Sports and Pastimes.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 18, 2 November 1910, Page 9

Sports and Pastimes.

WITH SAIL AND MOTOR

NOTES FROM THE WATERFRONT.

(By

RINGTAIL.)

IT was a good thing khat most of the yaehts and launches were still out of the water when the booms at

Orakei burst ami released a few hundred logs to drift about the harbour at their leisure. As all yachtsmen know, a Jog, just awash, is not the nicest thing to meet on a dark night, and a log, standing three or four feet out of water, and rubbing against the side of a yacht, or getting under the stem or counter, is not what one would call Al at Lloyd's. The high spring tides and strong easterly wind caused many of the logs to get stranded, thus preventing them from doing any damage; but there are still a few to be seen cruising up and down the harbour with the tide, ready to ram the first vessel they get the chance at. All this brings home to us the necessity of having a boat harbour. But we are afraid that we are not going to get it, for the Harbour Board decided at the meeting that there were not sufficient funds for the purpose. It seems rather hard that between three and four hundred pleasure boats, representing some £BO,OOO for motor-boats alone must lie out at their moorings, exposed to all the dangers that the elements and other unforeseen forces can bring to bear on them.

A yachtsman’s sleep (at home) is not a peaceful one. He never knows when a kind brother yachtsman will waken him with the news that his yacht has had a hole bored through her by a large or small log, or that she has been run down by some coaster that has been keeping inshore to escape the strong tide that sweeps down our harbour at the ebb. Then he hears the gale howling round the house, and thinks of his little ship rearing, plunging and tugging at her mooring chain, and fancies he sees the spray flying off her bows like smoke from a ten-inch gun. He makes a mental calculation of the breaking strain of the small chain, and then, when he finds that he has a good margin of safety, he works out the course of traders running up the harbour for shelter. No wonder our yachtsmen look old after ten or twenty seasons of this great mental strain, and begin to look for a harbour of refuge in marriage, and are content to sit on the verandah steps on Sunday afternoons, smoking their pipes and watch the white wings sailing home. It is sincerely to be hoped that in the near future yachtsmen will be saved all this unnecessary worry by having a boat harbour provided for them. They would not begrudge the cost, and would be willing to pay dues that would pay for the Upkeep and a tlividcnd besides. But it is not well to go deeper into this subject and damp the spirits of our rising generation of yachtsmen. No doubt they will get enough spray to keep them cool. The annual meeting of subscribers of the Auckland Anniversary Club was held in Palmerston Buildings on Wednesday, 26th October. Captain H. Parker presided. On the motion of Mr. J. Boonstra it was decided to hold a regatta on next Anniversary Day, January 29, 1911. The following Committee was elected:— Patrons, His Excellency the Governor (Lord Islington), the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), Hon. G. Fowlds, Sir J. Logan Campbell, Sir James Mills; President, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. L. J. Bagnall) ; Committee—Captains H. Parker, Brown, Parriss, W. Ross, J. Dowd, Messrs. M. Walsh, A. Alison, W. A. Wilkinson, D. Gouk, F. W. Chalmers, J. Endean, A. Spencer, G. L. Sheahan, C. P. Stichbury, J. Boonstra,, F. Burbush, W. Sinton, L. Fisher, W. D. Grant, E. C. Granger, P. Goldsboro’. Captain Parker was elected Chairman, Mr. A. Alison Vice-Chairman; Secretary, Mr. C. C. Daere; Assistant Secretary, Mr. L. Fisher; Treasurer, Mr. A. Spencer; Auditor, Mr. W. Somers. It was decided to extend an invitation to his ExcelItency the Governor (Lord Islington), to be present at the next regatta. The first meeting of the Committee will be held on November 16 th. ©n November 12th the Ponsonby Cruising Club and the Victoria Cruising Club

propose to open the season with a cruising race for each club. The North. Shore Club will hold a race to Awaroa Bay on the 19th November. The Richmond Club will open on November 26th.

The local yacht and cruising clubs will open the season with a cruise in company on sth November.

The well-known yacht Sybil has been sold by her late owner (Mr. G. Cornes) to Messrs. F. and A. Webber, Ponsonby. The old erack twenty-four footer Manola is again in the Waitemata, having been purchased by Mr. H. Smith, of Parnell. There are not many yachtsmen afloat at the present time who sailed against the Manola when first she crossed the finishing line. But it is to be hoped that she has still a long lease of life, and may she add many more wins to her already heavy record. The first meeting of the delegates of the Auckland Yachting Association took place on Tuesday, October 25th, in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Committee Room. Mr. T. M. Alexander acted as chairman, owing to the absence of Mr. J. L. R. Bloomfield (Chairman of the Association). The secretary' reported that he had received notifications from the various clubs of the election of delegates for the coming season as follows: —Royal N.Z. Yacht Squadron, Messrs. J. L. R. Bloomfield, A. Gifford, T. M. Alexander; N.Z. Power Boat Association, Messrs. W. J. Jaggs, P. Howden; North Shore Yacht Club, Messrs. W. A. Wilkinson, W. Swinnerton; Richmond Cruising Club, Messrs. C. Palmer, T. S. Thompson; Devonport Yacht Club, Messrs. C. P. Murdoch, E. J. Fenn. The first business was the election of officers, Mr. Bloomfield being re-eleeted Chairman and Mr. Fenn being re-elected secretary. The delegates reported that the remits of the proposed work for the coming season had been favourably received by the respective clubs. It was decided that the Association keep a list of all members unfinancial after one year of the various affiliated clubs, such list to be available to the secretary of each chib. The proposal for the Association to adopt a uniform set of racing rules, preferably those of the International Yacht Racing Union, as adopted by the Y.R.A., was further discussed, and a subcommittee appointed to deal with the matter. It was decided to offer a reward to any person giving sufficient evidence to lead to a. conviction in the ease of pilfering from yachts, and the delegates were instructed to ascertain from the elubs how much each club would guarantee towards a fund for the purpose. The Royal N.Z. Yacht Squadron and the N.Z. Power Boat Association have guaanrtecd £5 each towards the fund.

Mr. —. Bailey has purchased the steam launch belonging to Mr. Foote, of Whangarci. She is a tine-looking vessel, and will probably be used by her new owner in running to and from an island at Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier, which Mr. Bailey has purchased. This launch was built some five years ago at Whangarei by Mr. Charles Bailev, sen.