AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 523, 27 December 1900, Page 7

AQUATICS

I By

SPINNAKER.

FIXTURES. Jan 12—North Shore Sailing Club Races Jan 19—Auckland Yacht Club Picnic Jan 26—Parnell Sailing Club Races Jan 29—Anniversary Regatta Feb 2—North Shore. Sailing Club Picnic Feb a—North Shore Sailing Club/Races Feb 16—Parnell Saili g Club Races Feb 23—Auckland Yacht Club Cruise Feb 23—Auckland Swimming Club Carnival Mar 9 —Auckland Yacht Club Races Mar 9—Parnell Sailing Club General Handicaps Mar 16 —North Shore Sai'ing Club Genet <1 Handicaps Mar 23 —Auckland Yacht Club. Thelma Cup

At a meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Rowing Championship Regatta on Wednesday evening 72 entries were received, which constitutes a record. There were 13 entries in the Maiden Foprs, also a record. Sixty pounds was received in' entry fees. The Regatta takes place at Little River on Boxing Day. The Auckland yacht Rainbow arrived at Lyttelton on Wednesday; all well. Mr A. T. Pittar, (the owner) and crew were, welcomed by the Mayor of Lyttelton and several of the regatta officials upon the arrival of the yacht. The Sydney Amateur Sailing Club had an irhportant event on the programme December 8, this being the first of a series of three races to decide the club championship. But as the weather conditions were not altogether to the liking of the raters, the race was greatly marred bv'accidents, and the retirement from the race of more than half the competitors. . Mercia, ’ after missing stays several times, capsized, and had a hole knocked in her while Yankee

carried away her rudder, and Quadratic and Dragon failed to finish. The worst sufferer of all, perhaps, was Yankee, which up till the time she was rendered hors de combat was > looked upon as an almost certain winner. The usual Lightship-Shark Island Course was sailed the entrants, with their respective time lllow, ances being:—Magic, 30 rating (J. O. Fairfax)scratch ; Meteor, 28.2 rating (Dr J. F. Elliott), lmin 46aeo; Oanarsie, 23.2-rating (R. Howard Lyons), 7min 42s c; Dragon, 20 6-rating (J George), llmin 37sec; Gloria, 20-rating (F. Doran), 12min 37eec; Mercia. 19.59 rating (A. W. Crane), 13min 19sec Bunyip, 18 3-rating (A. E. Cutler), 15min 44sec; Quadratic, 17.7? rating (P. Summerbell), Ifcmin 57sec; Yankee, 16 rating (J. Craig), 20min 44sec. The times at the finish were: Meteor, 4hr 56 min 45sec; Gloria, shr 4min 44sec.; Bunyip, shr Bmin 27sec. Thus after deducting time allowance, Gloria had the small margin of 36sec to spare from Bunyip, which in turn beat Meteor by 2min 16sec. 'The placed boats are entitled to the following points by virtue of their respective positions Gloria

(late Laurel) 3, Bunyip 2, and Meteor 1 for the Challenge. Cup presented by Mr T. H. Kelly (commodore of the club . The dates of the America Cup races are fixed for August 20 and alternate dajs days following. The starts are to bs made at 1.30, and 5| hours, is to be the time limit. There is some talk in New York, it. is said, of building a second boat by a different designer. Thus an American exchange in commenting upon Sir Thomas Lipton’s second challenge for the World’s Cup :—“lt is generally realised by yachtsmen that if anything is to be done to successfully defend the. America’s it must be done soon. The challenge of Sir Thomas Lipton, which wisl be made public at a special meeting of the club, calls for a race in August, and there is little time to spare to build the new yacht and get her in shape. The three previous races have not been sailed until late in September or. October, and the defenders were not launched until June. If this is done this time there in be very little time left to get wKe yacht, in- shape for an International race.

E. A. Willard, who sailed the Vigilant when that yacht was used as a trial boat against-the Defender, said recently : We have got the hardest job ahead of us we have ever had, and we may as well prepare for it. Sir Thomas Lipton is better prepared to lift the cup than he was last year. He has the Shamrock as» z trial boat, and we don’t know how good that yacht is. If her spars had stood she would not have been beaten by the Columbia as badly as she was.” William Jamieson, who is to look after the »Shamrock 11., is the best amateur on the other side, and many think him the bes* in the world for big boats, so that the challenger will be well managed ” Newcastle will be well represented in the professional rowing events to be decided at the Commonwealth Carnival in Sydt ey next month. Charlie Towns, Tressider, and Masefield are getting into condition, and it is quite likely that the speedy Wallsender, Alf Worbo r s, will also enter. . The first of the series of pair-oar races of the Union Bowing Club took place on the inner harbour on Wednesday afternoon, when a quartette of the Wednesday afternoon crews met. It was a beautiful day for the sport, weather fine and warm, and the surface of the water was like a sheet of glass. In the first heat Wright and Donnely met Montgomery and R Willis after a good contest. The latter brace asserted their t upeiriority, winning by a bare yard. Time, 6min 55sec. Wright (who took the place of Roscoe) and Dickson met Simmonds and Krogh, and after a great battle the former couple got the verdict by a very slight margin. Time, 6min 54 3-ssfc In the final Wright and Dickson had to succumb to Montgomery and Willis, who just, got there by a couple of feet after a keen struggle. Time, 6min 45sec.— (Napier correspondent.)