OCEAN YACHT RACE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1696, 12 March 1913, Page 8

OCEAN YACHT RACE.

! ACROSS THE TASMANSEA; ' ' A proposal has been made to inaugurate an ocean yacht race between xVustralia and New Zealand. The project (stales the "Sydney .Morning Heralu") has been talked over by Mr. AValter ilarks, owuer of Culwulla 111, who is probably the best-known man in yachting circles in Australia, and Mr. Jirnest Davis, a prominent Mew Zealand yachting enthusiast, who |s at' present on a visit to Sydney, and both are agreed that the. idea should be quite feasible. The yacht Ruwhiti, for instance, has already crossed from Auckland to Sydney. There are half a dozen boats that inignt take part in such a race, owned in Sydney, notably' Mr. Marks's Culwulla'' 111, Mr. Ross's Sayonara, Messrs. gayer and Albert's ltawhiti, Mr. ;S. M. Dempster's Spindrift, of 27 tons, Mr. Muston's White. Wings, and Dr.. Scot Skirving's ketch, ivhile Dr. M'Cormiek, Commodore of tho Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, is now piankiug up a 40-ton auxiliary cutter. New 'Zealand has several suitable boats,' including Thelma, owned by Mr. J. L. IJ. Bloomiiehl (commodore of the Royal. New Zealand Yachl Squadron); Iriki, owned by Mr. E. C. Bloomfield; and Viking, owned by . Mr. Ernest. Davis.

It is considered that, provided the weather is favourable, the trip between Sydney and Auckland could be done ■ in from 12 to It days. The chief difficulty would be in arranging the starting point. If the race were to start/at Sydney it would mean that.. Now Zealand yachts would have to go over t there; if tiio start were to be at Auckland end, tho Sydney boats would" have to come over here. That is, however, a detail which can no doubt be satisfactorily arranged. The event might be made an annual affair, with' the starting point at Auckland and' Sydney alternately.

"I won't definitely promise at the moment to compete myself in Culwulla III," said Mr. Marks, in discussing the matter, '"but I would tako charge of one of the yachts. I think that th'o- idea is quite practicable, and I would like to see it carried out, for it would put enormous public interest into yachting. It is not impossible with a view' to minimising ; the danger to have the boats rigged with wireless, though the apparatus might possibly be a bit in the way. There are a lot of difficulties, but they aro not>. insuperable ones. I feel quite confident that .there aro. enough yachting enthusiasts in Australia and New Zealand to overcome the', difficulties that present themselves, •and to bring to a successful conclusion this contest, .which, would rank as one of the great classic events, in tho. world of yachting." Mr. Marks said that another thing -ho would liko to see was an lannual ./interstate* or intercolonial race, .'.witli'VNew'- Zealand boats competing, be.twren'a smaller typo of one-design yachts. :It ivoiild be a grand thing to have a race oil,.the. ihai'k .every year between' repre-:seritativte/o£,-.allitJie States and New Zealand Mr; Ernest-Davis,- interviewed, said he ;cduld' sec"no;difficulties in the way of arTanging at least the intercolonial race for !yachts'of .the. one-design class if the big•ger !event/- was-found to be out of tho .'faiestioh.''He could not, of course, answer ;fOn New Zealand 'yachtsmen without talk--ing the mutter-over with them first; but :Woulil 'in'ake. it his business to put the matter,before the proper authorities on liis' return to Auckland within tho next fortnight. He agreed with Mr. Marks that an ocean race between Australian and New Zealand boats would liavo tho effect of stimulating interest in yachting. He would do his best, ho said, to help to bring the ocean race about, and if it took place his own yacht would bo a competitor. .