TRIALS FOR SANDERS CUP AT LYTTELTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19240, 29 November 1930, Page 10

TRIALS FOR SANDERS CUP AT LYTTELTON.

COLLEEN MAKES BEST PERFORMANCE OF THREE. The first trial race to select a yacht to represent Canterbury in the Sanders Cup contest was held at Lyttelton this afternoon. Interest in the trial did not appear to be as keen as in previous years, due no doubt to the fact that no outside boat was competing. Nevertheless. a fair crowd assembled on Gladstone Pier to watch the race. Interest was mainly centred ©n the performance of Irene, built this year to beat Colleen, Canterbury’s representative at the Sanders Cup trials last year. The competitors were:— Colleen (G. Brassell, skipper, F. Forman spinnaker, R. Priddy, F. Collins). Irene (S. Toomey, skipper, A. Nolan spinnaker, Elliott Sinclair, N. Scott). Usher (J. T. Hobbs, skipper, H. Sillars spinnaker, D. Gower, M. Hobbs). The course was a windward and leeward one, starting from a buoy off the Gladstone Pier to the Light Pile, thence to the Ripa Island buoy, and back to the Light Pile, twice round, finishing at the starting point. The officials were:—Starter and timeiceeper, Mr W. Toomey; judges, Messrs J. H. Wood, H. D. Leeming, A. T. Round and C. Woodward. There was a fresh north-east wind blowing, with a choppy sea and an ebb tide at the start of the race, which commenced at 3.5. All the boats carried a full crew of four owing to the heavy wind. Colleen was first to cross the mark on the run to the Light Pile, closely followed by Irene and Usher. Colleen's spinnaker was the first to go out, and she jumped to the lead, but dropped back and all three boats together raced to the Pile, which Usher rounded, followed by Irene and Colleen. Several short boards brought the boats up to the eastern end of Gladstone Pier, Colleen in the lead. Colleen gained further advantage by making a short beat to port, and then breaking her tack. Irene, after beating well up to Officer’s Point, made a long leg to the Ripa Island jetty, following similar tactics up to leeward of Usher. A number of short boards along Ripa Island, and the boats rounded the Ripa Island buoy as follows: Colleen, 3hr 41min 55sec. Irene, 3hr 43min 52sec. Usher, 3hr 44min 55sec. On the run down to the Pile Light, Colleen gained three minutes three seconds, maintaining a lead of two minutes. The strong ebb tide prevented a fast run, and rounding the pile Colleen and Irene worked the centre of the harbour, while Usher made for the east end of Gladstone Pier, but failed to gain an advantage. A long beat by Colleen and Irene brought them up off Ripa Island, and by making two or three short boards, were able to make the Ripa Island buoy. Colleen’s lead was now three minutes. The times for the Ripa Island buoy were:—Colleen, 4hr 33min 30sec; Irene, 4hr 36min 30sec; Usher, 4hr 39min 36sec. On the run home Irene gained 9sec on Colleen. The finishing times were: Colleen 4hr 49min 45sec Irene 4hr 52min 36see Usher 4hr 57min 15sec