YACHTING MEN HAVE NARROW ESCAPE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18062, 24 January 1927, Page 2

YACHTING MEN HAVE NARROW ESCAPE.

BOATS COLUDE IN AUCKLAND HARBOUR. (Special to the “Star.") AUCKLAND. January 21 A collision between the keel yacht Victory, owned by Mr IT. George, of Northcote, and the launch Maroro, owned by Mr W. A. Wilkinson, occurred on the Auckland Harbour on Saturday afternoon, resulting in the launch being badly damaged. The Maroro, which was being used as a mark-boat for the races of both the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squad ron and the Akarana Yacht Club, was anchored at the outer end of the starting line off King's Wharf. Eight minutes before the start of the first race for the squadron the Victory, which had entered for this event, was sailing down the harbour at a fast pace when she suddenly collided with the Maroro. The bowsprit of the yacht became caught in the porthole of the launch cabin and about six feet of the top portion of the cabin was smashed. The launch was pushed down the harobur with the Victory’s bowsprit still embedded in the side of the launch, and it was not until the Victory’s mainsail was lowered that the yacht was freed. The Maroro then proceeded up the harbour and took up her position again. The Victory split the end of her bowsprit, but otherwise did not suffer any damage. Owing to the accident she did not take part in the race, the start of which was delayed five minutes. The Akarana Yacht Club officials, Messrs H. Hill, G. E. Laycock and L. Stubbs, who were in the cabin of the launch when the collision occurred, had a remarkable escape from being struck by the yacht's bowsprit. Wilkinson was even more fortunate than the other officials, as the spot where he had been sitting received the full force of the impact.