YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 16 March 1912, Page 12

YACHTING.

. « [Br Mainsdeet,] RACING AND GENERAL.

To-day —Cruising Club Handicap Race. Saturday, March 23.-P.N.Y.C. Handicap Races for first and second-class yachts. Saturday, March 30—P.N.Y.C. Handicap Races for first and second-class yachts. Easter.—Cruising Club's Race to South. Island. Once again it seems neoeseary to'call ■attention to tho emnllness of the entries for tho two races provided each week by the Port Nicholson Yacht Club. When only three yachts start in a race of a class in which there are fourteen yachts, there must be something amiss. Ihe owners seem to be losing interest in racing. Why? Some say it is tho Cruising Club that is attracting all the attention. But that is not so. Tho Cruising Club has not a fleet of 1!) yachts, it is much less than that number-. Probably tho only possible solution to the situation is the smallness in valuo of the trophies. The commodore of the club, states that the yacht owners aro satis-fied-wcll, why don't they race? It is the opinion of tho writer nnd others that tho owners aro not satisfied. The writer admits that there are some who race but at the same lime it is a very dissappointinff picture to boo Ihreo yachts fighting out a race, in which there ought to bo about fourteen yachts competing. Tho above also applies to tho second-class yachts. In tins class there arc thirteen yachts, and yet only four of this number turn out and race. AVhen it comes to only seven yachts racing out of a total of twenty-seven, it is time the club endeavoured to think out a now idea to encourage this really fascinating sport. Saturday's Races. Mr. G. Bothamlc.T has every reason to be proud of his yawl Muritai, which of late has been displaying her racing abilities to a great advantage. She put up a very creditable performance last Saturday, and finished about four minutes ahead of Siren, and fivo minutes ahead of Mahina. Maliina has not been doing quite so well, but slill her owners 'and crew are certainly keen t sports. In the second-ciass event Lizzie finished first. Kawono started 12 minutes late, and Tiiipari 15 minutes, so taking into coneideration tho lateness of these two packets starling, and Urn performance they jmt up, they are deserving of a great <l(-al of credit. Both these boats were only defeated-by tho Lizzie by a few minutes. To Rhuna started but did not finish. ' A Few Notes. Mr. E. Hailey is at present building a Miinll yacht to the order of Dr. Chcsson. Tlio hull of the boat is practically finished, and it will not )x long before she will bo added to Wellington's ever-in-orensing fleet >o! yachts. The yacht is of (he spoon bo«- class and is 22ft. in length and has a beam of Gft. Gin. According to the Dunedin "Evening Star,". the lorangi has changed ownorBhin at <i price lxstween £WQ and J!,15f1. The Otago Yaelit ami Motor Boat Club intend to carry out their ocean race programme on .March 23. A splendid course lias- l>c;n splcrteil, which is sheltered and should be covered in fairly fast time. The time fixed for starting (he yachts is 0 a.m., and for the motor boats 11 a.m.