YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 12

YACHTING.

[Bf. Mainsiieet.]

;;;;fixttjees porthe seasons// Saturday,' January, .15.—Handicap Daces for' second,- third,': and fourth-class y Yachts; -y : .-■-'■ (-";. ,'• January 22.VAnniTOr'sary. Regatta. ■' Saturday, .January 29.'—Mills's ' Memorial ■■ ■ Trophy. ; (Handicap); for ' first-class ■; ,'Yaohts only;. \ v .' '.'■ xy, y

.■Yachtsmen:.are naturally : looking forward to' o good "fall-sail breeoe for Saturday next (Anniversary.Day), the' principal yachting day of the. year. , Th«. F.NX.G, have ,ari' attractive programme, and.if .the weather, is at: all favourable there is .every to anticipate a good days,racing,,...- : ; V'"-';-'/'«■''■.''■-.'■' - * This, afternoon the ' Port' Nicholson Yacht Club will, hold races-' for ■ second,' third; .and fourth-class yachts. : '' .'", A, race/., for- Mr. Fred. -,- Cooke's trophy will bo got off this .afternoon by the Te (Afo;'Sailing:; Club:;" This.: -race,, which, should' havo boon 'sailed last (Saturday, .but.was postponed oh account of.itho'race at, Pctone., ': ■':;- '-/'-: ■ /'':':'■, ';'■."■ :.-':-'

-,-Some "excitement; was caused last Sunday .morning (by a' rumour that the yachts Siren(and Ngaira had'both.struck a'rock m Tory Channel... Fortunately, however,' this statement' was found: to be incorrect.' .It appears/that ..the,two (yachts, which were returning from 'a" fortnight's' cruised in .Queen.-. Charlotte :■ Sound, had Reached Tory Channel, when' the wind died, away, leaving the yachts 'drifting with the tide. The Siren'was tho first to.,get into,difficulties. '.She-,'drifted very close to. the. rocks; but was eooutowed out of harm's way, by the dinghy,' The ,Ngaira! drifted. ; into■'.- a very ':■ dangerous y position, ."going hearer.-to/ the rocfcs;,than'T;he Siren, but; the: orew,;/after' a (good,:deal, of (hafd, T work,- managed to'tbw;her out of danger. '..If-'.a (oup.challenger 'for" the America Cnp/is ' to ,be (built .for ' 1911- (says'.-, the' ."English Yachtsman", in its:issue of November- .18);/.under/the"Universal" rule, the/.designer/ .(whoever :/he;:may be) will have all .his: (work■■ cut but to .beat the .ddferiding'hoat.-,-,,T0 begin/witlvhe will ;havo-,to ■ design '.a -yacht to "beat" one;eoleoted from .possibly four,; or six (others ;built-for.'the purpose of ..defending , the :cup, and( designed'in. the(light of several, years', experience—of. which he has had' nonel.Wliat,is-the result likely" to-be? AH .the 'odds - are still .■oh" the defender.' Surely ..not,favoured Sir, Thornaslipton-rtho "hoot :is s on the" other;:legl.W:.;,;Y : . '■ :: : ''i".''. : .' ■■/:■! ; : i'-''','■'■:■ ■"-'■' /'■'. Commenting on the; Sayonara. Cup problem, ithe Melb6nrne."Age",;writes in -the .following.■interesting. l istraiii:—Will. :Vic-: toria'be able:to fstain/the:Sayonara Cup? Will- she, be" able ,tb ihakeja; fitting. of .hny defence.of ithe'position of .supremacy, in yachting(thatshe now'holds as against New'; South': :Wales? ';;'These', jaro: questions "that, for. 6orao .time past.have, pro/ y|ded i food for''anxious ■ thought' both to : , active: yachtsmen 'and. -to", the (many. memV. publio,:who', take an: interest : in ,'as;'day; by.day; goes (by (and ,tho .Sayonara still -lies' dismantled •; ,ot ( her, moorings, enveloped- in ■ her '■ cover-. iiigi'as with',a shroud,; the hope (of being, e.ble ':■ t6.'„ answer V-the v first: or -.even ■;• the' ( ssicond ;qnestion. in the .affirmative sensibly, •.diminishes: >/!; /position.! of ■ •supremacy ywas (first /<■ won'!some, 'six: years a»b,- when .Mr.-(.'AlfrediGollin,'{the then owner./of Sayonara/sailed-.hor.;found to Sydney,:after.having,/at considerable per-;, .evafything in.thewny 'of.; -fitting;.hef^'■;'out. with."such.'h"raciDg. suit;-., gearJandj spans"''as ;-wefe. ; needed! to give her V chanco of-victory:;.' After. three -hard; fought' races :hef,'crack-Sydney-op-, ponbnt,':Bona;.;was;i..defeated, and;: Mr.GoUin.'becamo the.possessor, of'this .cup (members".-.of. ; the- Roval VSydnev:' Yacht ■Squadron'\.and ! ': tho.iPrice(Albert'',Yacht Club .had-'put;up.-,for,:;tho-contest. l .'..This .'die. .presented-,as.'a; .perpetual'challenge: cupybetween7the;:two..States, /and'twice , since has.-Victoria .'(been"; called;upoh : to defend'?it.;';•:On'cacli. occasion: I :'the present; owners .of ,'Sayoiiara, k 'Messrs. :R6bb -andUiNewbigin,--hava'^borhe;'th'o' whole bujden';: and '; : ;bfunt;;of;'.that,;.defencei. and>:'>oh'. ; ; ; each ~ booasidnf.- ■ this' ■'. defence call-upon-.them; to' do soyavthird - time .would' :bß';;manifestly';unfair,..'n6.' : 'mattef :;how' ;willing.:,they, might'',be.'.':.-As;;:it:;is, how-, ever.yfeach,'of,,these; gentlemen:-finds'iit ;impossiblei ; vbothr':for.':private;-and'.busi-:: ness reasons, '■'• tbyiihdertaKe'--;any.''f'respbnsi-.bilityi)ih.";thß;.matter.";yAs-: regards Mr.-; Robb, 1 this;;has;:7beenv: known-(for siderable- tinie,.-"and ; ;thbugh. ; certainty.,-as to.-Mf.yNewbigin'B;position is;of. : a::mbro: feceht.datei'ithe.'pbssibilily.of : his takin'g thb task upon i ; himself" for; a- third '•. time •hasi.been ; an;op6h ( tsuei'tiph ever- since'the ohallenge'r'with.'iAwanuv was;received 'last March: ;Sayonara; .with; her"ownefsjcon-, sent, having''been;.nominated ; as the, de.fehderi;:that ;no ' obstacle; should',bb''put, inVtho vway'j-'bf- her beingy-got: ready, 'in ' amplo,;time,. and ,a! proper.-defence!. ; 'made,Mr.; Newbigin has 'always 'siheb -.been,'will-'ing-t0;..5e11.-lus:'sharo?in:the boat !if;-Mr; Robb; was .unable 1 ; to.'find ,'him'. a.: partner in 1;; place ,of; himself.■;.-!TJnfbrtnnately-' for : ' r yictpria's';,prospectsi.;of,.success,:: in '.'tho! ,6bming,ycbntests~a'purchaser,has'.:hot' yet corao;'forward;i : and;.'soi ■ though- as ; fine-a defender", as-,' ever, sailed:'- in.'.Australio!n waters ;lies;'at :.hand,' ..crew,: could, bb, : got'.togothef :in, a'-.week;. Victoria:is"-.likely to lose : her."supremacy in-the'-ohe'sport in which: she.'still ; hbids : it,: because' aysportsmah or.'.two^who:'-are! willing: to"spend a;,few* hundred; pounds in .defending: .theyhbnouf.'.'bf-'their. State cannot :be(.found. ; It.-,'may ..perhapsi.bb! : that'ythoy man .or'," men' wiio'.coUld .and' .would';-be .'willing 'to ".take"= upon : him; or' thpmselves!', : the (defence .',in-: this .contest—! .a:contest y.that;has;now assumed'. : a .posi- : ,Hon bf."such;importance .in; the eyes: of : tho publicr-havo. (hitherto been unaware of; the' true T>ositibn; : but-now- that it has beeii 'broughtybefore "them,--it", will' dound but little'.; to' the",credit-of'.(the many , Victorian, spor.tsmeh to' whom-the ,oxpense,would.:bo.'a mere song if : every suitable yeffbrtyis hotC'mode to' retain"-a" suprohiacyythat!,has,,been'vWon,;'ahd de'- ; fended (hitherto..: in r - such: a,\ -keen ■-' and thbroughgping fashion:': -vy : :;((.:,.; .: : >::r-: ■ ; Jus'tcfecently "in ; Sydney-:'there "seemed .for ;a little 'while 'to:-'be'-'the''possibility. of a similar; position- arising..... ; Mr'.': Saxtbn,; ;Awanui's : : owner, '.suffered (severe' Monetary; loss.yand'-. had.-an extra '-amount' of (work .and.-business 1 , .worries ((thrust'.'upon : him(;-; through': 'the ; .;.'disastrous > "fire ?£' i.-!' timber ! ; yards.:- , He? (too,- found' that;,:toy.adequately, undertake! the.! attack .would, be impossible'- for him; . The . position,; however, -: was. immediately:'remedied; by Mr.;.W. Marks coming forward ? n o<,:by, buying the : Awanuij. taking, the burden oft Mr. 1 ". 1 Saxton'svehoulders. - To meot his. convenience, the Royal ; Yacht m U « - con ?ahted 'to. the dates originally., fixed (for tho contests,'.(February 11,, 12, and .14, -being postponed to 1 dates about , the of • March suitable' to both parties rand (though: this extra 'timo :will give,any buyer of the Sayonara and her skipper and crew, moro time together .'thoroughly..-tuiied up and themselves - into proper fettle,'.:the rivalry;arid■■delermino-.' .t; oil t , o£ . tlle New South Welshmen to take the Sayonara back.in Awanui's locker to Sydney is so.keen' that' every- day. that' is ■lost.-.is of (importance. ;-', (~,,. y Amongst some pcbplo 'it is thought that yachting is an abnormally expensive sport, but 'that'is" :a totally. erroneous idea. In "this:,caso:it-would cost between ;C7OO and to. buy the Sayonara; and it- being far from, her owners' -.'■ wish .to !'■ liso the prospnt position .as.a'( means, of driving a hard,bargain, .they are.perfectly willing that the -matter of price should- bo,left to-arbitration.,, But being keen, yachtsmen and having had practical /experience,- they know that the bost way-: to orisuro .'■ tho .-defence .being - 1 satisfactorily carried out is by. a complete transfer of ownership of,tho Sayonara. .Tho cost of putting; heryinycommission, docking, wages, (insurance, new gear, and incidon-. tals in- connection with, tho races"would .at;the outside-amount-to .Of course if ;an oivner.so desired he could always spend more, but for.the"-purposes above ■■ (mentioned JCIOO is a liberal allowance, and' of that :some £20 -is taken up by insurance. At .the end-of the ;Taccs, if the owner becomes imbued with that lovo of the sea which, as Lord'(Dudley recently pointed: out, is' unfortunately'"not one :of Australians' characteristics, he wOuld'own . a boat in which, as :a cruiser,. he .could go practically anywhero round.the coast or acfoss the. Straits,! : either fitting her with auxiliary power or-not,-besides finding many other means of'enjoyment. But should:he not; ho will.still have a.boat the sale: of which . at the beginning of next, (season there' would bo : but small difficulty in effecting at a coinparativoly trifling sacrificb. 1 In addition, should ho win, though tho races are bound to be close, ho will havo the kudos of being tho third successful defender, and the .kudos, win or lbso; of having come forward-as a sportsman to defend the honour of his , State in the time of difficulty.-:: -' ■■■•' , -