AT TGE SIGN OF THE PENNANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 616, 19 March 1929, Page 14

AT TGE SIGN OF THE PENNANT

By

KEELSON.

NEW YACHT CLASS MOOTED ONE-DESIGN CARVEL PA TIE IS Yachtsmen will learn with no little interest that a movement, which has its origin in the Takapuna Boating ■ Club, is* in train to establish a new | i-lass of yacht for racing on the Waite- ■ mata. Th« promoters propose to build a J one-design boat in the strictest sense i ot the term after the style of the M class put Ik is. The prime mover is Mr. J. J. Mackay, commodore of the Takapuna Club, who has the support of .such well-known aquatic men as .Messrs. J. Waddell. J. Opperman, J. Cibson, P. Carter and J. M. Thompson. Although at present the idea is still very much in embryo it is hoped to have the new class on the water for next season. It is planned to build a class of 16looters of carvel construction, entirely open. Marconi rigged and in middlesection very similar to the popular M's. These are, of course, clinker built. In order to permit of no departure from the one-design aspect the Takapuna Club intends to have made a steel measurement mould to be kept in the boathouse. Before a boat can be passed tor racing she must rigidly conform to this mould and no variation greater than the customary 3-8 inch will be allowed at any point. The first boat will be built in heart kauri and W'ill be weighed as a standard. Every part will come under definite regulations, even the price. As Tar as can be worked out at the moment this should not exceed £7O. and Mr. Mackay hopes there will be no need to go above £6O. If the cost can be kept down there seems no reason why the class should not become very popular. The M’s are a tine sporting boat but already there is the tendency for costs to soar, and this sooner or later means stagnation. Nohodv would wish to see the extinction of the 18-footers and if there is a possibility of the M division succumbing to the new, what shall we say, “Q boats, no doubt the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will revise the present restrictions governing its patikis with a view to regulation of the price. "This is not meant to be a boys’ or youths’ class.” Mr. Mackay explained. "It is out and out for men. All tho yachtsmen who are assisting to bring the class into being intend shortly to build a boat and Mr. Waddell considering the construction of two.”

VISITING SECRETARY INTEREST IN SMALL CRAFT AT WELLINGTON Mr. C. Lindsay, secretary of the Evans Bay Yacht Club, Wellington, was an interested spectator at the Akarana and Tamakt Yacht Club's racing on Saturday. He is making his first visit to Auckland, and was much impressed by the sight of the keelers in action, and the enthusiasm among the crews in all classes. Mr. Lindsay has been connected with his club for five years, and says that racing has been keener among the small boats on Port Nicholson this season than for some years. There are six yacht and power-boat clubs operating there. The Evans Bay club has an active membership of about 80.

“Wellington was very pleased with the great effort put up by the crew of Clyde in the Sanders Cup contest last month," said Mr. Lindsay, who added that the sport had been stimulated as never before. They were going to give Auckland a hard go for the cup next season. “Wellington was disappointed in not capturing the trophy,” he said, “but our crew feels that the best boat and the best men took the honours.”

CUP MADE FROM WAIRARAPA WRECK As a trophy to bo competed for by the 26ft. mullet boat Celox and G class keeler lona in a challenge race, a unique cup has been made and presented by Mr. J. J. Mackay, commodore of tho Takapuna Boating Club The bowl of the cup is of wood turned from a piece of a deck beam of tho old French warship Wolverine, which was broken up at Stanley Bay many years ago. The base Mr. Mackay turned up from a piece of bearing metal taken from tho wreck of tho Wairarapa. He secured it from a diver who retrieved the bearing after it had lain on the ocean floor for over 29 years!

The race took place a couple of weeks ago, but after the boats had run rather more than half the course lona’s mast went by the board. Celox declined to accept the trophy, which will be raced for before the end of the season.

SATURDAY’S PROGRAMME On Saturday the Ponsonby Cruising Club, the Victoria Cruising, and the Richmond Cruising Club will hold a series of combined races to Surfdale and over harbour courses. The classes from A to N and launches will make the Surfdale trip, and all smalle.r boats will compete within harbour limits. The Victoria Cruising Club has a general handicap for the Surfdale Shield. Details of the programme will appear later this week.

MODEL YACHT RACES Stanley Bay on Saturday afternoon will see the next meeting of model >aehtsmcn. The Bay is the stronghold of the Stanley Model Yacht Club, And visitors will have to see to it that their models are up to perfection. Mr. Woollacbt. who looks after the interests of tho club, has made a great improvement there, and his club lately has had much success. No doubt Heather. Salome, Silver Bell, Aotearoa. Xpdney and Felix will make the journey across. Their presence alone will bo sufficient to ensure good racing.

MANUKAU MISHAPS EVENTFUL CHAMPIONSHIPS The yachting and launch championships organised by the Manukau Yacht Club, last Saturday, were robbed of a great deal of interest by a series of untoward accidents. In the Kermath Cup event, for launches, a service launch, cutting across the line of racing, near the finishing mark, spoiled the water for Surprise which was overhauling Dione and lost her the race by Bsee. In the 18-footer class Champagne capsized, the championship going to Cold Bight, the only other entrant. In the 14-looter class, where Sea Toiler and Sea Gnome were expected to make a great pace Sea Toiler broke a top rudder gudgeon (the break occurring in the wood at a point where it could not be inspected; and had to give up. In the launch championship, for the second series under the Kermath Cup conditions for a race round the Huia buoy, Surprise, which won the last event, was scratch boat and made a smart pace. Within 100yds of the finishing line she was right on the stern of Dione. 15min start, when the wash of a passing service launch checked her speed. The Kermath Cup, presented by Mr. Latimer, will be held by Surprise and Dione for six months each. A miniature cup will be given each boat. The finishing times of the launches were: Dione, tihr 39m 255; Surprise, 6hr 39m 335; Mermaid, 6hr 43m 11s; Elmu, 61ir 59m 0s; Katui, 7hr 2m os. The course is approximately 28 nautical miles. In the sailing races the usual handicap event went in conjunction with the IS-footer and 14-footer championships. The 14-footer class was represented by Sea Toiler, Sea Gnome and Nyria, and the 18-footer by Gold Bight and Champagne.

Coming from her moorings, Champagne had trouble with mast gear and one of the crew went aloft to clear it. The result was a capsized boat. The crew, except one, clung to the boat. The other member, who was swimming about looking for lost gear, declined help, but so anxious was the crew to race that they secured help from a launch to tow the boat over to the starting point in the hope of getting assistance in righting her. Unfortunately the hull was holed in the process, and the other boats getting away for their race. Champagne drifted down past tho slip, and two hours later her very wet crew were still perched on the keel. The last boats coming home in tho races rescued them, and the boat was righted and sailed home.

In the 14-foot class Sea Toiler was easily leading from a good start, being right on the tail of Waitere 11. at the bottom turn. Waiter© gybed around followed by Sea Gnome and the Sea Toiler, which had her spinnaker set, threw it up and began to make the pace. An extra tug on the rudder did the damage and the race settled down to a fight between Gold Light and Sea Gnome, with Waiter© IT. well ahead. A few seconds separated them at the finishing line. The championship of the 14-foot class goes to Sea Gnome. The handicap event was won by Waiter© 11., with Valdora in second place and Gold Light third. The Z class on the Manukau also had a race on Saturday. In the Manukau Cruising Club’s Saturday events Waiapu won the yacht race. Mavis. Ramona and Wanderoo finished in that order in the launch race.

Mr. Norman Wilson, for many years prominent in the Manukau Yacht-Club, has resigned his membership owing to his taking over an assistant-manager-ship in the city where his whole time ia taken up. At a meeting last evening the Manukau Yacht Club desired to hold a cruising race for yachts and launches to Pollock on Good Friday. The races will start at 8 a.m. The distance is 18 miles.

The club's two Moth planes completed 19 hours 35 minutes in the air last week and the consumption of petrol totalled 84 gallons, compared with 68 gallons the previous week.

Throughout last week, conditions for flying could by no means be classed as good. A high wind prevailed, and the air -was bumpy. On one day no instruction was given owing to these unsuitable conditions.

Accident at Dargaville Through slipping while starting the propeller of his Blackburn Bluebird machine at Dargaville on Saturday, Mr. Don Cattanach, of the Southern Cross Airways, received a severe blow

which badly bruised one arm and a leg. The propeller was smashed but another one has been fitted. Accompanied by Lieut. lan Keith, Mr. Cattanach left Auckland some days ago for a tour of the North for passenger- carryingr purposes.

Mr. Wilbur. Secretary of the Navy of the U.S.A., has recommended to Congress that a naval airship base costing £1,000,000 should be established on the Pacific Coast. He suggested that an initial appropriation of £400,000 be made for the work to be started.

A £1,250,000 company has been formed in America and is financing the sale of all classes of airplanes on the instalment plan.

A Narrow Escape While testing a new plane at Dayton, Ohio, Lieut. J. B. Haddon, of the U.S.A. Army, lost consciousness at 32,000 feet. The machine fell 22,000 feet oefore he revived; then, soon after he had taken control again, fire broke out. At 3,000 feet he was

obliged to leap with his parachute. He landed safely and merely suffered from slight shock. * * * Lady Heath Messages from America state that

Lady Heath took the oath for American citizenship on January 29, as she intends to make her home there. In live years she may apply for final papers.

Since the inception of the Australian Aerial Services, Ltd., of Melbourne, the company’s machines have flown G 59.553 miles, and without a fatal accident.

Flying Club Progress The New South Wales section of the Australian Aero Club must surely be one of the largest flying clubs in the world. It has a membership of 700, a permanent staff of 23 employees, 12 airplanes, assets exceeding £5,000, and a cash turnover at the rate of £20,000 per annum. Yet the club is still expanding and facing new demands. The machines used include six Cirrus-Moths, three GipsyMoths, two Avro Avians and a Westland Widgeon 111. monoplane. The club started In July, 1926. The total number of hours flown by club machines is 6,182, number of flights made 37,357 passengers carried, not including pupils, 5,651, pupils trained for A licence 90.

Considerable building extensions have been carried out. The department built a special hangar and workshop on the airdrome and there is club provision for permanent boarders. Reading and card rooms, golfing quarters and tennis courts are also available. A nine-hole golf course has been laid out, and a full-time professional is permanently employed by the club to instruct members.

Van Lear Black Cabled advice has been received by the Shell Company in New Zealand to the effect that the airman, Van Lear Black, has arrived at Capetown, after a successful flight from London. The machine is a Fokker plane, and is the same one as that used by Van Lear Black when he flew from London to Egypt and returned last year. It was reported earlier in the year that this aviator intended to undertake a round flight to Europe, Africa, Asia, and Japan, returning to London from Tokio, but it is not known whether the present flight forms part of this plan or whether a return will be made direct to London from Africa. The Shell Company is carrying out the organisation of fuel supplies.