YACHTING

Southland Times, Issue 22475, 10 November 1934, Page 15

YACHTING

(By “Spectator.") Opening of Season. After many delays the local season will open this afternoon. It is hoped that all those interested in the sport will attend.

Wellington’s Views. From the New Zealand Sportsman— It has now been definitely announced that this year’s Sanders Cup contests will take place at Stewart Island. Wellington was keen to have this year’s championship, but now that the Sanders Cup venue is established arrangements can be completed to have our best boat in attendance. The Wellington trials were commenced on Tuesday, evening and were under the supervision of the.selection committee. Southland Boats. Now that the venue of the Sanders Cup contest has been definitely decided upon those interested must get down to training. It would be a fine achievement if the Southland boat

could secure the trophy for the province. At the present time six boats are known to the writer which could take part in Sanders Cup trials: Evelyn and Rosita, Invercargill, Desert Gold, Riverton; Rona, Murihiku I and Murihiku 11, Stewart Island. The craft selected to represent Southland will have to be named by the first week in January. It is clear, therefore, that there is little time to lose.

There is a prospect that another boat will be added to those likely to sail in Southland’s name. An Invercargill yachtman has a set of new sails, and is looking for a sailable craft. Ocean Yacht Race.

The 1800 mile ocean yacht race from Auckland to Melbourne, promoted by the Akarana Yacht Club of Auckland, is set down to commence on December 8, but the nominations have been a disappointment in spite of the fact that many influential men in Australia promised to support the event by nominating. So far as can be gathered there is no entrant from the many clubs round Sydney Harbour and as far as can be gathered it is not at all likely that there will be an entry. Oimara, owned and sailed by F. J. Bennell, will be one representative from Victoria. Oimara was first from Teddy in crossing the line in the 1931 trans-Tasman race but a readjustment of times gave first place to Teddy. New Zealand has three boats preparing for the race. They are expected to be Queen Charlotte (Picton), Morewa (Auckland) and Ngataki (Auckland). The German traveller Captain George Dibbem, who is at present on a world tour, is expected to enter his yawl rigged yacht. This yacht has an overall length of 82 feet and a beam of 10ft. 6ins with sft. 6in draft. She has been in New Zealand for some months and was recently overhauled at Devonport. The Morewa is a modem staysail schooner and has only been built a little over 12 months. She is a 75ft. craft with a 17ft beam and a draft of 6ft 6in. Morewa is owned by Mr J. W. S. McArthur who has been in the forefront of the cable news from Sydney during the past three months. Queen Charlotte is built along American schooner lines and is owned by Mr W. Parker, but her skipper will probably be Captain Watchland. The Sanders Cup.

It is good to know that next year’s Sanders Cup contest will be held at Stewart Island. Southland last staged the contest in February, 1928, when Betty, the Canterbury boat, captured the trophy. The Southland Association can be relied upon to make very complete arrangements and visiting yachtsmen may rest assured matters will run smoothly and well. Monotype Ideals. An interesting presentation took place at the Civil Service Club, Wellington, recently, when A. Waddel, of Plimmerton, owner and sailer of the Torment, received the cup presented by the club for the monotype championship of the Wellington district (says “Spinnaker” writing in the Dominion). Last season was the first in which it had been competed for. Racing by monotypes—one man, one boat, one sail—is something quite new to New Zealand, excepting the sevenfooters, of course, whose crews are usually only boys. To Mr L. Waddel, father of the first winner of the cup, must be given credit for originating the idea, and to the Civil Service Club the thanks of the yachting fraternity are due for their gracious act in presenting the cup. But this is but one step in the direction of something which every yachtsman would be proud to see—New Zealand representation in monotype races at the Olympic Games. The excuse cannot be offered that our representatives would have had no practice in sailing of the monotype adopted by the Olympic Council, for “Spinnaker” has seen the blueprints, and they approximate very closely to those of the popular Takapuna boat. The expense would be comparatively small, for there would be no need for gear of any sort to be taken, as all boats and equipment are standardized, and supplied by the country in which the games are held. Another cup presented at the gathering referred to above was that for the Idle Along class championship, presented by Mr F. C. Holmes. This was won by the Worsen Bay boat Pukeko, which was sailed to victory last season by A. J. Dean in a howling northerly gale in Worser Bay. The popularity the Idle Along class yachts have achieved in the past two or three seasons is a great tribute to their designer, Mr Harvey. In the flourishing Worser Bay Club there is now practically no other type of boat to be seen; Heretaunga’s quota is steadily increasing, and. Evans Bay has more than ever before, with several more in course of construction.

These little boats, only 12ft 6in in length, but with a beam of 6ft., have time and again demonstrated their seaworthiness in weather which has kept larger centre boarders on their cradles. The last two seasons the championship race has been sailed in Worser Bay in the dirtiest of weather, but the percentage of casualties in each case has been small.