YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1354, 3 February 1912, Page 12

YACHTING.

LETTER AND COUNTER-LETTER. [Bx Mainshtset.] To-day—P.N.T.C. handicap raoca for first and second-class yachts 011 Course No. 2. Saturday, February 10—P.N.Y.C. Handicap Races for first and second-class yachts. Saturday, February 17—P.N.Y.C. Picnic. Commodore P.N.Y.C. Writes: The Commodore of the P.N.Y.C. writes as follows:— "At tho request of the committee of the P.N.Y.C. I will endeavour to reply to the points raised by "Helmsman" and "Mainsheet" in last Saturday week's issue.

"Starting from the proposition that the column. is for the joint benefit of the sport and the public, the time chosen for the publication of the letter was hardly for the liencfit of either. The policy of the F.N.Y.C. was laid down at tho four general meetings of the club, and the committee in endeavouring to carry out the resolutions of those meetings, ' have held eight committee meetings. Thus, leaving out a fortnight for the Christmas vacation, there has been at least one meeting per week—truly, an elaborate display oi torpidity.

"Comparisons arc proverbially odious, but if the standard of swimming is as set. out by 'Helmsman,' I am pleased my other sport is football. In football a man pays a stiff 'sub.,' trains hard, pays railway and drag fares, aud plays in about a score of matches, often in the cold, mud. and rain.. What for? A cup or trophy that he shares with the whole club, or misses by half a point, quito equal to any gruelling 'Helmsman' ever got at Koro-Koro, and without the faintest possibility of direct benefit. Good sport 1 say I. • Tho reversion of the club to tho old subscription of a guinea has not acted as a very strong deterrent, as thirty new members have joined the club this season. As regards tho starters in tho races, both 'Helmsman' and 'Mainsheet' are wrong, the average number of starters lwing tlyf highest of any season during the past five years, and cither gentleman may inspect the race-book at his convenience.

" 'Helmsman' is evidently at variance with the club as a whole on the question of racing. More" races were demanded by the club, but only bv grouping could the.demand be met. Trophies could not be obtained for an extended prize list, not even with energy and bustle, If 'Helmsman' thinks otherwise, well, ho can have an official collectingand get to work. The scheme of grouping is not new, and was used bv tho old Arawa Club. Tho club does not want to issue racing permits, it wants members, and the fee was filed at a general meeting.

"Why 'Jlainslieef need worry himself about the value of trophies is beyond my comprehension. If the owners are satisfied (and thoy are), why need 'Mainshcet' profess so much concern? 'Die value of trophies for regatta day was a matter arranged at a general meeting. The committee s resolution re entrance fees was lost, and an amendment doubling the fee was carried liem con. A strong effort was being, made to arrange the regatta on n uiflerdnt basis, ))ut many matters conspired to malce the change this year inadvisable. The club' was quito" content to leave the matter in the hands of its responsible otlioers, and, when the proper time came, the finalities were all arranged in an hour.

"To sum tip the whole, matter, the club desires a club-house, and the members aro sports good enough to deny themselves something to get it."

"Helmsman" Comes at an Opponent. "Helmsman" once mora takes up the cudgels thus: "I notice a letter in ,)ast Saturday's issue of your paper, purporting to be a reply to mine of Hie previous week. In reality, however, the correspondent only answers thofee criticisms which he is able to, but, ill' the main, relies on personalities couched in somewhat ponderous language, to bear out his case. "Without taking up too much of your space, I would liko to ask a 'Member of .the mismanagement,' as he most aptly styles himself, to answer me three pertinent questions, which he will probably recognise as 'constructive criticism,' whatever that may be:— "(I) Why was a general meeting . called only one week before Anniversary Day to decide all the events to bo competed for, as well as all the general business in connection with that day? In addition, very short notice was given of this meeting, and the whole • thing, to my mind, savoured of a desire by the management to get it over as soon as possible. "(2) How was it, that at that same general meeting, it was decided to notify the I'etone boats of the events in which they would be eligible, and yet, on Friday, three days before Anniversary Day, although there were a number of boats anxious ,to race, no particulars had been received? "(3) In the afternoon race of Anniversary Day, the handicaps were declared for three times round a course, but for reasons best known to himself (certainly it was not the wind, which was fresh all the afternoon), one of the officials took the matter in iiis own hands, and shortened the course by one-third, and used tho original handi- • caps. Do all these things tend to promulgate the sport of yachting?" As the space available is taken up in publishing the above letters, the usual weekly notes are crowded out this week