AQUATICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 779, 9 February 1905, Page 12

AQUATICS.

(By “ The Reefer.")

By an error the placings in the motor launch race at the big Regatta were incorrectly given. T hose should have been Enoho 1, Matareka 2, IV aitiri 3, Union 4, while the race for launches under 26ft fell to Billy Richardson. All these boats were fitted with Union engines. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s motor launch race on Saturday was, perhaps, the. most successful one ever held on the Waitem'ata. In an event of this kind the chief obstacle is the extreme difficulty of bringing together bloats, of such different types and speeds, but handicappers J. Alexander and George Edgcumbe solved the knotty problem in the race in question, the , result being a very exciting finish. The starters were :, Union and Slim Jim, scratch ; Enoho, 18 tin in; Matareka, 19 min; Petrel, 20min. The long start, boats had a great go among themselves, but chief interest attached to the duel between the express launches on scratch. Union on this occasion steadily drew away from her smaller rival, and had a big lead when Slim Jim broke down. A great finish occurred, but Union could not quite catch the leaders, Matareka winning by eight seconds from Enoho, Union being but thirty seconds astern of the second boat, while Petrel was last to finish. • * • » Ngatira, Janet, Wairiki, and Mairere left on Saturday for a fortnight’s cruise to the North. They must have dropped in for Sunday’s gale, but no doubt sheltered at Bon Accord. * * * * Thistle won the ocean race to Kawau organised by the North Shore Yacht Club. 'lhe' wind was north-east and freshening, but twelve started for the long beat out. Thistle was timed at Kawau to be five minutes ahead of M airiki, Ngatira, Viola, Wairere, Iris and Mystery following in that order. The yachts which went to Kawau had a rough passage back to port on Sunday, the north-easter having knocked up a big lump of a sea. With Sunday night’s gale there -was a very wild sea running in the Gulf, but the yachts were safelv in port by then. “ * * * * Moana, sailing from scratch, easily won the Open Yacht Race at’ the Mahurangi Regatta on Saturday, beating Ilex, Ladye Wilm t a, Okere, Glen Ora, and Nyanza. The regatta proved highly successful, the flagship Kapanui being well patronised and the various events closely contested. * * • ♦ The St. George’s Rowing Club will hold an “At Home” on Saturday, when ViceCommodore Gillies’ trophies will be competed for. * * * * Mr Mackay, of Devonport, is now the owner of the crack cutter Rainbow, having purchased her from Messrs Gray Bros. She has certainly been one of the most successful yachts ever turned out. in Auckland, and has been sailing in quite her best form recently. Whether Rainbow will continue to carry a racing flag has yet to be seen. No less than seven of the yachts to cross the winning line first at the Anniversary Regatta were built by Logan Bros. A good record this. Chas. Bailey, jun., has a lot of work on hand just now. Among the new vessels ordered are a‘ 45ft launch,’ for Messrs Seager Brothers, which will be fitted with a very powerful set of engines by the owners; a 35ft launch for Mr D. Suther-