Rona and 51 seconds of Murihiku. Half the race had been completed and the three contestants were within a minute of one another. Murihiku continued to do well. Fifty yards from the home buoy the wind changed round to a north-easterly direction but was very light. The boats stood practically still for some minutes and then Rona, which had been manoeuvring ’farthest to the eastern tide of the harbour, picked up a favourable breeze and drew ahead. The other boats lay becalmed far behind. Rona drew right away. She rounded Coromandel

19 minutes 20 seconds ahead of Murihiku Rona was around Jerningham again whei Linnet rounded the Coromandel buoy. Victory was now Rona’s if she could complete the course in the time umier the rules—the first yacht to finish the course in three hours or under. Linnet and Murihiku both made up time on the run to Jerningham, for the breeae freshened considerably for a time. Rona rounded 16 minutes 30 seconds behind Linnet and 20 minutes 40 sreonds behind Murihiku. Time now rested between Rona and victory. She made slow progress down to Coromandel for the last time. Al last she rounded the buoy at sbr 57mir 45sec„ leaving her 27min. ISsecs. in which to run down to the finishing line. She was fortunate in holding a good wind on the run down and crossed the winning line a whole lap ahead of the other boats. Tilt official finishing times were as fellows:— Rona Shrs 49min ISsecs Linnet 6hrs 11 min 45secs Murihiku 6hrs 12min 4Usecs. Rona had won the Sanders Memorial Cup for 1924 with 22 minutes to spars.