SAIL AND POWER

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19046, 15 April 1930, Page 4

SAIL AND POWER

By

“STEM.”

Port Levy Regatta. This year’s Easter Port Levy regatta should be the most successful event«£or many years. An excellent programme for the Monday’s racing has been drawn up, and a record number of yacht and launch owners have their craft already on the way or have signified their intention of going. On Saturday a sweepstake race will be held and on Sunday Mr J. Collins will conduct an unofficial yacht race. The programme for Monday is:— 10 a.m.—Auxiliary yacht race of six miles. Competitors may use sail or power or both. Entrance 2s 6d. 10.30 a.m.—Port Levy Cup (donated by Mr A. F. Stacey) for yachts of 15ft 6in overall and under, of six miles Special prize for first Takapuna to finish. Entrance 2s 6d. 11 a.m.—Launch race for launches under 6 m.p.h., of six miles. Entrance 2s 6d. 11.30 a.m.—Yacht race for boats of over 15ft 6in, of six miles, Entrance 2s 6d. 1.30 p.m.—Launch race for launches of 6 m.p.h. and over, of six miles. Entrance 2s 6d. 2 p.m.—Ladies’ rowing dinghy race. No entry fee. 2.16 p.m.—Sailing dinghy race. Entrance l 6d. 2.30 p.m.—Rowing dinghy race. Entrance 6d. Outboard race will be held if there are three competitors. Entrance 2s 6d.. Rowing races for the crews of the Deveron and of the Sumner Lifeboat Brigade. All races will be conducted under Y.R.A. rules, and starts will be on the Mark Foy system. Entries will close one hour before each race. Competitors will receive their starting numbers on entry. Gun will be fired smin before the start. Numbers will be raised for 15sec and competitors will start when their numbers are lowered. All competitors should apply to the starter before the race for the sailing directions. Course is of approximately three miles. Start between the end of the jetty and the buoy with the white flag. Turning buoys have red flags. Finish between the white and the red flagged buoy of the jetty. (The Deveron may take the place of the red flagged finishing buoy). The time limit for yacht race is two hours. Prizewinners will receive tickets, which will be exchanged with the secretary for prizes. The Sumner Lifeboat Brigade have been requested by the association to watch the safety of boats leaving and entering the Estuary. Donations have been received from Lieutenant H. A. Rhind, R.N.V.R., Professor R. Scott, Messrs H. Field (Port Levy), L. D. Pickles, Brighton Power Boat Club, Pleasant Point Yacht Club, and Port Levy Hall Committee.

Practically the whole of the Canterbury Yacht Club’s fleet will be at Port Levy. From the Brighton Power Boat Club L. A. Curtis's Pacific and W. H. Browne’s Lorelei went to Lyttelton on Sunday, Pacific towing H. G. Ostler’s Valmai, from Pleasant Point. These three made a halt inside Lyttelton Heads for cod fishing, and 78 cod were landed in an hour and a quarter. Tui is at Redcliffs and will go over the bar at 8 a.m. on Friday. Ten members of the Pleasant Point Club have rented a house at Port Levy, handy to the jetty. Whynot went round to port on Sunday. Of the Christchurch Club’s fleet, Secret, Eureka and Cordelia are at port, and others are going. This is Eureka’s first long trip on the open. Z’Z vz

_ At present the Sumner bar seems to lie from the beacon about 40yds north. On the port hand going out is a big bank, which sometimes sends the swell breakinr a distance out from it, so that yachtsmen would be well advised to head toward Scarborough for a little as soon as possible after crossing the actual bar.

Saturday’s Racing. Though Saturday promised well for sailing, the wind proved treacherous and spoiled all yachting events. The Canterbury Club j list managed to get off a Takapuna and an open race, and the Christchurch Club the final race for the Cammins Memorial Cup, which was won by Te Arai (A. T. Round); but the B class race at Redcliffs went past the time limit and the same experience befel the Pleasant Point Club’s attempt to sail off the President’s Cup. There was a light breeze from the start at the bridge at 3.10 p.m., down to the Avon buoy—or rather to where the buoy ought to have been, for it was missing, and a convenient stake was used as a turning mark. Half-way back, the wind fell right away, when Valmai was leading Scamp and Tui. The race was called off and will probably be sailed on April 20. The Outboard Club held races for the President’s Cup and the open championship, J. Simpson, in Playboy, winning both. The Brighton Power Boat Club’s second race for the Rowland Trophy was won by P. Nelson’s Victory.

Outboard Meeting. Following are the entries for the Canterbury outboard motor boat championships at Akaroa on Easter Saturday and Monday:— B Class Championship—G. Blogg, Miss Audrey; J. F. Page, Babs; A. A. M’Lean, Hi-Speed; It. M. Watson, Sea Horse; It. M’Millian, Burr; W. J. MacGibbon, Dammit: F. J. Andrews, Play Mate; O. Williams, Pegasus; F. Shepherd, Musketeer; C. W. Penrose, Au Itevoir; T. M’Caughan, C. Bird; Woodman, Ajar. C. Class Championship—P. Williamson, Baby Boy; J. Simpson, Play Boy; R. Campbell, Miss Brooklands; It. M. Watson, Sea Horse; J'. N. Robinson, Pit-a-Pat; G. Blogg, Miss Audrey: Woodman, Ajar; F. J. Andrews, Play Mate; A. A. M’Lean, Hi-speed; T. M’Caughan, C. Bird. D Class Championship—P. William- j son, Miss Joan; F. J. Andrews, Merry Moments; C. S. Collins, Whoopee; T. T. Gough. Sea Horse II.; Royds Motors. Poseiden; L. Stericker, Humbug; J. Simpson, Play Boy; T. Hawks worth, Hawk. The handicap events will combine all these entries, not, of course, duplicating any that appear in more than one class. F. Dobby has sold Usher to T. Hobbs, who will take her to Port Levy for the regatta. Nautilus, ex Brighton, was sending a smoke screen from near Smith's at Redcliffs on Saturday. The new engine which George Papps has installed was being given a run-in. The minutes of the last Dominion Yachting Conference, held in connection with the Sanders Cup contest at Auckland, have not yet been received, although they were promised for the week after the contest.

The America Cup (continued.). The hull of Shamrock V. should now be completed. She has sixty tons of lead on her keel, and her mast will be 160 ft high. Shamrock is compositebuilt, partly of wood, partly of steel. Of the four prospective defenders, two will be built of Tobin bronze—a light, expensive metal. Shamrock was to have been launched a fortnight ago, and was to be in sailing trim by May. Beyond the fact that she is a centreboard yacht, her characteristics have been kept secret, and nothing really definite can be said about her. This “ hush-hush ” yacht is being built by Camper and Nicholson at Gosport, near Portsmouth Hard. Only the most trusted workers are employed. Entirely new principles are said to have been adopted in her design and construction. When Shamrock V. is completed, Sir Thomas Lipton will have spent more than £500,000 of his private means in attempts to win the cup. No one can tell what speed Shamrock will go. She will probably have a very high freeboard, appearing bigger than Candida and Astra. Shamrock will have no bulwarks. She will carry not more than 7600 square feet of sail. The most noticeable thing will be the enormous height of her mast. Shamrock will carry three boats—a launch for her owner’s use, a lifeboat and a dinghy. The designer is Mr Charles Nicholson, who has planned many famous racing yachts, including Margherita, once the fastest schooner in the world, Nyria, Norada, Brynhild and Candida. Mr Nicholson designed IV.—a huge yacht with an enormous sail area. The present Shamrock is a much more modest design. Towards the end of next month, Shamrock will be ready for her trials, meeting Astra, Cambria, Candida and White Heather. This will be on the Solent. She will take part in about twenty-four other races round the British coast and up tg the Clyde. What will happen when these yachts meet? Will the tall, narrow, *' bird’s wing ” sail plan of Shamrock set upon a hollow mast, coupled with her absence of bulwarks and cabin fittings and any advantage she can get from her centreboard, make up for her small sail area? The American defender will carry no more sail than Shamrock.

FIXTURES. April 19—Yacht race at Port Levy. April 19—Outboard championships at Akaroa. April 20 —Yacht race at Port Levy. April 21—Port Levy regatta. April 21—Outboard championship at Akaroa. April 26—Brighton Power Boat Club, Owles trophy race, Lyttelton moles to Pigeon Bay wharf, 2.30 p.m.