YACHT RACING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 688, 13 December 1909, Page 5

YACHT RACING.

WHITE WINGS IN A "NOETHEELY." ~ A SPLENDID DAY'S SPOET. On Saturday afternoon, for the first tirao' this season, the Port Nicholson Yacht Club was favoured with a fresh breeze for its racing fixtures.. A full-sail "northerly" brought out excellent musters for tho second and third--cIaES events, eight starting in tho former class and six in the latter. Only three boats camo out for the fcuith-class race, however. The afternoon's sport was the; best that has ■been provided by club races for .several years past, and if the club can maintain tho standard set on Saturday it will fairly be able to claim to have set yachting on a better-foot-ing than it has been for a' very long time. A touch of additional interest was lent to the various events by the- presence of a number' of new boats. .' . . SECOND-CLASS HANDICAP. '; :; White Heather'.'....„.„.... .....; 1. ' Atalanta .;......' : '2 Wairere ■..'.: 3 Tho second-class boats ;made a rather ,' pretty, picture. as.. they manoeuvred about tho starting lino waiting for the stroke of 3.15 p.m. to,get to work. The, handicaps were:—Wairere, scratch; Mahina', fimin.; Janet,- 6inhi;; Whito Heather,' Bmin.; Atalanta, Bmin.; Viking, 16min.; Nancy Stair, 20min.; Patronus, 2flmiu. The Viking anil tho Patronuswere the only two boats which were not on or.about the'■.starting line-"when "the guu went- off,. Whito '.Heather , got away best, with Mnhinn' in attendance, and, Janet, .Nancy Stair, and Wairere following : closely. When the, boats passcd ; . Somes Island, on the way to Korokoro, White Heather and Wairoro wore in, the lead, and the race homo, was between theso two which placed a gap between themselves and the Atalanta, the next boat. AVhen Point Halswoll was rounded on the final-dash for , home it was-seen that the ex-Auckland nicer, Wairore, Was'being closely pressed by White Heather and, , although the former boat was in the lead, it was very clear'tbat White Heather must beat her easily on time allowance.- Tho Wairere crossed the line at 4hrs. 57min. 40sec, and. White Heather - followed at' 4hrs. ■. 58niin. lflsec. Then came Atalanta, whose time was shrs: 4min. 45secw and the-others finished'as follow:—Janet, shrs. Grain. 25sec.; Mabina, shrs. Bruin. 3isec.;,Viking, shrs...lSniiu.*2Sscc; Nancy Stain shrs. 2imin.. 51sec.; Patromis, shrs. 41min. 30sec. Taking time allowanco into consideration White Heather secured-.-first place,. Atalanta second, and Wairere third. Supporters of 'tho scratch were rather disappointed , at the showing she made in her first breeze, whilst Whito Heather's excellent perfqrihaneo. has sent , her- up in the opinion of ■ habitues, of- the -boat, harbour, ..who -take a.keen interest in .the/racing. : ;■■' , _THIE.i)-CLiSS. HANDICAP. '. "'.'' ifanoya' , ■.■■-••'•" «."...'»'....'.V: 1 ; -'■ Eawene ......i.. 2 • May , (.-........ 3 ■ ■;" " Special" interest was lent to ,tho . third-class handicap"lSy the meeting of tho now. , old ■,cracks;, , Xi'?zipr;npd.".TaipSrc.-; ■ Thoj handicaps were ;-. TaihaTei' smin;; - Euweno, jinin'.;.' NUnoyaV'9min'.;'"slay, 20min.i;Mnhaki, SOnlin. 'With the exception of the; Lizzie and • the'.-.Taipafe,. the boats got off fairly well to ; timei."Vjjizzie had to' piit back to tlje,. boat ,'nSrtbur'.jtist, beford the start, and consequently lost several minutes,, but Taipare waited for her.-'lt was expected that tho race would bo between, these two boats, , but this was reckoning, without the Nanoya, which sailed one of tlie-best races she has ever put lip, and finished first • at shrs. 2min.,; nearlj' 8 minutes ahead of .the-'Lizzie,','.whose time was .Shrs. , ' lOmin. •tssec. A great finish took .place between the Lizzie and the.Eawene,. the Lizzie only crossing the line 3 seconds ahead,of, tho little yawl,, which finished at'shrs. lflrnin. ■'48scc., after sailing an excellent race: , Taipare (shrs. lGmin. 31sec.) came' nest, and 'then May (shrs. 27min. 40sec.) and Jlahaki (shrs.' 40min. 23sec.)'. ' : ■'; , FOUETH-CLASS HANDICAP. . r ; liahaanui ..:....;... 1 Tuna :- •■•■• • -.2 Warehou 3 , Only three of'the ■ four • entrants ■ for .tho Fourth-class Handicap, viz., .Warehou, (scr.), Tiina (Gmin;); ; and Jfahaainii (Gmin.), faced tho starter, the .other, boat,. the Malua, failing to put in' an appearance. The race was-a good one, .in spite of the. small muster, only two minutes separating the three at the finish., Mahaanui wont : away' with a good lead, and showed 'a , turn of' speed 'on the runwhich more thaii made up for her loss when going' into the wind. '■ She; finished at shrs. 9min.; -with Taria\next at .shrs.,'lomiii., and Warehou last at shrs. Umin. .;.,' , ■- '■' ;; .,' ; : • TE; AEOySAILING, QLUB. .. '■/■', -.■ Eambler- ;..;.:..........» -1 .''j .". Eedwing- - , ■ 'The' steady "northerly" was too strong for themajority of the To Aro Sailing Club, licet,': the goar-testiug breeze. findiiig iiiany weak-, "spots, i'hb starters ; were:—Ranlbk-r,; scr.;. Lotus, '2imin.; Avis, '-Srain'.; ■ Kctlwing, 3min. Kival 4min.; Dorcon, 7min.; Winifred, Smin.j ltaurrnati, lGmin. , Practically the whole lleet:negotiated the-first round or the .course, but only two-stood on until the finish, viz., Eainbler and Eedwahg.' -.: The Eambler gained' the ver-dict-by-one minute, her finishing \timo being 4hrs. 42m:in. 30sec,, whilst. finished in 4hrs. 43inin. 28sec.' ■ ;' : ' ■ '< .;,;;;: MOTOR BOATS. ■;- ■'::■ An 'interesting "race was hold by the , Port Nicholson Motor-Boat. Club on Saturday, tho placod-'.boats being:- Tender -1, Taniwha 2, Vidai 3/ The other,;contestants were placed in the following, order:—Puriri 4, Maui 5, Cygnot C,:. 'Waitangi and Veronica • (equal) 7, Ilex 8, 1 arid , Scotia ; .9.'".... '" ; V ,:: ' i .'A'-'.';