YACHTING

Southland Times, Issue 22728, 2 November 1935, Page 14

YACHTING

(By

“Spectator.”)

The Sanders Cup. } Reference is made in the annual report of the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association of the steps being taken for the conduct of inter-provin-cial races for the Sanders Cup on a basis of strictly conference control and the completion of arrangements for the resumption of Dominion-wide interport racing for the Cornwell Cup. In connection with the Sanders Cup it was stated that discussions are in progress to determine the conditions to govern craft eligible for the contest and the terms under which the 1936 contest is to be held. The association had tentatively agreed to a suggestion, made jointly by the southern associations, that the 1936 contest be held at Auckland, and that at the time of the racing a Dominion conference, representative of all provincial bodies, consider the control of all future contests. The Endeavour.

Endeavour, the successful challenger for the America’s Cup last year, is to be sold. The owner, Mr T. O. M. Sopwith, has ordered a new J class yacht to be named Endeavour 11. It will be longer and heavier than the present Endeavour, and, it is hoped, more speedy. The object of building the new vessel is to challenge for the America’s Cup in 1937. Mr Charles Nicolson, designer of the present Endeavour, has been given the order for the new boat. _ It will be ready for next season’s racing in England. The longest yacht permitted by J class rules is 87ft waterline, but up to the present no yacht built to the full length has been successful. The earlier successful yacht Enterprise of 1930 was 80ft! Rainbow and Endeavour in 1934 were about 83ft. Yankee is just over 86ft. Whirlwind, one of the proposed defenders of the America’s Cup five years ago, was 87ft., but she was not a success. It is now thought by yacht designers that the fastest J class yacht should be the full length allowed. Therefore Mr Sopwith has decided to build his new yacht 87ft on the waterline. There is, however, a very great difference in the yacht’s weight in tonnage (displacement). The smallest weight allowed for the 80ft vessel is about 130 tons, and the minimum for an 87ft. boat is 164 tons. For every foot added to the waterline length five tons must be added to the yacht’s weight. Thus the new Endeavour will be 4ft. longer on the waterline than the present EndeaVour and 20 tons heavier; that is, she will be about 164 tons instead of 144 tons. The scientific problem to be solved is: Will the longer, heavier yacht go faster than the shorter and lighter boat, both to be driven with the same sized sails? In smaller craft the answer has been favourable to the long, heavy vessel, even in light winds. Although Yankee is nearly the full length allowed, and 20 tons heavier than Endeavour, she has not proved quite so fast as the English boat. Mr Nicholson and Mr Sopwith evidently expect, however, that a new Endeavour of the full length and greater tonnage will show more speed. Idle Alongs Popular.

One often hears the question: “Which is the most popular sailing boat in New Zealand ” A few years ago this would have been a hard question to answer, but to-day the unexpected growth of the Idle Along class has made this type of sailing boat so popular that it has outnumbered any class designed in New Zealand or Australia, and if one goes further into yachting, it is probably on a proportion basis the most popular of any class in the world. The American Snipe class claims this distinction with 1000 boats, but when the population of America is compared with that of New Zealand, the building of 150 Idle Alongs in five short years is an outstanding achievement. America would have to possess 4500 Snipes to equal this proportion.

When the Worser Bay Club, Wellington, was formed in 1926, a desire for a boat of about twelve feet, easy to build, not too expensive, and above all as safe as a small boat could be, was the general desire of the club members. It had to be a class boat that all could build.

The Idle Along was designed by A. G. Harvey (then commodore of the club) to fulfil this purpose, but the design was so unorthodox and so different from any existing type of boat that it was regarded more or less as an experiment in the rough waters of Wellington Harbour. Another type of boat was then having , a good run throughout New Zealand and the Idle Along design was put on the shelf by the designer in favour of this other one-de-sign class. In September, 1930, the first Idle Along was built at Petone as a knockabout boat. It was so outstanding and so easily handled in a rough sea that three more were built within a few months, two of these at Worser Bay by G. Cain and N. McKenzie and one at Petone by J. Tetley. In March, 1931, F. Mumford built the fifth Idle Along. These five boats competed f at Paremata’ regatta and easily outclassed any other 12ft. 6in. boat.

This was the start of their popularity. At the beginning of the season the Colleen was built for Evans Bay. This boat won the championship for 13ft. and under class, and was such a consistent performer in all weathers, even venturing out when larger boats were kept on their moorings, that at the commencement of the following year Evans Bay possessed nine Idle Alongs. In 1932 the WAY. and M.B. Association approved of the design as a class boat and a blue-print was then made standard.

H. Ostler, of Christchurch, at that time was anxious to try out the boat for Lyttelton and four boats were built in Canterbury. The class was growing fast when S. Reid, of Petone, presented the Idle Along Challenge Shield for allcomers. In March, 1933, twenty-two Idle Alongs competed for this shield in a 45-mile blow. Several hundred people watched the race from the Worser Bay foreshore and Captain W. J. Keane proclaimed the performance as one of the best he had witnessed. Small boats which sailed for a championship in such weather had a future to be envied, he said. In the 1934 season forty Idle Alongs were registered in Wellington and about the same number in Canterbury. This year over 150 Idle Alongs will be afloat in New Zealand waters, and from Whangarei to Invercargill more

Idle Alongs are being built. This class has been the means of encouraging into the sport young men who could not afford a more expensive boat. An Idle Along can be built complete for £lB. Young men who have served their time in the junior classes find the Idle Along an inexpensive luxury, She is fast in both light and heavy weathe'r, and if capsized can be righted and sailed with all sails set and the cockpit full of water. This has been performed repeatedly on Wellington Harbour. The New Zealand championship for Idle Alongs will be held in Wellington in February. All competing crews will be billeted, thus cutting down expense, and the contest will be decided on a points system of five races only. Idle Alongs constitute a restricted class and the rule of measuring has a fair margin, giving the amateur a “fair go,” so that every yachtsman who can use a hammer, saw, and plane can build a boat to compete for a New Zealand championship. Credit must be given to the pioneers of the class, who not only built the first five boats but ever since have helped and encouraged others to build, giving time gladly to further the sport and increase the number of boats in their respective clubs. G. Cain and N. McKenzie were the pioneers of Worser Bay and a month or two after T. Mumford joined the club and built the Butterib. He has since been the sheetanchor of that end of the harbour. J. F. Tetley and his son Jack at Petone built the Rongomai, and these two enthusiasts have spent no end of their time in fostering the class. Captain W. J. Keane and R. Bolland, of Evans Bay, have done much to foster the class in their club, and great credit is due to Harley Ostler, of Christchurch, who built the Listless and has since been the means of speeding up the design in Canterbury. Mr Prince of the R.P.N.Y.C., has been the means of starting the Jdle Along class at Hong Kong. Inquiries for blueprints have come from Australia, America, and England, so that the Idle Along may yet be the world’s most popular sailing boat.—“ Mainsail” in the Evening Post. Around the Province.

Light weather favoured the opening of the local yachting season on Saturday last. Although there were only five entries for the opening races it is anticipated that now the season has commenced, the fleet will soon be up to full strength. All the craft have come out in excellent condition this year and indications are for a record season.

Rosita was the first boat to do' any sailing this season. J. T. Nelson and his crew are very keen and are out at every opportunity. Irene has been repolished and is in good shape while Rosita, Evelyn, Colleen, Omit, Spindrift, Suzette and Betsy (renamed Mavora), have all be repainted. There will be three snipe class boats out this season and a further addition will be a 16footer built from the moulds of J. Spedan’s Foam. Messrs A. Tinnock and J. S. Georgeson had a trial cruise in Islander at Bluff over the week-end. They are very pleased with her performance, and expect to sail her round to Invercargill at the first opportunity.

Much excitement was caused when R. Tinnock capsized Mavora at Sandy Point on Labour Day. A quick rescue was made by D. Scott’s launch Marangai. The only damage done to the boat was a broken gaff. A. Lawton’s Flora, after being fitted out with a new engine, is again in the water and is showing a good turn of speed. Messrs Gibb and Bailey have launched their motor boat Idler after a thorough refit. This boat (formerly named Meteor) now looks very trim and will go through her trials this week-end. “Spectator” had a good look round the Riverton sheds during a recent visit. Spray, owned by the Beer brothers, is again afloat. The rigging and general fit-out of this boat is the best the writer has seen for a long time. The Riverton boys are showing a keen interest this season and will have a larger fleet this year. They are busy with the erection of a substantial staging. This is being built on the same lines as the local structure. Bruce Helm has purchased Ariel (holder of the George Munro Cup). She should do well at Riverton.

Mr J. Shannon, of Bluff, was an interested spectator at the wharf on Saturday. He will be launching a new 14footer this week-end. He stated that there were two inquiries for Jellicoe class boats at Bluff. It is to be hoped that the Bluff Club will go ahead again this season. OOO —•