AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 668, 24 December 1902, Page 13

AQUATICS

(By " The Reefer.”)

The first Ocean Handicap of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron eventuated on Saturday, bnt was to a certain extent spoilt by there being such a paltry breeze and dead ahead at that. Only nine yachts competed, these being : Volunteer and Rainbow, scratch: Ida, Bmin; Thetis, 12min; Rangatira and Kotiri, 14min ; Barere, 21 min; Mahaki, 23min ; May Belle, 30 min. Promptly at 2.30 the starting gun was fired, and mpst of the competitors got away well together, Kotiri being rather late. Fortunately, there was a strong ebb tide, and this helped the yachts wonderfully. Volunteer and Ida working the northern shore seemed to get away at the start, tbe Commodore’s yacht crossing Bainbow. At North Head these two were to the fore. Biinbow got a nice slant off Brown’s Island, and working it for all it was worth, cleared the black buoy off the island, but Volunteer, Ida and Thetis had to make two or three boards to do this. Here Rangatira made a mistake which cost her the race, as she went inside the buoy, thus infringing one of the rules of the Squadron, The wind getting very light a rather slow passage was made down to Waiheke. Off Wairoa Volunteer struck a calm patch and was practically anchored for along time. In the meantime the intercolonial champion was edging away from the fleet, her wind-jamming proclivities standing her in good stead. Thetis and Rangatira here managed to pick up a nice little slant and came booming up on the leaders. Eventually the race finisned off Awaroa Point, Waiheke: Rainbow finishing twelve minutes ahead of Ida, which was four minutes and twelve seconds in front of Thetis. Rangatira saved her time from Rainbow by sixty-five seconds, but was dispualified. Places thus go to Rainbow, Ida 1 and Thetis [ *.• • • J The author of that popular comedy “ The ! Guv’nor ” played last week at the Opera House, j is not a yachtsman, I am afraid. One of the characters is a boat builder, and there is much talk of a new five ton .yacht. The dimensions are particularly stated, the vessel being thirty feet long by four: and a half beam with a centre board. How such measurements .would make the vessel a five-tonner, I am unable to say. The price £BO as stated in the play is cavilled at, I but this.is strange, as the proper English price I for a five-ton racing yacht would be about £5OO, ' As, however, no yachtsman could ever be. in- ■ dueed for love or money to risk his life in a - vessel of such extraordinary .proportions, per- ; haps the price quoted was after all rather too j severe. •. • ♦ • * The Parnell Bailing Club’s opening series of races took place on Saturday and proved very interesting, although slightly marred by tbe fluky nature di the wind. I regret that extreme presesure on space this week debars me from dealing with this pleasant function in the manner I could have wished. In the race for 27-footers there were seven starters, the first three home being Horo, Dorie and Waitangi, but a protest i has been entered against .the.. .former for going inside fairway marks. Thirteen were entered < for the 22-footers race, and Hetty was first to: finish. Gladys, however, won on time from Hetty, and Welcome Jack, who made a dead heat of it after deducting allowances. As usual Rambler crossed the finishing line first in the Patiki Rao , but on this occasion was qnable to concede the required time to Tuna. Quite a little fleet competed for the model race, which fell to Alma, with May and Kawau in the other places. The yawl Viking acted as flagship, Messrs H. Wright, 0. Kilfoyle, and M. Evitt 1 being officers of the day. The Parnell Club is to be commended for the success of the function, for it is a long time since so many competitors turned out for a race at Judge’s Bay.

The Old Cambridgeshire Handicap run at the Newmarket Houghton meeting last month was won by the French colt Alencon, 7st 61b, who started equal favourite with Volodyovski (Bst 111 b) at 7 to 2. The latter ran sixth, just in front of Australian Star, while the exNew Zealander, Seringapatam, filled the inglorious position of whipper-in.