YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 21, 19 October 1907, Page 5

YACHTING.

(By " Mainshekt.")

The committee of tho P.N.Y.C. has at las recommended tho club to adopt the new intoi national rule for yacht racing, and there i not much doubt that the club will accept th nuo. Tho first race under it will not tak place until Anniversary Day, and if the nei rule is adopted it will be interesting to so how tho ratings of some of the yachts wil work; out. . Martin's.Bay is the scene of great activit at present, and, every week one or two o the yachts and launches are put into commi< *\ on - fhe first yacht to be launched was th Mahaki. Mr. E. Jamieson (now in Christ church) has i sold this boat to Messrs. Burc' and Elliot, two new entrants into the loca yachting world. The Mahaki was in a sa state of repair when sold, but. some har work by her new owners has produced quit a different state of affairs, and when launches she was a credit to them. The next yachts to slide off were the Petrt and Mawhiti. The Mawhiti bv this time i< in all probability, anchored sa'folv in Svdnej with her late Wellington owner,' looking fo a crew. , The Petrel has taken up her abode at th Boat Harbour. This boat is a Logan-bui] yacht, and is- a recent arrival from Nelson having been purchased by Messrs. Lamber and M'Keigan. The Petrel will be raein" i the second class. ' Mr. P. Davies' Nancy Stair was launchc last week, and is also in the. Boat Harboui Anyhow, the Nancy Stair will be racing i the second class, and Twill bo very surprise if she does not prove to bo a dark horse,- o rather, a "dark yacht,"'especially in a "light' air. Messrs. Chisholm Bros.' May is also in th Boat Harbour, having had enough of Evan' Bay as an anchorage. The May does not 100 bad at all in her white with'a blue streali She is a handy little craft, and a good se boat The Janet', brought .from Auckland last yea by Dr. E. 11. Makgill, will be ready fo launching this afternoon, and will also'scttl down in the Boat .Harbour for tho smumei The wardrobe arrangement that used to occup about a third of tho cabin space has been take out, and a panel inserted in its place', whic is a groat improvement. The doctor has jus received his cruising sails from Bdonstra o Auckland, so that the Janet ought to bo we] fitted out for a year or two. ~ Tho Wairere will also bo in the water a soon as circumstances permit. Her slip i right ii]) against a largo coal punt that i being built by Messrs. Brigans and Bailej and until this punt is launched, it is inpossible for the Wairere to come off. Mcssri Scott and Smith have put in a great (teal c time on the Wairere. About six cwt. mor lead has been bolted -on her keel. When sh was racing in Auckland she carried ten c'wl of inside ballast, and could give the Jane time and beat her. On the Wairore's arri val from Auckland the. ballast was found t be a minus quantity, and as a result th Janet could beat her easily. With this addtionnl lead on, "Mninsheet" will be ver much surprised if she docs not again hold he own. It will be a " go" worth seeing. Messrs, Hoggand and Patterson's Muritn will -also be launched to-day. The crew hav put a great amount of work into their boa this year, having burned her off-all over, an lcfittcd new rigging, etc. The Muritai 'is pretty little yacht, and with her new Boanstr sails ought to look very well indeed. Not much activity has been exhibited o board the Syren so far, but I presume sh

will be in tlio water for the opening. There was some in lie last season of taking out the large cockpit in the Svrcn, but I notice it is still there. The Syren is now a first-clnss yacht for club handicap races, and I feci ! sure she will fully justify her inclusion in j tins class. The Syren holds a fine record as . a second-class yacht,, which hor owners I (Messrs. Swan and Torapsett) mav well be \ proud of. .11. The only other second-class vacht in Mar- , tins Bay- is Mr. Win. Haless "Atalanta?' . The 'Atalanta" is not quite ready for lnun- ; clung yet, as her owner has not finished scrap- . nig his mast yet, but the job is expected to . bo finished by the end of this month. The • "Atalanta" will still be a second-class vacht . for handicap races. There has been no great stir on Fetherick Brothers' "Kotiri" either, but as there does [ not appear to be much to do to' her, she can \ be launched without much delay. -It is.to be | hoped that she will again join' the ranks of 1 the second-class. I feel sure that all yachts- ; men will agree with me when I sav the ; "Kotiri" is too good a boat to be dropped ■ from the second class. Now that the Mawhiti" has departed, I think her owners ' ought to reconsider their decision not to race ! again. . The last of the Martin's Bay boats is the ; "Taipare," which has just been promoted to . the second class on account of her placing . the other third class yachts "out of sight" ; with a consistency that is not conducive- to . good racing. The '.'Taipare' , is a wonder, and her record of wins as a third class vacht is a brilliant one, and the reason I ,have often , heard advanced as the main cause of he* suc- ' c( ??i ~n ? K pnol " nll V been something connected : Vr th ?£ o , Hl S h ets." The "Taipare" owners (Messrs Highet and' Brewer) havo welcomed their, promotion with a sudden burst of energy that has resulted in the boat being thoroughly overhauled, and an addition of some . 3cwt. more lead made to her keel.