YACHTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 82, 7 April 1934, Page 10

YACHTING

(By “Mainsail”) During the Easter week-end five of the local boats were visitors at the annual regatta held by the Paremata Boating Club. The boats and their crews left at about 1.30 on Friday morning and arrived at Paremata at 8 o’clock. The Paremata Club was kind enough to provide two sheds for the crows, and tne morning was spent in arranging the gear aud unloading and rigging tho boats. That afternoon three of the boats, Breeze, Rio and .Valeta took part iu a race for the second-class boats. The skippers were handicapped by their lack of knowledge of tne course, but in spite of this Breeze came third, Rio fourth aud .Valeta fifth. The next day, Saturday, saw the whole fleet out, and in the race iu the morning they took the first five places. The final order at the finish was as follows: —Breeze, Rio, Valeta, Halcyon and Kahu. Tho three Paremata boats tailed the field. In the afternoon race the boats were racing against the Takapuna class boats, as well as the three second-class boats, and Breeze sailed a good race to come into second place. Valeta was fourth, Kahu fifth, Halcyon sixth and Rio ninth. Weather conditions were not so good on tho Sunday, but all the boats turned out for the first race. Valeta fouled another boat and was forced to retire, but Halcyon, which was running practically last, came up with a great burst of speed and finished first. Kahu camo into third place, with Bio fourth and Breeze sixth. In tho afternoon the weather really began to blow up again and several of the boats were in difficulties. There were several capsizes, and one or two boats had to go on shore to straighten out gear, liio and Halcyon did not start, but the other three boats were out. Valeta was well up in the lead when she had trouble with the spinnaker, and had to fall back. Kahn was tho first of the Wanganui boats to finish, in seventh place, with Valeta tenth and Breeze eleventh. On the Alonday morning there was practically no wind and the race was hardly more than a drifting match. Kahu was again the first Wanganui boat to finish, in tenth place, with Breeze eleventh and Valeta twelfth, Rio sixteenth and Halcyon seventeenth. The boats were all pulled out of the water after this race and loaded on to the lorries for the trip home. The visit was well worth while, for all tho members of the paity learnt » lair amount which they will, be able to put into practice on the river. The race to-day is to bo the Colleen Challenge Shield. This should provide a really interesting race, particularly in the light of the recent performances of the boats down at Paremata. A new boat on the river, Velma, built to the same plan as Valeta, will be competing for the first time, and her