AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 439, 22 December 1898, Page 16

AQUATICS

[By

Muritai.]

’On Saturday last the second general handicap race for the Donald Cup was run. A strong nor’-easterly gale was blowing, with a heavy cross sea, and this was the cause of some of the boats entered not starting. The course wasfrom Matangi (anchored off Queen Street round mark at Bastion, thence out to Rangitoto Beef, back to Bastion, finishing at Wharf, twice round. The following were the entries and handicaps Volunteer scr, Thelma 7min, Rainbow llmin, Moana 16min, Aorere 24min, Heartsease 24min, Yvonne 21min, Ladye Wilma 24min, Rangitira 26min, Unita 24min, Mahaki 30min, Mizpah 32min, Mavis 45min. Nine of these started — Volunteer, Thelma, Aorere, Yvonne, Heartsease, Ladye Wilma, Zinita, Mizpah, Mavis, While sailing about waiting for the start Rainbow carried away her roast, which robbed the race of a good deal of interest, but she would never have had a chance with such a handicap. The least said about the handicap all round, however, the better, but doubtless the heavy weather upset the handicappers’ calculations. Mr J. Ansenne got the boats away to a fairly good start, Thelma being ahead down the harbour, with Volunteer under'her lee, Heartsease next, then followed Zinita to windward of Aorere, the others tailing off. Just inside the Heads some of Volunteer’s throat gear went, and she retired. Mavis, Mizpah, and Ladye Wilma also dropped out. Up to this point Zinita had been sailing exceptionally well, but it was seen she was shipping a great deal of water, as also were some of the larger boats. Thelma was first round the Bangitoto mark, Heartease next, then came Aorere, Yvonne, and Zinita. They rounded the flagship as follows :■ —Thelma about 6min ahead o£ HeHrtafiase, Aorere, Yvonne, Zinita. In the second round all the boats, with the exception of Thelma and Heartease, went to their moorings, and these two finished—Thelma, shr 59min 50sec ; Hea tsease, 6hr llmin 49sec. Heartsease thus won by about smin. I think the Thelma crew thought they had the race won, and when it is considered they beat Heartsease by the length of the harbour there is some excuse for them thinking so. Both boats, however, sailed splendidly, Heartsease surprisingly so. The heavy weather seemed to suit her full, bluff lines. ... Only three boats started in the Patiki race, namely, Boomerang, Eka, and Zoe. The course -'was from Wharf, round Calliope Dock buoy, thence round Sandspit buoy, across to Viking, finishing at Wharf, twice round. It was a dingdong go between Boomerang and Eka from start to finish. Beating across to the Dock, Eka had the best of it, but running and leading Boomerang caught on her ; and this is how they raced all the journey until nearing the Viking the last time round, when Boomerang passed her rival and finished first at 4hr 47min 9sec, Eka 4hr 47min 45sec, Zoe 4hr 53min lOsec. By the Mokoia on Sunday Mr Hordern and his little i-rater Brorzewing IV. arrived from Sydney. She was built of mahogany in England, and is about 25ft overall, 15ft 1.w.1., and 4ft 6in beam This seems a little beam, but she gets her stability from a big bronze plate, weighing about 2cwt. The new arrival was out for a spin on Monday, and off the wind seemed to skim over , the water very fast. She is a graceful little thing, with her bamboo spars and silk sails, looking more like a toy than anything. I suppose we ought to be thankful for small mercies, but I think it shows a want of interest that Sydney — • with its “splendid harbour,” its “wealthy and powerful sailing clubs,”'etc., etc. should only be reprerented by a J-rater. Of course this, is not detracting from Mr Hordern’s enterprise, nor from the ability of his boat, as I believe she is a flyer, and may make some of the bigger ones move themselves. Still, one would think some of the Sydney clubs would have been represented in an inter-colonial championship race, which has been asked for and worried about for years. I am afraid “ Lynx,” of the Herald, in his aquatic notes of last week, was laboring under a wrong impression. He thinks it is scarcely fair that boatbuilders, after building boats for a certain class, should build others for - themselves and beat these, as they had always a chance of « going one tetter,” and refers particularly to the 1-rater Rambler. This reads very well at first sight, but there is another side to the question, as it would be a queer rule that debarred builders from improving upon the boats they had previously built for fear of beating them ; where would the progress in boat-building come in? Now, in the first place, Logan Bros, did not build this boat for themselves ; she was built to the order of the well-known cycling firm of Dexter and Crozier —hence the name, Rambler. Then again, she was built to the same moulds as the other Patikis turned out by this firm. If those who are grumbling about Rambler gave a little more thought and practice to the handling of their boats they would be nearer the winning boat at the finish of a race. I wonder what yacht racing in Auckland would be like if . builders did not take an interest in it besides actually building the boats. Take, for instance, the coming inter- colonial 1-rater race. There will be about ten starters. Out of this number Bailey Bros, are building two, Logan Bros, one, Clare one, and although the owners of Geisha and ' the Waitekauri boat are not professional boatbuilders, they built their own boats. This means that only two or three were built to order, and that if builders had not taken the risk it would have been a very poor race.