SANDERS CUP

Southland Times, Issue 23688, 10 December 1938, Page 18

SANDERS CUP

REVIEW OF FIRST TRIALS

By

FOR’ARD HAND

As four of the seven trials set down to select the Southland boat for the Sanders Cup contest, which is to be held at Bluff in January, have now been sailed, a review of the boats, crews and their performances should be of interest. The points gained by the four competitors to date are: — Vorena—Three starts, two first, one second, eight points. Rawene. —Four starts, one first, two seconds, one third, eight points. Rosita.—Three starts, one second, one third, three points. Irene. —Three starts, one first, two thirds, five points. The Vorena has the best record to date and had her crew been an experienced one she would have had three firsts to her credit. The second race last week would have been won by her had her for’ard hand been smart in setting his spinnaker. It is pleasing to see J. Shannon, as builder, owner and skipper, doing so well with his craft, and it is hoped that his crew will soon gain the experience necessary for still more successful sailing. The fact that the Vorena broke her mast immediately before the start of the fourth race robbed the contest of much of its interest The action of the other skippers in offering to call the race off was a sporting gesture, but the judges decided to start the race to schedule. The Rawene has had an unfortunate run of breakages and in the first two trials was under a big handicap in that her main boofn broke awpy from the mast immediately before the start of each race. lan Gough sailed a well-judged last round in the third trial and on the beat to windward made a leg towards the wharf immediately after rounding the last buoy but one, which enabled him to round the last buoy ahead of the Vorena and the Irene. The skipper showed in this race what a good knowledge of local conditions is really worth. The Rosita has not shown consistent form, but no doubt with more experience the Budd brothers will be able to make her shown up to better advantage. The breaking lof a rudder, gudgeon prevented her from competing in the second trial, but in the fourth she proved by holding the Rawene over practically the whole round of the triangular course that she is a first-class boat when properly handled. Until the crew of this craft gains more experience the writer is of the opinion that her skipper should keep as near as possible to a more competent crew and study their manoeuvres. The Irene did not start in the first trial and in the second she was skipped at various stages by both Ritchie Fraser and E. Jackson. Although heading the other boats for one round she did not do so well when the wind changed and freshened. Her display was, however, far from discouraging and the manner in which she made up to the Vorena and Rawene in the last leg must have given the latter’s skipper a few anxious moments.

Skippered by V. Jackson for the remaining two trials the Irene performed much better, and had her mainsail been setting at all well in the third race she would have made the finish a most exciting one. She led in this race for two laps and a-half, but her three-man crew could not keep her on an even keel on the wind and she lost a lot

of ground-on the last beat to windward The fourth trial was an uninteresting contest as from the start the Irene assumed the lead and was never headed. She won by six minutes, and considering that this was her skipper’s first outing this season he should have reason to be pleased with the performance he put up. The display was far .from perfect, but no doubt practice will overcome the faults.

The spinnaker work o. the various crews has not been up tc standard and a marked improvement will have to be brought about before the final selection is made. J. Nelson (Rawene) is so far the only for’ard hand who appears to know what is expected of him, but his exhibitions can still be improved. No doubt as the trials progress the crews will smarten up and be able to have their spinnakers set in five seconds. The for’ard hands evidently do not realize the advantage of a woolled spinnaker, the Rawene being the only boat to exploit this move to advantage. The Vorena’s crew .deserves praise because for an inexperienced combination it handled its spinnaker well in the heavy weather. The next of the series of trials will be held today and given good weather there should be some interesting racing.