YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 449, 6 March 1909, Page 12

YACHTING.

[Br Mainsheet.J The resailed race for third-class yachts mil* (lor tho flag of tho Port Nicholson Yadht Club wjiwS got off on Saturday afternoon last in a fresh southerly brcezo, all yachla carrying their full sails. The following boats came up to the lino: Taiparo (scr.), Niuiqya (Bmin.), Karaka (28minJ, and May (35min.). Tho courso was round Somes island and Hope Shoal, and back to Glasgow Wharf, tho starting time being 3 p.m. The Taipare got the best of the start, and was never outpointed during tho raco, and finished at 5.12, taking first prize (trophy to be presented by Mr. Richardson, of Blenheim), notwithstanding her handicap. Tho Nanoya appeared somewhat sluggish, and tho crow, which consisted of two only, seemed not to bo exerting themselves to any extent. Sho finished at shr. 17min., and takes second prize (£1 Is.). The Karaka finished some 28 minutes later, while tho May w.is again unfortunate, this time losing her peak halyards, and retiring from tho raco. In the 16-footer class eight boats turned out, and were handicapped as follow: — Rambler and Hanv.r (ser.), D.oroen (7min.), Roman (llmin.), Mn.-oro (12uiin.), Rival (12min.), Kitty (lfimin.), and. Juliet (21min.). The course was from Glasgow Wharf to and round Jerninghain Buoy, thonco to and round buoy off Kaiwarra, back to and round Jerninghani, and thonco to starting line. Tho Kitty got the best of tho start at 3.15, and retained tlio lead to tho first buoy. The boats spread out a good deal on the run to Kaiwarra, tho Email boats, such as tlio Juliet and Kitty, being left far astern. At Kaiwarra a considerable sea for these small boats was running, and tho crewe in all cases got a, drenching. • After rounding the buoy, the D.oreen, built and sailed by C. Watt, gradually crept ahead and finished at 4.39, tiking first place. The scratch boat, Rambler, filiished next, but -forfeited 'her second place to Roman, which finished at 4.43.30. The fourth boat to finish was the scratch boat. Harrier, at 4.48, the other boats finished at follow: Rival, 5 p.m.; Kitty, 5.15; Juliet did not finish. The prize inonoy was: First prize, £2 2s. j second, £1 Is.; third, 10s. 6d. A correspondent, writing under dato March 2 in reference to the international rating rulo and the P.N.Y.C., says:—-Permit roe to occupy a portion of your valuable space with a fow remarks re the a.bove rule, more particularly as regards its application to yachting in Port Nicholson. Now, , sir, the rulo may bo a very good one as rules go, but even upon that point I question whether C7on half-a-dozen members are competent to judge. The essential points of the rule aro not understood by tho club, nor by its officers, at least as far as one is able to judge, and no wonder either, for it is complicated to say the least of it. Apart from the rule itself, rating races are a farce in Wellington, and last Anniversary Day fully confirms this statement. Only two boats competed, and this in the faco of tho fact that other classes, which afford much better racing, did not hc.ve the usual amount in prize money allotted. It is just throwing away money, and next year the writer hopes to see races under this rule struck off tho programme. It may bo all right in a port wheie tho moneyed people are enthusiastic enough to build new boats to a special rulo, but how. many aro built in Wclljngton? Why Auckland, the premier yachting centre, cannot raise onough enthusiasm to make tho races a success, bo how can Wellington hope to? The rulo aims at a high ideal, viz.—No time allowance, and having a class of boats all built up to tho limit of the restrictions, and then the result will depend upon the knowledge of the designer, backed np by tho skill of tho skipper and crow. That's all very well for New York Yacht Club men, who, perhaps, never knew how to sail a boat, but build them to be "in the swing," and have a brassbound skipper to sail them. > We, here, aro only very, very small'fry, and if we want to foster yachting we . must: ■do away with that "bogy," tho rating rule. If those who wore responsible for introducing tho rulo would or.ly take a sensible, broad-minded view of tho case they would seo tho error of the principle as it affects us locally. It is stated by its advocates that this rule rncourages a healthy typo of boat. Granted, if new boats aro built, but no rulo will improve our good old packets that havo been doing such yeomen service in yachting circles of our own port. How many new boats have been built of lato years? Not many; you can count tTicm on one hand for the kst ten years. Tho man who gets a new bi.at built nowadays is—well, ho is tho man wo look to to Bupply us with our cheap boats in a fow years' time. "Lot the other fellow pay tho builder," and yon can get the same boat at one-third of the original cost after a few years. In these circumstances, are tho yachting fraternity going to spend money simply to help a rating rule of tho clubs? No! In tho first place, althc/jgh wo might all be willing to spend tho monoy we haven't got it and that brings us down to solid facts with a jar. Another pet theory is the "championship" which is considered to bo the honour of winning under the present rule. Now if there were sufficient boats near enough in merit to warrant a race to decide the result, well and good. Lot them raco for a championship penuaut; don't go squandering tho club's funds on what is in all reality aprivate matter, for I am sure tho contestants would just as soon race for a suita.ble championship pennant'as they would for a mere cash price. To tho members of tho P.N.Y.C. I would earnestly submit the advisablcness of thinking over this matter beforo the next annual meeting, and then give the international rule races a "short shift and a merry run." In doing so they will bo taking a step in tho right direction, and I am sure tho sport will be tlio better for it. The writer will bo glad to supply a copy of tin formula of the international rulo to anyoni ■ applying through "Mainsheot."—Yours, etc, A Member of tho Club.

DEATH OF CAPTAIN JOHN BAIIR. News has reached the Clydo of tho death at Marhlehead, U.S.A., on Sunday, January 10, of Captain Barr, the famous yachting skipper. Barr captained .the. Thistle syndicate challenger for tho America Cup in tho eighties. Captain John Barr was a son of Mr. Barr. boatbuilder and hirer, Gourock, on tho Clyde. Ho was about 61 years of age, and was a real typo of the Scottish sailor, being thoughtful, quiet, and rather of a retiring disposition. Ho had a keen eye, could detect a weather change, and, in a closo contest, few yacht-masters could geb on his weather side. Like most of tho great yacht-masters in Great Britain, Captain Barr's first experiences were in small yachts. His handling of tho ten-tenners, Quuiraing and Neptune, brought him into some repute, but it was in the 40-ton cutter May, designed by Mr. G. L. Watson for-Mr. N. B. Stewart, Glasgow (which had no equal in the 40-ton class after Captain O'Neil left tho Aunasonm), that he came to the front rank. Accepting an engagement to sail tho 20-tun cutter Clara, built by young Mr. Fife, of Fairlie, and sent out to America, Captain Barr went over to the United Slates in 1885, and sailed and won his first race in American waters at the end of that season. _ In 1830, out of eleven starts, ho wou seven first nrisses, and while out there ho was offered the appointment to command tho Thistle, with which it was intended to challcngo for the America Cup in'lßß7. Mo came homo to superintend certain details regarding tho fittings, etc., of the cutter, and immediately after her completion ho loft Scottish waters for the Thames with the Thistle. Captain Barr and his crew wero most successful, nud showed true Scottish gallantry in the saving of life. The rescue of tho remnant of tho Ilarkaway's crew in tho Soutli of England on tho Thistle's first trip to sea, and his rescue, of two boats' crows in New York Harbour, made Captain Barr quite;', hero am<nij>st tho Americans. How tho Thistle fared in the race for the America Cup in September, U\S7, over the New York Yacht Club course is now a matter of history. Captain liarr hold her tiller when she failed to boat the Volunteer in that year. A few days wo published the announcement that Can , , ain Charles Ilivrr, a near relative of the deceased, and skipper of tho Columbia, Reliance, and Defender, in America Cup' races, was returning to tho Clydo to sail ono of tho new racing ynclils being built by Mr. William Fife'at Fairlie, It is expected that tho nowconier will race at British regattas next season.—Londou "Sporting Life."