ON THE HARBOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2984, 23 January 1917, Page 6

ON THE HARBOUR

ANNIVERSARY REGATTA

A PERFECT DAY Nowhere was the holiday bettor enjoyed than by the yachtsmen on the harbour. The oldest Anniversary Day fixture in Wellington is the regatta. It dates right back to those misty times when Wellington was but a fishing village, and tho races wore rowed and sailed by the wbalcboats of tho whalers and other bluff-bowed' old "lime-juicers" that happened to bo in port. In those days the Anniversary Day regatta was tho only ovent of any consequence; and tho whole of tho somewhat restricted population were in tho habit of visiting tho waterfront and "backing their fancy" when tho opportunity served. Later on Wellington grew prosperous, and the regatta becamo a really notable event. Old yachtsmen can still remember tho halcyon days of such fine sailers as tlio Florence, Dove, Xarifa., Isca, "Pet, Thetis, which later gave place to tho newer fashion sot by such racy craft as the Maritana, Waitangi, Jessie Logan, etc. The Port Nicholson and Allied Yacht Clubs' regatta held yesterday was an entiro success. A light and somewhat uncertain north-westerly wind enabled I craft of all kinds to hoist every stitch of canvas, and when a good slant of wind did come the sight was a very pretty one. Most of the boats experienced calm belts off Point Jerningham in the morning, but instead of dying away the wind freshened slightly as the hot day wore on to a close, enabling the races to be finished in fairly good time, considering the fickleness of tho morning breeze. The results were as - follow: — First-Class Yachts' Handicap.— Viola, (oniin.), time finished, 12hrs. 9mins. lOsec, 1; Rona (scr.), 12hrs. llmin. oOsec., 2; Kotiri (scr.), 12hrs. llmin. Cosec, 3. The Viola won the race nicely on her time allowance, but was third over the line. The race between the two scratch boats was a magnificent one, practically only the length of the bowsprit separating the Rona and Kotiri, tho former winning "by a nose," as they say at Trentham. The Atalanta (llmin.) also started. Second-Class Yachts' .Handicap.— R&wene (9rain.), 12hrs. llmin. 45sec, 1- lolantho (4min.), 12hrs. 15min. 10 sec., 2; Windward (scr.), 12hrs. 17min. 15sec. This was a good win for tbe Rawene, which was first to cross the line, without talcing her handicap into considera--18-Footers' Handicap. — Warehou (scr.), lj'lrex, 2. In this event Mr. Smith's Warehou defeated the Petoneowned Irex fairly easily. . In a General Handicap for yachts of all classes, the lolanthe (23min.) was first, and the Rawene (24min.) second. The other starters were: Kotiri (scr.), Rona (scr.), Viola (3min.), Atlanta (20min.), Windward (21min.), Venus (28min.), Viking (27min.), and Tnsie (30min.). Mr. R. Millman acted as handicapper and Mr. F. Cook as starter. The now Auckland-built launch Olive II returned to Wellington yesterday from a ten days' cruise m the Marlborough Sounds.