AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 673, 29 January 1903, Page 8

AQUATICS

(By

“The Reefer.”)

Owing to the •wretched* weather conditions obtaining on Saturday afternoon, the Cfass Races of the Royal New Zea-

land Yacht Squadron were postponed. Up to the last it was hoped that the weather would clear, bu!t when the rain stopped such a dense fog settled down on the harbour that the sailing committee had no other alternative but to put olf the various events; and they will accordingly be decided next Saturday. This is rather unfortunate, as the fixture will now clash with that of the Parnell Sailing Club series of races. It could not be helped, however, for no other date was available.

The Anniversary Regatta will take place on Thursday. Time was vvhen this was the great, tittraction of the year, and the event was eagerly looked forward to. by the water-loving people of Auckland. The Ponsonby Regatta coming earlier in the season has robbed it of much of its former glory, and there is also rather a plethora of racing nowadays. A sameness is also very noticeable about the > programme, and the public would doubtless be pleased to see a little more variety infused into the cut and dried list of fixtures. It looked this year as though t'lie annual affair was to be allowed to fall through, but a few enthusiasts have made an attempt to carry on the old function.

The committee were unfortunate in not securing the splendid Tyser liner Niwaru for flagship, as she would have made an ideal vessel for the purpose. The Union Company has kindly offered the steamer Waihora as flagship, and no doubt the two thousand-tonne r will be liberally patronised. Her deck accommodation is unfortunately somewhat broken up by houses, etc.,' so that she. will soon become crowded, but no otflier vessel of her size was obtainable. A programme of twenty-nine events has been arranged, and as there was l a good balance left over front last year, and the ptlblic have subscribed liberally, the fixture should prove a financial success.

The Ngaruawahia Annual Regatta will take place on March 17, when the usual Maori aquatic sports will be held, as well as various rowing races.

Yachtsmen have been indulging of late in many a growl about the vile weather we have been experiencing all this summer. So far the Saturday to Sunday trips have been strangely alike in the matter of rain and gales. The monotony, however, was varied on Saturday, when the time for starting on the week end

cruise came round, for after days of pelting rain, one of the thickest fogs l We havehad for many a long day settled down on. the harbour, completely blotting out the landscape. This- pea-soup condition of affairs lasted till the evening, by which, time most of the sailing folk had given up all idea of going for a cruise. As one well-known yachtsman put it, “If this sort of thing goes on much longer every yacht in Auckland will be for sale, but where shall we get the bally fools to buy them.”

The West End Rowing Club rowed th!® third trial fours on Saturday afternoon for trophies presented by Vice-President A. G. Bartlett. With a thick fog making everything moist and unpleasant, it is small wonder that but few visitors turned up to witness the racing. The wind blowing into the bay from the north made th® water very lumpy and unsuitable for good rowing. There were four heats in th® opening round. .Carrigan’s crew won th® first race by two lengths, while the second race was much closer, J. A. Bigelow’s four just squeezing home by two feet. J. F. Thomson’s crew annexed th® third heat by a length, Carder’s men winning the fourth. The final proved a desperate struggle, victory falling to G. Whitehouse, A. Bond, G. Mitchell, and J. F. Thomson (stroke), who .beat Carder’s four by a length, with the other two clos® Up. .

A fire broke out in the shipbuilding yard of Messrs Denny and Company, Dumbarton. on December 4, when £15.,000 damage was done to the engine shops. Th® shed in which Shamrock 111., the America Cup challenger, is being built, was only saved with difficulty.

R chmond Oayill, the young Sydney crack swimmer, has still further added to his laurels by swimming 120yds in Imin 12 l-10secs, which is a world’s record. The feat took place at the Newcastle Swimming Bathe- The Cavi'ls have all been champions at the national art, but the youngest scion of the house has far surpassed his father and elder brothers

Mr A. H. Turnbul ’s 36- f ooter lorangi won the first-class yacht race at tlya Port Nicholson Y.O. Regatta. The Logan < utter beat the older yacht Waitangi by fourteen minutes. Mr Turnbull ia a member of the RNZ S. Places in the second class yacht race fell to Mahiha, Muritai and t iren.

Parnell Failing Club holds their second serie# of races on Saturday, and as the North Shore Yacht Club has very generously altered the date of their races so that the v ssels belongin'- to the Z fleet can comp te in the sister club’s series, thereshould be no dearth of entries.

The New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association having disbanded, the reins of government have been taken over by the newly-formed Auckland Rowing Association. New regulations will be drafted, and a strong committee ‘lt ; a intended that a regatta shall be held at Lake Takapuna on March 7, at which tbe chief event will be a Auckland championship four-oar race.

The Shore Yac’at Club have an ocean race o h programme for ntxt Satu day. Should nd prove favourable the destination will be V i Bay, Wuihtke Mr Wilkinson will takii ' aup till Fnda?.

In the second event of the Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s 30-rating championship there were nine competitors. The race, which was sailed in Port Jackson, on Saturday week, was very keenly contested, but Culwulla proved too good for her opponents, easily winning from Petrel. Culwulla was nearly a minute late m starting. ' This, however, did not affect her much, for when the yachts had settled •down, it was soon noticed that Culwulla was -making her way to the front. At Steel Point Mr Marks’ yacht had assumed the dead, of which she was never afterwards deprived. On allowances being deducted. Culwulla was found to have 3min 45sec to spare from Petrel. Kukuburra secured' third prize, being 37sec behind Petrel. The three placed yachts were all well sailed. The points scored m connection with the Prince Alfred Club’s Championship, The second event of which was cided on Saturday, are Petrel (two seconds) 4; Fleetwing and Culwulla .(one win each), 3 ; Heather and Kukuburra (one third each), 1. Of these Petrel, Culwulla and Heather were all built by Logan Bros., of Auckland.