YACHTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 290, 11 December 1935, Page 4

YACHTING

Ry

"MAINS'L”

Instead of sailing the Motor Boat Cup race on Saturday last, the Wanganui Sailing Club adhered to its original programme and held a contest for the Hewat-Howe Cup. a scratch event open to all comers. The wind was fairly light, but a flooding tide contributed in no small way to the success of the race. The contest was interesting from start to finish and some good yachting was witnessed. The placings were: Eve 1, Neptune 2, Velma 3. Neptune also gained the fastest time. The limit boat was MLtral. She made a good start and set an example which was followed by the remainder of the fleet. Neptune, the scratch boat, sailed another good race, Bo far this vessel has not failed to distinguish herself on every occasion. Her crew seem to have mastered the art of sailing and are to be congratulated on their good seamanship. Mistral also mailed well and maintained a lead until the .start of the liurd round, when the other boats began closing up on her. From this stage until the end the race was one of tactics and elever sailing. In a sense it developed into a contest between the Domney Brothers—l’. Domney in Eve and F. Domney in Neptune. The two brothers used every trick they knew in their endeavours to exact the best iron the boats. The l de was running fairly strong and it played no small part ia the defeat of the -mailer boa -. most oi which held a winning chance right up to the last beat down. Valeta made a good show.ng in ’.his race. Her crew availed themselves of every opportunity and showed a big improvement on the starting line. Velma sailed another good race and deserved her placing. >pray a i-o gave a creditable display, but the til? s-en.ed to handicap her. Avalon did not su: up to the form noticeable In previous races. Gomel is gradually :mp*-oving and her tiller hand. .1. Domney, is getting her nicely in trim, Kio spoilt n?r chance early in the race by wrong ta - tics in the first lun home. Bnqpf performed well, particularly in view if the fact that the wind did not suit her. The tide also made sailing di.licKt. At this stage it may not be ami.-s io call the attention of ,'ouug id’trhands to the balam - of weigat in the boat, and also to spinnaker work, which in many cases is unfortunately slow. These factors make a tremendous difference in a race and more than one good boat, not only on the Wanganui River, but elsewhere, has lost be cause of a disregard of balance and faulty spinnaker work. In most forms of spoil the contestants practice until they consider themselves proficient ami their faults are rectified. The same is applicable to handling a boat under racing conditions. •• Mains'l” would suggest that tho.-e keen young yack siueu who feel that as yet they are not proficient in spinnaker work should practice during the week-ends and master the art of sailing a boat under all manner of conditions. So far, however, the young members are shaping well and allowance must be made for the forward hand* some of the boats have to carry. Though very keen they are, in mo-t instances, suffering through lark of practice. I'his should not deter them, though. If they go about it in the right way there is no reason why they snould not be experts at the end of the season. >aturdav next should see the Motor Boat Cup competed lor on a six mile course. As mentioned before this trophy must be won in a scratch event open to all boats. It is also a race of considerable importance and full ut possibilities. It is hoped that all boat owners wiil enter and that a full muster of club members and supporters w ill be in attendance, Upon a good showing depends the success ot the club in the eyes of the public. Not a t» w people in Wanganui linger to watch the white wings spread out on the river. After all. a little public support is all that is required to protide a splendid atlernoou’s enjoyment. It also gives encouragement to tue euthusiasts who arc trying to make the Wanganui .'sailing Club one of the best email clubs in New Zealand. Wanganui has champion oarsmen, so why not help to make champion sailers also? A number of new boats attached to the Wanganui Club are now reaching th»ir form. Sails are becoming better expanded for racing and boats’ crews more accustomed to the art of saalng. l ime and usage are certainly important factors so far as new vessels are concerned. In this respect, the majority of members make the most of their spare time and every advantage is taken of good sailing weather. During the Christmas holiday period there will be a lull in raring, but early m the new year a start will be made o»» rhe series of contests which are to be held for the Btudholnie Cup. This trophy is competed for annually and is one of the cups presented to the original Wanganui Sailing Club in the days gone by. The new year should jjrso see the season advanced sufficiently for all hands to have settled Members of the Wanganui Club are keenly interested in the Sanders Cup trials recently held in Wellington, anti in the success of Lavina. i his boat won five races out ot fixe and is marked a» Wellington’s representative at this year’s Sanders Cup events. Several Wanganui yatchsinen had the pleasure of seeing Eaviua in action at i’aremata la>t year and were impressed with her capabilities and line lines. It is a tribute to the memory of the late \ iseount Wellington, who introduced this class of boat, that it is still one of the fastest 14ft. types sailing. Conditions were ideal for sailing last Sunday, in the morning seven boats left the Putiki slipway lor the South spit, always a favourite week-end haunt for yatchsmen. The sea on the bar was too confused for good sailing, but two boats ventured beyond the entrance and remained outside for a few minutes. They were handled perfectly and behaved splendidly. Skippers should bear in mind, however, that so far as sailing is. concerned it is only when the tide is flooding that conditions are really satisfactory for small craft to go beyond the entrance. The Cornwell Cup, which carries the junior blue riband of Dominion yachting, is to be competed for on the Waitemata this season. With no fewer than 13 crews competing it will resume its rightful place as second only to the Sanders Cup. It will be truly representative of all yachting centres this yoar, challenges* having been received

I from Otago to Whangarei. This will ensure a "really good contest with experienced crews. In the coming race, which will be the twelfth to be held, Otago, Tiniaru. Kaiapoi, Christchurch. Lyttelton. Wellington, Paremata, Plimmerton. Tauranga (defenders), Auckland, Manukau and Whangarei will all ;be represented. This will indeed be a gathering of youths, for all must be under 19 years of age on January 1, 1936. The Cornwell Cup was presented to the Takapuna Boating Chib by Messrs. Walker and Hall in 1924. The cup is a massive sterling silver one, and was named after John Travers Cornwell, a boy aged 164 years of H.M.S. Chester, who in the Battle of Jutland remained at his post at his gun when the rest of the gun crew were killed. He kept it in action single-handed, although under heavy fire from the Berman warships. Hb died later from wounds received in this action. The Victoria Cross was awarded to him and his bravery w r as especially mentioned by Admirals Jellicoe and Beatty in their dispatches to the Admiralty. The object of the donors, represented in Auckland by Mr. J. Hislop, of Devonport, was also to foster the sport of boat racing amongst the youth of the Dominion and Australia in the club’s 12ft. 6in. class of onedesign boats.