AQUATICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 895, 2 May 1907, Page 11

AQUATICS.

(By “The Reefer”) The yachting season is almost at an end, and already some of the boats have been hauled up. Others had their last week-end cruise on Saturday and Sunday, and got a bit of a dusting coming home. * * * * Ariki was at Waiwera on Saturday and Sunday, and got out of the bay just in time, for shortly after she had made a good offing a gale blew up dead on shore, bringing in a nasty sea. * * * * Auckland has applied for the next rowing championship to be held at Mercer. The matter will not be decided until the annual meeting of the A.R.A. in October. * * * * The “Sydney Mail” gives the following account of the great motor launch championship in Sydney, in which the winner broke the Australasian record. The starters were Mr. L. J. Davies’ 15-20 h.p. Fairbanks (36ft x 4ft), and Mr. C. H. Relph’s 6070 h.p. Invincible (35ft x sft Sin). The race started punctually at 3.40 p.m., Invincible getting away quickest. The weather was then fine, but a strong sou’-wester, which had blown all the morning with the fierceness of a gale, had rendered the water choppy. As the boats dashed away towards Manly the excitement was intense. Fairbanks, skimming the water beautifully, seemed to have the advantage of her rival in not throwing up so much spray. Before Taylor Bay was reached on the outward journey Invincible, which had a lead of several lengths, was gradually overhauled, and Fairbanks was then piling on the pace at a 21-miles an hour bat. Mr. Relph’s boat, which was hugging the shore, then seemed temporarily to make better progress, and there was very little difference in the positions crossing the heads. Nearing Manly, however, Fairbanks gradually drew away, and turned the buoy with a good 200 yards lead. The return journey saw Mr. Davies’ launch gradually widen the distance between herself and her rival, as when Fairbanks had passed the heads Invincible had only got mid-way across. Rounding Shark Island the leading boat was fully a mile to the good, and as she hove in sight at Garden the greatest enthusiasm prevailed. It was only at the finish that the remarkable speed of the new boat and her graceful racing lines became apparent. The winner, which ultimately got home in front of Invincible by about a mile and aquarter, was steered by Mr. Arthur Davies. The latter got a great recepception, and was congratulated on all sides on his victory. Fairbanks averaged 21.11 miles an hour throughout, her actual time for the course being 31m. 245. Invincible averaged approximately 19 miles an hour, taking 35 minutes for the journey, or 3m. 365. longer than her rival. The actual finishing times were:—Fairbanks, 4h. 10m. 415.; and that of Invincible, 4h. 14m. 20s.