YACHTING

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 63, 8 December 1926, Page 8

YACHTING

(By

“Nereus.")

The Wellington Trials. The first series of trials which have, been held with the object of enabling the Wellington selectors to choose the boat and crew which will represent Wellington in the Sanders Cup contest in February, is now over. Six trials have been held, out of which Peggy has won four, and the other two boats one each. It is not yet certain whether or not any more trials will bo held, although the general assumption seems to bo that thev are now over. Consequently, the yachting public is anxiously awaiting the decision of the selectors, and what this decision will be is hard to tell. It must be remembered, firstly, that it does not necessarily follow that the boat winning the majority of the trials will be sent to Lyttelton. The trials were not races, but were to enable the selectors to see what the boats were capable of doing. Although Peggy has emerged victorious, in point of the number of trials she has won, it will be remembered that on the only two occasions on which the weather was at all heavy, she was beaten. There would seem to be no doubt that she is not a heavy weather boat, although In light weather there is not another boat which can compare with her. Unfortunately no one can tell what the weather will be like at Lyttelton in February, and therefore no one can tell what Peggy will do if she is sent down there as Wellington's representative. But it is practically certain that she will do one of two things—either win with ease, or fall badly. Of the other two boats, as far as the recent trials are concerned, the honours seem to lie with Wellesley. Not only did she win the last trial with comparative ease, but she performed splendidly in the first trial, and on the evening when she did not start, but went round the course by hersejf after the trial, put up particulaZy good times. The race, which was won by All Black, too, was the one in which Peggy had to withdraw, and in which Wellesley had the misfortune to break her gaff. As far as the crew are concerned, it would seem logical to adopt the course of sending the crew which has managed the selected yacht with the yacht itself, in order that its chances may not be spoiled through its being managed by a 'Crew which is strange to it. This, however, is a question which will doubtless be given due consideration by the selectors. If it is decided to hold any more trials it is to lie hoped that the members of the crews will do their utmost tb enable the boats to get away to time. When an event is set down for 5.30. it is rather disheartening to find that it never begins until 6 o’clock. Even in the best of weather, half an hour’s wait on the Clyde Quay Wharf is not conducive to a high pitch of enthusiasm. After all, even spectators deserve a certain amount of consideration. A Hint From the South. We have already heard that interest in the Sanders Cup trials is waning in Auckland, and, if we may judge from the remarks of “Rudder,” in the “Otago Daily Times,” the same would appear to be the case in Otago. This is what he has to say: “Asked for an opinion as to why the glory was departing from the Sanders Cup‘ trials one man gave as his conclusion in three words—unequally matched boats. At present the sailing condition on the bay seems the only factor of doubt, and, given a knowledge ot these conditions, most yachtsmen could with fair assurance pick the winner. But something more than an argument with the clerk of the weather is wanted. Evenly-matched boats and crews and a close-fought race make an irresistible appeal to the sporting instincts of the people, as witness the enthusiastic thousands that watched the contests between Betty and Avalon last year. It the sport expects public, interest ana support, it must put up attractive these remarks on the question in the anticipation that they may throw a little light on the apparent apathy of the Wellington yachtsmen to the recent trials here. There is no doubt that this apathy has existed, and there is equally no doubt that it is not to be commended. In Wellington however «e must remember that it is a teasib e theory that the interest of many people is blghted by the thought that, lo ses a trial through, they must sup e* hOT before five o’clock or after 7.30 P-m Even the mod enthusiastic yachtsman has a liking for regular meals.

Here and There. Mr. J. McLean, one of the Sanders Cun selectors, left this week in his boat, the ° Restless, for a three weeks cruise in the Sounds. _ He q w ew nrobably go across again in the Ne Year and in addition, is thinking of risiti’ng Lyttelton in February for the Sa Ac<' e o r rding P to C °an e exchange it seems inevitable B that Winifred will ’®P rese “| Otago at Lyttelton in February, a < given a light, fluky wind, she should

be very hard to beat. If th® usual Lyttelton conditions prevail, however, with strong north-easterly or sou’-west-erly weather, her chances should not be very bright. Hawke’s Bay has now got a representative to carry the province’s colours in the Sanders Cup contest in February. Mr. F. Cloke, owner of the Avalon, which was runner-up in the last Sanders Cup contest, has offered his yacht to the Napier Sailing Club for that purpose. His offer has been accepted, and a challenge has been forwarded to Canterbury. The Whangarei Regatta Committee intends to hold the race from Russell to Onerahi again this year, says “Speedwell” in the Auckland “Star.” Last ' year the race started at midnight, after the boys had thoroughly enjoyed the regatta evening at Bussell. The same arrangements have been made this year.

Mr. N. J. Inglis, of Auckland, has installed a 145 h.p. engine in bis launch Olivene, which is now credited with a speed of 14 knots, says a northern wiiter. In a recent run she did exceptionally well. The new chairman of the. Auckland Anniversary Regatta Committee, Mr. W. P. Endean, is owner of the firstclass yacht Prize, and is the rear-com-modore of the Royal New Zealand Y'acht Squadron, says "Spindrift” in the "New Zealand Herald.” He is a very energetic yachtsman, and under his direction (he 1927 regatta should be as successful as its predecessors. In returning thanks for his election, Mr. Endean said the anniversary regatta was wrapped up with the history of Auckland more than anything else. He realised that there was a lot of work ahead of him, and he. appealed to the committee to do their best in collecting funds for the regatta. “Our trials will )•# a farce with Avalon out of it,” recently wrote an Auckland Sanders Cup official to an Otago commodore. "If Dunedin eannot win the cup, neither can we.” This pessimistic remark does not augur well for Auckland’s chances in February, but it will doubtless bring some satisfaction to the yachtsmen of Hawke’s Bay, who must be looking to Avalon to do great things for them when the contest takes place.

A meeting of the executive of the Wellington Yacht and Motor Boat Aosociation will be held on Friday evening.

Doings at Plimmerton. Although no official race was held at Plimmerton last . Saturday, five or six boats made their appearance in the harbour and a most promising display was given. The committee of the Plimmerton Club has arranged to hold th® first race of the reason on December 18. If one may judge from the boats that were out on Saturady, it looks as if some first-class sailing and some close finishes will be seen during the season. Rather a novel experiment has been tried by five young enthusiasts at Plimmerton, who have formed a miniature syndicate and purchased a boat; they had their first lesson in the art of sailing on. Saturday, and it is reported that they did particularly well. The Opawa under the skippership of H Thompson, was seen on Saturday, while R. R. Mildenhall’s Minnehaha made her first apnearance performing excellently. Tuakana. sailed by A. Waddel, and Tuahine, sailed by C. Dallaston, were also out. The remaining boats of the club’s fleet are rapidly nearing completion, and will probably be on the water when the first races are held. A City of Regattas.

A tribute to the fondness for yachting which exists in the heart of the average young Aucklander is paid by W. A. Wilkinson, writing in the Auckland "Star." Yachting has always appealed very forcibly to the youth of Auckland, he writes: Bom within sight of the incomparable Hanraki Gulf, they take to the water naturally. Even the settlers who founded thsi town in 1840, when ten years later they decided that the time had come to hold some kind of a gathering to celebrate the anniversary of its foundation, unanimously decided on a regatta. The preference for an aquatic display evinced by those early settlers has been worthily maintained by succeeding generations of Aucklanders, who have carried out an unbroken chain of regattas on Anniversary Day ever since 1850.

The old-time regattas created great interest, the whole community watching the display of Maori war canoes, races for trading cutters, ships* boats, and other small craft, which made up the programme. Later, the schooner races around Tiri Tiri were the big attraction, no than 'seventeen fine craft competing one year. Although even at the earliest regattas a race for yachts found a place on the programme of events it was not until the early nineties that the pleasure fleet of Auckland began to assume the proportions to which it has attained at the present day, making a reputation for the boat builders and boat sailers of this port second to none.