A YACHTING ENTHUSIAST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1352, 1 February 1912, Page 4

A YACHTING ENTHUSIAST.

GERMAN COMMODORE IN WELLINU TON. Commodore Ernest Bechstein, of the Zouthcner Regler-Vercin, Germany, arrived from Sydney yesterday by tho Manuka en route to America. In the course of an interview on yachting in Germany and Austrar lin, Mr. Bechstein said:— "There is a considerable difference in yachting in Germany and Australia, and this is particularly noticeable in th« system of measurement adopted. In Germany the moire system is mostly udoptivl, it being the international system. \\e have some fine types of yachts of varying siws and designs, and we have numerous competitions in which the.r have the opportunity of displaying their Railing qualities, but not nearly so many a? you appeal' to have hero when yacht and sailing-boat races are of almost weekly occurrence dnrin.? the sailing season. In Berlin the eight metre yuohts form the largest class, although there are a few fl and 10 metre boats sailed with regularity, and many in the seven, six, and five metre classes. The crews in each class ait! limited—under international rules—to five persons in tho eight metre, four in the seven metre, three in the six metne, and two in the five metro yacht's. In Sydney, I did not see tho same limitations, but, .of course, they sail under rules of their own. "In my society wo have about five races only during the season, confined to boats .owned by members of tho club. In addition', 'of course, there are the open aud international events, of which thei-o arc perhaps four during the spring and six (luring the autumn months. Thfse events apply to Berlin alone, but m addition numerous races live sailed at. Kiel and Hamburg. There are also quite a .number of clubs Bailing independent races—mostly held on Sundays—clubs whose members are all embraced in the German Society of Sa,ilors."