SANDERS CUP

Southland Times, Issue 21606, 19 January 1932, Page 6

SANDERS CUP

FIRST RACE SAILED A WIN FOR BETTY AVENGER UNLUCKY (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, January 18 Sailed in a strong southerly breeze, the first qualifying race in the Sanders Cup contest this afternoon resulted in a win for tho Evans Bay (Wellington) boat Betty. Betty and Avenger, tho Canterbury representative, put up a great tight for the leading position during the first half of the race. The course was a windward and leeward one, set from a buoy oft Shelly Bay to Ngahauranga and back to a finishing line at Point Jerningham. Canterbury was certainly unlucky to-day In the first race held in the morning Avenger led right from the start, but the race was ■ disallowed as it was not completed within three hours. It was only when half the course had been covered in (he afternoon race that Betty established herself in a strong leading position and Avenger always kept tenaciously behind her A fine start was made at 3.35 p.m. There was a goodly breeze from the south behind the boats and spinnakers were quickly set. The five competing boats were. Bangi (Auckland). Betty (Wellington). Avenger (Canterbury;. Heather (Otago). Vai (Southland). Avenger, as in the morning race, was easily first over the lino, followed by Rangi, Betty, Heatoer and Vai. Betty from the start began to creep on Rangi and Avenger until when about halt a mile had been covered she had reached a position about 75 yards behind the leading boat, Avenger, with Heather following a very close third Two-thirds of the way across both Avenger and Heather were overtaking Betty. Avenger fell back a little, leaving Betty to fight for the leading position. First one went to the fore and then the other. However, when the Ngahauranga buoy was reached, Betty rounded 2secs ahead of Avenger with Heather Bsecs behind Avenger. The other two boats, Rangi and Vai, were round within one minute of Betty. The wind still held. On the long close haul across to Shelly Bay, Betty and Avenger had a sterling tussle. Right until tho boats were under tho lee of Point Halswtll did they keep together and it was impossible to determine which was leading. Johnstone at this stage was holding Betty very close to the wind, but Brassel was sailing Avenger very much more freely. Betty, however, got to the weather of Avenger and when the Shelly Bay buoy was rounder! she led from Avenger by Imin 20sec with Heather Imin 40 sec behind Avenger. Rangi was fourth and Vai fifth. On the second run across to Ngahauranga, the positions were not altered and Betty on the run gained by 20secs from Avenger by the time she had rounded the mark at Ngahauranga. Heather was third, Vai fourth and Rangi fifth. It was a hard slog in face of a strong wind on the final beat up to the finishing mark at Point Jerningham. It was apparent Betty could not be beaten shortly after she bad begun the homeward journey. Rather remarkable was the way in which Rangi crept from last to third position on this final beat, but the race to all intents and pur[>oses was a foregone conclusion when the last buoy was rounded. Betty erossed the finishing line 2min 4sec ahead of Avenger. The official finishing times were; Betty shr 53min 56sec Avenger shr 56min ose<:. Rangi Ghr 2min 40sec. ' Heather Ghr 3min 10sec|p Vai Ghr smin 4sec. BOATS AND CREWS PREVIOUS CONTESTS. The competing boats, with their crews, are as follows: — Rangi (Auckland). —-W. T. Matthews (skipper), R. V. Clare, F. Cloke, T. Ireland, N. Wing. Betty (Wellington).—A. Johnston (skipper), D. Beaumont, L. Robertson, J. Elliot, I. Watt, M. Lang, J. Shearer, J. Cowan. Avenger (Canterbury).—G. Brassel (skipper), F. Forman, R. Priddy, E. Sinclair, A. Sinclair. Heather (Otago).—C. Pettit (.skipper), A. Shanks, R. Reynolds, J. McGrath. Vai (Southland). —I. Gough (skipper), G. Gough, A. Robertson, S. Jensen, H. Riddell, or A. Tinnock. This year’s Auckland representative, Rangi, is a comparatively old boat, having been built about ten years. She has never before competed in a Sanders Cup- race, although she has on several occasions taken pare in the local trials She was receally purchased by Mr W. Matthews, a veteran yachtsman with much experience, and in the season just past Rangi won eveiy race in which she sailed. She was recently re■/itted, and is at present in excellent trim. Betty, Wellington’s representative, has won the Sanders Cup four times—three times for Canterbury, and once (last year) for Wellington. She was purchased about two years ago by Mr W. 11. Wagstaff, commodore of the Evans Bay Yacht Club, and since then she has been sailed by her present skipper, Arthur Johnson, with conspicuous success. This season she won in decisive fashion four out of the five trials. Avenger, Canterbury’s representative, is but six weeks old, so little as yet can be said of her past performances. Two trials were held at Lyttelton this season, Avenger winning one and Colleen,, which came second to Betty in last year’s contest, the other. The crew, a youthful one, is skippered by G. Brassel, a twenty-year-cld boy who, with 11. Norris, won the Cornwell Cup in 1926.

Heather, which won the cup in 1921 at the first contest in Auckland, is once again representing Otago. The present contest Is the first in which Vai, the Southland representative, has taken part. She was recently built in Auckland for Mr Mclndoe, owner of the ex-champion Ilona, and sold to a southern owner.

The contest is sailed in boats of the onedesign 14ft Rona-Jellicoe class, and strict rules and specifications are in force throughout New Zealand. Each challenging boat is selected after a series ol trials, and the crews are usually much the same as those taking part in the trials. Presented to the Auckland Yacht and Motor-boat Association by Messrs Walker and Hall, of Auckland, the Sanders Cup commemorates the gallantly of the late. Lieut. W. E. Sanders, a New Zealander, ■who won the V.C. and the D.S.O. when in command of the Prize, one of the famous “Q” ships of the Great War. So conspicuous was his bravery—he finally lost his life when the Prize was torpedoed in 1917—that the -iing sent a personal message of sympathy to his father, and Lord Jellicoe wrote a short description of the action, which is inscribed on the cup. Winners of the Cup. The first contest was held at Auckland in 1921, when Lord Jellicoe’s Iron Duke was defeated by the Heather (Otago) after a close contest. Since that year the contest has been held annually without a break, and to date the cup has been won as follows:—Auckland, four times; Otago and Canterbury, three times each; Wellington, once. The following' summary gives the year, winner, and province, and the venue of the contest since its inception:— 1921, Heather (Otago), at Auckland; 1922, Desert Gold (Auckland), at Dunedin; 1923, Rons (Auckland), at Auckland, 1924, Rona (Auckland), at Wellington; 1925. lona (Otago), at Auckland; 1926, Betty (Canterbury), at Dunedin; 1927, Betty

and Walter Hagen 297. (Canterbury), at Lyttelton; 1928, Betty (Canterbury), at Stewart Island; 1929, Avalon (Auckland), at Akaroa; 1930, Eil l een (Otago), at Auckland; 1931, Betty (Wellington), at Dunedin. It will be seen from thfc above that only once before has the contest taken place in Wellington, and that the Betty has four wins to her credit. Although one of the principal objects of the contest is to determine which province possesses the champion crew in the class, it is held by many that there is still a substantial difference between the boats used and that the rules should be strictly enforced, and, if necessary, amended to make conditions equal for all crews. Valuable Training. Both the Sanders Cup and the Cornwell Cup (named after John Travers Ccrnwell, aged 10, who remained at his pest on H.M.3. Chester during the Battle of Jutland, although mortally wounded) perpetuate the memory of gallant seamen whose names are linked with the greatest traditions of the sea. Another whose bravery earned for him the Victoria Cross in LieutColonel B. C. Freyberg, at one time a keen Wellington yachtsman. Many others, fitted for the sea by their early training, saw naval service during the Great War, and the yachting community of the Dominion feels that it has a claim upon the State for recognition and support at least equal to that given to rifle clubs. It is urged that of all those taking part in outdoor sports, yachtsmen can most readily be adapted for service in time of war. They can quickly' become familiar with all the aspects of war service, at sea, such is minelaying and submarine hunting, transferring from a large boat to a smaller or vice versa, in a sea-way, and so on; and their worth was recognized during the Great War, when the Home Government advertised throughout Australia and New Zealand for yachtsmen for motor-boat patrol service. Sanders Cup racing, it is claimed, produces men .who are eminently suitable for lisa in war time. They must move smartly, think quickly, and submit to stern discipline to earn and keep their places, and for such men there is always an opening in the Navy, and never more so than when war requires the services of every available man.