YACHTING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1710, 29 March 1913, Page 12

YACHTING.

[Br Main-sheet.] AN INTERESTING. BUDGET. April S.—P.N.Y.C. Consolation Race. Tho Thelma Smash-up. Particulars are to haud of the sad apcideqt ou-Sydncy Harbour recently by whicli Mr. .Walter. Mooro was washed overboaril from the Thelma while racing with the Sayonara, and lost his life. Thelriia was a boat'of-the old straightstemmed type, having been designed by that welj-knqwn Sydney naval architect, Mr. Walter Reeks, and built in 1889 by G. Ellis for Dr. A. M'C'orrnick. Prior to heir races for tho Sayonara Cup, she wqs extensively, altered by her designer; and fie was at her tiller during, those rqces. She was then the property' of' Hr. C. Llpyd Jones, who still qwncd her when the apcivient occurred..

At thp. tinip, of the accident. Thelma and Sayonara were engaged fighting , out a private challenge match. A tremendous south-easterly gt»le was blowing, and a mountainous sea was running in through Sydney Heads. The first trip across the entrance was made without mishap, but it was on the beat back that the accident happened, iud when Thelma was just o,ff Point DoU'oyd. Sir.' Moore, 'who, as has been already '■ mentioned, was main sheet hand, was in his position aft, clad in- his'' oilskins, aud was looking after the temporary co.vcring,'a sail bag, over the aftfrVatch, the hatch itself having been washctl overboard earlier iii the day, Thelma ivas at the time on the port tack, making for Middle Island. A tea breaking" on board washed Mr. Moore overboard. Thelma was nfc once put about on to tlte starboard tock, and pulled away to get back to where Mr. i\to.orp. was drifting in the water. Shortly afterwards she gybed; the mast broke below deck, falling to bSarboard and ripping up portion of the deck. Within' a few "seconds the wind got under the sail again, and lifted it and t% boom right over to port, narrowly missing the crew on deck as it passed. Thelma'was then left helpless, and it \reii\g impos-' sible to cleay away the wreckage both anchors were let go, to prevent her! drifting into the breakers. A tremendous seii, however, .was raining, and continually breafciug' on Isfard. The pumps had/to be kept' to keep down the water that was finding its way,below.' Thelina continued dragging her anchors and getting nearer and nearer- the bomborn. After about, an hour and a half, however, a number of the, crew ol' the pilot schooner Bimdara in a most plucky manner manned a whaleboat, which, with a line attached, was- allowed to drift down to-, wards Thelma, When the got alongside. Thelma was not more than 30 yards from the breakers. With all the crew aboard the wlialeboat, she was towed backup the-pilot schooner. Tho names •of the crew' rescued are: ■Messrs. Charles Lloyd Jones (owner and skipper), iJ. A. Ho??, G. W. Henty, O. Meyer, T. Diamodd, J. : Evans, J. Mnlgarinou'— Colemmi. a»d —. IJiamo.pd- r " By Thelnif* had disappeared.

A Gallant Yachtsman, The late Captain Oatos, who so'bravely 'mot his fato in the Scott Polar Expedition, was a great yachtsman, and wan ne.ve'r homier than when sailing a small 4-tonnei in' dirty weather.- Brother offi-. cers wtjo tad sailed with him in desperate circumstances, were spellbound at his intrepid couvagp; and cool disc:«Uon. Often hands had bpen induced to sail with tuni only by the spell 'which : his courage cqst. over them." A brother officer' who once remonstrated with ii'm for his intention of putting to saa in a gale that kept the stoam trail-lors in haibour was rehuked With the laconic reply, "I have seen worse." Boat Harbour Odds and Ends. . Mahina crossed to Port Underwood during the holidays, and W'aitangi to i Port O'ore. The Ailsa and Mataii'gi also ciussthe Strait. •, .It is a matter for regret tint the P.N.Y.C. picnic on Monday last was not betterpatronised by people and . yachts. Yachtsmen-and their irieuds might surely take their courage in both hands, 1 and "chanoe the ducks" when tho sky is blue. If the Citizens' Carnival does utthiiig else, it is to be hoped that it will at any rato educate the Wellington public in a matter that they are sadly in need of acquiring—and that is tho' holiday-making spirit. An individual docs not need to be particularly "weatherwise" to know that bad weather in this early pait of tho year "has no backbone in it, and, anyway, a holiday is a holiday, :m \ you have to make the best of it. Some worthy citizens seem to require a, written guarantee, signed, sealed, and delivered, that it won't rain while .they arc out -n tho fresh air—as if it mattered! ,

New arrivals in the. Boat Harbour are the large launch. Kehutai from Island Bay, and the Wolseloy, the latter a recent purchase from Auckland. Both these vessels havo taken up their v abode in .Wellington. A reminder for yachtsmen. '[he authentic municipal roll may be inspected at the Town Hall, Mercer Street entrance. Wouldn't it be as well bo stroll along and make sure' your name is there ? ' Tho interests of all sports in Wellington are in the hands of t'uo council and Harbour Board, and there are only a few duys left now in which. to make application for enrolment. Qualification' is now tho 6,11110 as for the Parliamentary elections, viz., having reached the mature age. of twpnty,one. , ,