AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 685, 23 April 1903, Page 7

AQUATICS

It is good news to learn (that Mr Robert Logan, junr., who has been laid up for some weeks past at the Tiri View Hospital, has been able to leave that establishment. Although still very weak, the popular yacht designer is so much better that in a short time he hopes to be able to have a trip inland, which < should have the effect of completely restoring him to health again. All yachtsmen will be pleased to >see the genial ” Bob ” about again. • * * * Mr Gorrick, of Sydney, now in Auckland on a short trip, at one time owned the 18-footer Ariel, the fastest boat of her class in the colonies. She has won championships at Brisbane and Sydney, while even to-day there are very few to touch her. -Jf- ‘ . * * * Yachtsmen complain that the sailing events at the Coromandel Regatta were quite spoilt by the want of wind, otherwise the event was an exceedingly pleasant one, and Mr Brentnall and his committee are to be congratulated on the success achieved. With the least bit. of luck on her- side Moana would have wort the big yacht race, but getting becalmed ’ at a critical time, Thetis secured chief hortours. The big cruiser Messrs Logan are building for the Little Barrier is nearly ready »’or launching. She is to be christened Ilex (.a sort of evergreen oak), and should make a fine powerful sea boat. The same firm are also putting the finishing touches to a handsome oil laurtch for the Manukau. • • * « Now that the Easter holidays are over many of the yachts will be laid up for the winter, although some of the enthusiasts will see it out to the bitter end. The Easter cruise this year was beyond question) the most pleasant outing of the year, the weather proving gloriously fine throughout, although the grumblers wanted a little more wind. This state of affairs so rarely happens in Auckland waters that the change was heartily welcome to most of those who went ayachting. »

The trophies won at the recent Championship meeting of the Northern Amateur Swimming Club will be presented at Mr R. Eagleton's, 200, Queen-street, next Friday night, at 8 o’clock. The season has been a most successful one, and the club give great promise for the future. All friends are invited.

The final cruise of the North Shore Yacht Club for the season took place on Saturday. Rakino Island was the destination, a social evening being spent at Mr Quin’s house. About twelve yachts took part in the cruise. * * * *

The final race of the Manukau Yacht Club was sailed on Saturday, there being no less than nineteen starters. Mascotte, on the 26min mark, wort by 2|min from Alma, which wa.s followed in by Endeavour, Ladysmith, and Fedora.

Maka Maile has won the Manukau Yacht Club’s Championship Cup, and also the same club’s Handicap Cup. She was built to compete in the Inter-colonial One-rater Championship, held on’ the Waitemata a few seasons back, but was unable to hold her own against Laurel, Mercia and Bronzewing.

At a committee meeting of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron a communication was received from rhe Wellington Harbour Board detailing the methods adopted by the Southern body to safeguard the interests of yachts as far as moorirtgs, etc., are concerned. An effort is to be made to induce the Auckland Harbour Board to adopt similar precautions, for the present state of affairs is; very bad indeed. The idea is that certain areas should be appointed for yacht anchorages, and any trading vessels bringing up in these areas would be liable to prosecution if any consequent damages arise.

The big cruising yacht Valhalla has arrived at Tahiti, via Valparaiso, and may b© expected in Auckland shortly. She is a steel auxiliary ship, of 3 211 gross tonnage ; length, 239 ft 6in ; breadth, 37ft 3in ; depth, 20ft 7in. She was built by Ramage and Ferguson, at Leith, in 1892, from a design by W. C. Storey. The Valhalla is owned by Colonel the Earl of Crawford, who is on board.

A cable received on Monday records the dismasting of the America Cup challenger, Shamrock 111., when out for a trial spin, the injury to Sir Thomas Lipton, and the death of one of the crew. It appears the big cutter was under ordinary working cartvas, with a jackyard set as well, when a squall suddenly hit her. Before she could be luffed up into it one of the windward rigging screws broke, and the extra strain parted the others, the mast snapping oil about 7 feet from the deck. Sir Thomas Lipton was thrown down the companion way, and was ly bruised, but one of the stewards was swept overboard and drowned. A new steel mast is being made, and the mishap

is not expected to delay the match in any way. This accident is another case of history repeating itself, for Shamrock 11. met with an exactly similar misfortune when having a dust-up with Shamrock I. near the same spot. The whole trouble, ofcourse, is that in these modern huge racing machines everything is sacrificed for the sake of carrying less weight, the inevitable result being that the rigging is far too light for the tremendous strain it has to undergo. Prior to the last Cup race both challenger and defender lost their masts. This sort of thing is bound to continue while the present type of racing yacht is adhered to. When the dictates of common-sense prevail, a smaller and far less unweildly yacht will be built for these matches, and onto of a much more wholesome pattern. As the New York Yacht Club has over and over again refused to introduce such a vessel, the only hope of reform lies in the fact that should Sir Thomas Lipton succeed in his plucky attempt, these huge racing machines, miscalled yachts, will soon be relegated to the limbo of the forgotten past. Should such prove the case, Sir Thomas will have earned the lasting gratitude of every true yachtsman.