AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 386, 16 December 1897, Page 8

AQUATICS

The Auckland Yacht Club lost the records of the club since its inception by the recent fire on the Wharf. The books and papers burnt included the minute book, the records of all races held under the club’s auspices, and the list of members. Mr R. S. Reynolds, the treasurer, will be able to supply a list of past and present members frem his private records, but the minute book and racing matter are lost for ever. A suggestion has been made which should meet with the approeal of the various yacht clubs. It is that the first boat to cross the winning mark should receive a flag. This is to prove that, though a loser by time allowance, the winner of the flag occupied a prominent position in the race.

The West End Rowng Club had a rare time at the annual Ponsonby Regatta. The West End crews won every gig race on the programme. A good deal of the success is due to careful training. On Saturday the second trial fours of the season will be rowed. Ovor sixty rowers will compete, five boats will be used, and there will be five races during the afternoon. The Waitemata-City Club has received the new racing gig ordered from Mesrs Edward and Sons, of Melbourne. The members are well pleased with the new craft. Several crews are now in active training for the trial fours at the forthcoming regattas. The race for yachts’ dingies, which was ordered to be rowed again by the Ponsonby Regatta Club, came off on Friday evening, only Messrs Parker and Hughes going to the starting post. Messrs W. Edwards and S. D. Hanna acted as starter and judge respectively. A number of those interested congregated on the balcony of the W.E.R.C. boathouse, the course being the usual trial four one of that club. A good race ensued for part of the way, when Hughes, who rowed a better course than his opponent, went to the front and won very comfortably; ’• The Ponsonby Navals arid the crew of H.M S. Torch made no attempt to settle the question of supremacy, as suggested by Mr Masefield, the judge at the Ponsonby Regatta. The Torch men could make no arrangements to row the race over again; so the• Ponsonby’ men invited them to a dinner and smoke concert, and the battle was renewed across the festive board. This was an excellent way out of the difficulty, and if the Torch men felt any soreness on account of the drifting of the mark boat it must have been smoothed away by the hospitality of the Ponsonby men.. The sculling championship of Victoria, which took place on Monday, resulted in an easy victory for Chapman, of Dunedin. The New Zealander had only one opponent (Browne, of Victoria), but his win need not be depreciated on account of the numerical smallness Of the opposition. New Zealand has also been to the fore in .yachting events in Victorian waters. Mr Palmer’s yacht Te Uira on Monday beat Lord Brassey’s Helen over a 22-mile course by lomin, the owners sailing. Te Uira was built by Messrs. C. and W. Bailey, of Auckland.- She has had a most successful career in Victorian waters, having won five out of the seven races in which she has started on the other side. . . Not quite satisfied with the defeat administered by Meteor at the Ponsonby Regatta, Mr Dufaur, the owner of Kotiri, put down £25 for a match. The challenge was at once accepted, and the race was sailed on Saturday The course settled by arrangement’was from the end of Queen Street Wharf, round the bu y off Brown’s Island; thence round the black buOy off Rangitoto Reef ; back to Queen-Street Wharf; thence round a mark boat below the Bastion, and finishing off the. end of Queen-Street Wharf, the total distance being about twenty-one miles. Mr John Wise man was judge, Mr D. Carter umpire, an t Mr C. P. Murdoch the starter. The match between the two new 30-footers aroused very considerable interest, and crowds gathered together on the Wharves, at Campbell’s Point, and on Mount Victoria to witness the race, There was a pretty strong blow from the nor’-east, which caused a considerable sea. Punctually at one o’clock Mr Murdoch despatched the boats, which crossed the line together. Kotiri was sailed by Mr John Logan, and Mr John Kissling looked after Meteor. Going to Orakei Boy the full strength of the wind and sea was felt, and both boats broke off a hit, Meteor making more leeway. Kotiri rounded the Brown’s Island buoy first by 15sec. The Rangitoto buoy was reached by Kotiri Bsec in advance of Meteor, which was some 12 or 13sec behind as the Queen-Street Wharf mark-boat was rounded. During the second round Meteor did much better work, aud travelling very fast she was 32sec ahead of Kotiri at the Bastion mark-boat. The run home was then commenced, both going at a rare bat. When off Hobson Bay Kotiri’s spinnaker carried away; it was very smartly recovered, however, and a grand finish resulted in Meteor arriving home first by 54sec. As she had to allow Kotiri 52sec she thus won the match by the narrow margin of 2see. As the competitors passed the Wharf they were vociferously cheered by the assembled crowds.