A LONG DISTANCE OCEAN RACE BY THE ROYALS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 938, 27 February 1908, Page 12

A LONG DISTANCE OCEAN RACE BY THE ROYALS.

From Auckland, round Canoe Rock, Waiheke, Ponui, and back to Matiatia, distance 71% knots. That was the course mapped out for the Royal N.Z. Yacht Squadron’s ocean race On Saturday. For some unknown reason the big boats fought shy of it, and a race specially designed for boats like Viking, Thelma, Ilex, Rainbow and Co. found them absent, while even the old yawl which won it last year did not try her luck. This was distinctly disheartening to the committee. Still, half-a-dozen yachts were on the line when the starting gun was fired. ■ These were: Moana, scratch; •Heartsease, 50m.; Ngatira and Kotiri, 100 m.; Aprere, 120 m.; Wairere, 140 m. There was a nice fresh-nor’-easter at the start, which was a good one, and fast time was made down the harbour, but as the afternoon drew on all the weight went out of the breeze, and for the remainder of the race it was a case of looking for catspaws. The paltry breeze seemed to suit Wairere, and she was the first to round Canoe Rock, 8% hours out. All night the same weather conditions prevailed, and the race was a very tedious one. Ngatira was in first place pasing Putiki, but before Matiatia was reached Wairere had forged to the front again,

and she crossed the line at 12h. 17m. 30s. on Sunday, Ngatira following two minutes later. Aorere was Bm. 40s. behind the second boat, Heartsease Im. 40s. later, while Kotiri took 26 minutes more to complete the course. Wairere won without her handicap, Aorere being second, and Ngatira third. Moana gave up. Mr. C. P. Murdoch took the times on board the Rehutai, and had a very long wait for the yachts to turn up. The long-distance motor launch race over the same course was a failure, Winsome going the course by herself, the other boats entered (Matareka and Kotiro) not coming to the post. A whisper reaches me that the handicap was a bit too stiff, but whether this is so. is another matter. Matareka had to give Kotiro 45m. and Winsome 135 m. The latter boat, without being pressed, ran the course in 9h. 33m. It is obvious that to beat her Matareka would have required to do it in something under 7h. 18m., which, for a 71%-knot course, works out at a little more than 9% knots per hour, a speed I do not think the scratch boat could have maintained. It Is, however, easy to be wise after the event, and the handicapper had not these figures available before the race, or he might have reduced the limit. .