YACHTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 66, 18 March 1936, Page 12

YACHTING

WANGANUI SAILING CLUB COLLEEN SHIELD RACE The Wanganui Sailing Club sailed the Colleen Shield race on Saturday. It proved a very good one to watch. Ail the boats got well away to a fail easterly breeze—what is known in Wanganui as a “soldier” breeze. When they ibad gone nearly 500 yards Veleta and \ elnia showed out in the lead from Sunshine, Breeze, Dio, Tangaroa, Mistral and Venus From the first mile Velma had a “ding dong go” from start to finish. Velma was first round the bottom buoy with Valeta on her quarter, followed by Sunshine, Breeze, Venus, Tangaroa, Rio and Minsirtla. Valeta did well to hang on to Velma on the run up firbt time to the top buoy, Valeta being 10 seconds behind her. Sunshine sailed in third place all through the race. Venus and Breeze, closely followed by Ido, Mistral and Valeta, took the lead on the second run down from Velma and led her round the top buoy and then had a lead of 35 seconds passing the club house. Valeta had some gear carry away and she could not set her spinnaker. Through this Velma went into the lead again and was never headed, winning by lmin. 30scc. from ' Valeta, Sunshine, Breeze and Venus. I The other three starters retired earlier j in the race due to minor mishaps to ! their gear. i Weston and Field sailed a great race lin Velma. Grayson and Domney were I unlucky to lose, but faulty gear is t'heir i only excuse. Wall and Kogers sailed I Suni-hine a very good race but kept her too high in the wind on the run down each time and lost quite, a lot of time. Kidd Brothers sailed Breeze tho best race of the season. Simpson aud Armitage showed up well in Venus for tilie first time together. Bishop and Watson were unlucky to tear their mainsail just before the start of the race which was a big handicap to them. Dearnets and Bethwaite, in Mistral, had bad luck also by getting on the wall. Edmonson and Barton, in Tangaroa, carried away ttheir bottom rudder gudgeon. The club will close the season next Saturday with the champion pennant scratch, race for all-comers.