YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 942, 8 October 1910, Page 12

YACHTING.

;ON THE EDGE OF THE .SEASON.; ' ■■' : '. : . : '.- [Br Mainsheet.]-,'; , Boat-Harbour Improvements,: - .. The yachting.season is once again drawing hear, ancl the yachts, at Martin's Bay are beginning, to. enter ,the-water, after their "four months' spell.. During- tho .'.winter- months the Boat Harbour has been visited by 'one-: of the' Harbour Board's small- dredges;-'which--has nearly 'finished':-its work,.,.in.,dredging,; out the enclosure.. It-is.' ; hoped ;that*it -will be ,a>little cleaner.now, and'thatithere will ■:be-no. risk of-the larger; yachts when thoy are manoeuvring ini the harbour of goings aground. When .passing along the Boat' Harbour 'one. can notic.e;, that tho holes which are at the foot-.of-.the slope have'! been '.tilled ■■i'in. - It-..'is to imagine why these \holes' were: ever put in.-- -.The, only, --purposeMvhich- they > have served is "to cause* the-concrete ..to 'fall in.

Bay-presents vav- very. busy sight; on Saturday;..and Sunday afternoons, when:-the'.'crews ,of the many yachts- and - launches ,are'»bu'sy<,with paint-ing,--clenning,r.and';i'aißnier}ng," jThe. little ■bay has. been--quite-crpwded-this.winter, there':beihgrmbre.Ty"ach'ts' 'there r 'than ever before.- :-''-:"",-:":/"':: ..•'"-.'■ '■■:-:■' -.'---■- ' :

Round! About the Fleet.: '.':'.: '■'& ;■ -The; yachts',; White, .Heather Wairere, which; were i blown■ over; during. the .severe gale, which raged last-month, have .boen raised,. and. have . apparently suffered very littlo; damage. ~' '"-' ;..-' - "On:' Saturday:,"the ; .'Nancy.:: Stair \ and M.ahinaVwere- launched,; and the. Muritai on-Sunday. .-.'-■-,;.,.-....: ,:,.:.:. ..■■"; ;:Theipainting-of:Mahina;white,has,mada a .decided- improvement-, .in-her,, appear;ance;'':She;: has .also- had ?a; skylight put inland- another.-improvement; to her deck is. the! addition ".of: a forehatch. ." This season, will see-he'r;: out ,w.ith.->-a...'new set of;,cruising sails,. /Her owners,;': Messrs. •Moore'-'Btothers,--deserve^ credit' for; tho work wliioli : they; have-'put.- into : the yacht 'during"this'.<winter''nlbhths.'t; ".;.:,. - .'.'. i :--M-uritai''visjlook'in'g <spi6k iarid' span,, and ■wiirrno "doubt' T 'shake _ 'thiflgs~".llp" this sea-'.son.'->:v''- ~' '.."'-■'.' ; '"■■-: '"-. -.- .-Messrs.'Kuplic .Brothers have put a lot "of .'•.work:,-into :.their. ; ;.'yacht, .Na'ncy Stair, arid:have'.reallySmade; her- look;;quite a new. craft, v ,:V- ;'::■:. ':.■"-.:''

; Mr.:-.',Pordom' has'.'disposed ■ of:, his,, well !kn6iwn>;;third-class; ••'.yacht .■;'■. ;rKa'raka,v-to jiiessrs; ; : !Tfonayne'-: a'nd;' ; Seaton. :-,:Her new 'others,'.'it; is ' understood,-;• do- not intend ,tD:'race.^ieri'.'V' : ':'';V':V'':;':''..i,.'.'. .■■'. / -'.- -• it ; is expected that- . nearly ■?■-■. all "the yachts -will 'be down'-ior! ; t'abour. Day, Wednesday-nest;"' Jfay. and Kawene -:are. coming down, and the owners of Idlarithe expect-to have her down ;in about three ,woeks'/:time. ...V,. .'■.'.■■.'.■"■.' ■: .'*•■■'''•.' .-■-, Mr. Tred; -Hanhan's launch ' Swan was launched last Saturday. .- . . ■■■The- launch Taniwha, which is on- the slip'at .Martin's: Bay, is ; undergoing, alterations, -to her - .stern, which 1 iis ■ being lengthened.. The .work is ; .in : the ; hands ; vjßrihgins,:; who .; has practically 1 fitt!ished\!it. • :-■',' ' -.!;, ; •' ■'■'-';';. ■••■'■■ ■.•.';. While/but ,for' ; a; spin a;couple,,6'f .weeks •agoi-the'.Warehpu' split her.tbp:.- streak? She is now: .on the hard .undergoing ,ro- : pairs.]; !.;^; : ■';.;;.;■;'/';y.,■.'■/■'; ; \ ■•-.. . !Port ]i: Nicholson;Club. !,,- A committee meeting of the Port Nicholson Yacht Club .was held..on! Thursday eyeriihgi;.;for- the,-..purpose.,of setting up :the rannual, report; which will .no.doubt be .ready.'.in .tho-courso of a -few days.The annual meeting of the club! will -probably bo held!next week,. . !'' Exit:' Dinghy, Racing.:-"' W^,(

•' Dinghy' racing, .which; has '■'.! flourished in- Wellington, .first, at " Thorndon .'andlater •at Te Aro, -for. the past eight years,., is. to;be, no more,;arid followers of. small'; boat racing will-.- regret;,the decease'';'of a pastime..which has provided spme.,excel'lent. sport.-, When .this .class: 'of: racing was. first ;.b"egun;..; the,, fleet . comprised' a' :few dinghies. 'The:: practice -was. :to-!ro.w. up! against the-.wind'for a : !dis-! tance,-: and V then'"! to hoist": a sail-and race Home. : An','old-fashioned lee-board :..was ;then',introducedi!,.and!.::later . it. was -the 'custom-;;, to! : .screw'J:a:; Centre-board on to -the:QingJiies.':''Several amateurj'buUt 'racersfthon" : "entered the lists, ■and:fo'r; : ;'a?;timß.:thesport boomed.-.A fur-- ; therKimp'etus! was lent. by .the imp'ortaAuckland of the professional built'-Oed, and' this step' led. to the gradual displacing of the amateur boats ;by.--those.-of professional buildj and. the Dinghy-: Club flourished 'Until ;• it .had 'a •fleet- 'of ■-''thirteen '■ - excellent racing .boats, which-were: competing for about 10 prizes each/season;... The introduction:of, the professional-built boats, I 'hbwever,:was the beginning.-of the:.end bfj'the sport. For a;time! things, literally! hummed, but each new-boat was. an: improvement'on the last,; and- the-;cost!''gradually., rose, until .a.man;'had:to. lay-out S2o' or ,£3o:in his boat, silk sails,;etc., before he could compete..' on.! even "terms: with the • class of dinghy which was in the van. ..The .result;., was,, that' witt, the high standard "set, the,sport,-became too expensive for the! ; ayerago. youth, and as the;older:,members .of ;,the cliib retired .yery'jfew; could be!' induced .to'; sink ..their".' srh'all.- capital in the 'sport, and the raciiig- boats gradually, fell;away,!until. only: three left 'last ■season... As' no.'-pros-■pectof the 6utlook:brighteningT this, year, it' was,decided to give .'up l From- the" Spectacular, the' club u was undoubtedly, at' its '£bes't.- when! the.: fleet! of professional-built Jbpats was at, its. strongest, ..but as far •-as- actual sport to the owners was concorned,., there was ■- probably never-any-betterr'than in the early■ history of -the club., -