With the Yachts

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 18

With the Yachts

(By " Mainsail.")

AN EVENTFUL WEEK

REGATTA AND SANDERS CUP

COMPETITORS' CHANCES COMPARED.

The coming week will be the biggest week oU yachting ever held in Wellington Harbour. Two important events will occupy the attention of yachtsmen and others interested in aquatic sport 'the annual .regatta, to be held on Tuesday, and, more important, tho,,.annual contest for the Sanders Memorial Challenge Cup, which will be decided in a series of; races between 14-fdot one-desr^rl Majjs on Wednesday, Thursday,, J<>iaßy, and Saturday. Though confined to boats of the smaller class, the latter-event virtually is the yachting championship of New Zealand, if not of Australia and New Zealand, for the competitions is open, also, to boats of the same type from the other side of tho Tasinaii, should" any enterprising yachtsman over there choose to send 3 challenger to make a bid for the Cup. So far, however, no Australian competitors have made 'their appearance intfie annual event., bor the moment, everything else lades.into insignificance in view of tho importance attaching to the big programme that lies ahead. Can Auckland's representative boat Rona retain the Cup for that province? Each of the chalkiiifmg- provinces would like to answer that question in the negative, and in a jhealthy sporting spirit aspires to carry the coveted trophy away. Only two of the boats, which competed against Kona last year, when she won three races-in succession and thus successfully defendI ! C"ft wilL aPPear in the coming contest, dhey are Linnet (Canterbury! and Jlunhikii. (Southland). Their-quali-ties in equal weather conditions with the WwK ff. kn°u^' M the-v bave been tested, but the other boats—Pejrey fWeihngton) Konini (Hawkes Bay), band June (OtagoJ-hare not competed with Kona; so the possibilities are fraught with interest. The two last-named boats are .the. only competitors that- are built on exactly the same lines as Ronai which was last year-adopted as tho standard ■ type fpr all future boats entering1 for the competition. Assuming that the^weather conditions in past year's races provided an all-round test of the boats and their crews, R ona , dy establi£hed hgr superiority over Linnet and Murihiku.r pggj' is a slick little' craft in. a lMt; breeze, but such conditions cannot be de-' pended upon in these waters, and interest centres rather more around the two new boats. Konini, the Napier W has undergone hurried, trials since her recent arrival at that port from ■ thp makers in Auckland. Ste underwent three tests with Violette, an open fS boat, carrying the same canvaV. These and twojaces with the 16 -footer BronS'S3AT 1 ef ily- Her crew ha™ ties, but her windward qualities were l£tf ,Z ST IIOT t0 thoSe of «>«= other boats; and she w=s equally as good on Otagos choice, June, though apparently ess favoured as the representative oi »h Prevlnce than oth«r boats, has shown excellent sailing qualities n cer; tarn breezes, and willf no doubt "iv 6 */ '%£■¥**¥■•* herae!f- The raSefor Rona-class boats on the regattT tofcL gramme, in which Rona, June, irid Ko \ "•m ZLY the Ol*y.°l ¥u* competitS;: vail afford a good indication of the re \ spective merit* o f the three ne^type . . . THE CREWS. H The yachtsmen from whom the crews L^dgard A. Willetts, and E. M at ?W" ' Komm (Hawkes Bay) : Messrs Neil Gil' £ n X Genda!1> *■ Bailey, A -. G. Crowford r N. Rowntree, and R Ber" Linnet (Canterbury) : Messrs. S Sin- ! clair (sk lp per) R. Sinclair, C. Williams,: W Morten, and A. Bound June (Otago) : Messrs. C. French (skip-! ™?'w- re^ U' D- paterson> 'ttand W. Gardiner Murihiku (Southland): Messrs. W:' ■• Johnston (skipper), A. Phillips, R Bra™ V. Bragg, and Young! °c' Ihe non-inclusion of A. E. Matthews as a member of the Auckland crew has caused much surprise and comment in yachting circle*.in the North. In view of the practical manner, in which Matthews handled Rona in last year's contest, when she won three races in succession it was generally anticipated that tha same skipper would again be given the opportunity of sailing her in this year's contest. At least three, of the six men chosen, remarks a northern writer aro. capable of taking charge of Rona in any weather, but it is hard to understand why the advantage of the experience gained by Matthews in a" really hard blow Bhould not have been sought Messrs. Gifford, Brown, and Smith "are members of Rona's regular crew, and will sail the boat if moderate weather conditions are encountered while the heavy wetftfier crew will probably, bo Messrs Gifford, Willetts, and E. Matthews and that for very light weather Messrs. Lidgard, Brown, ana Smith. . . GENERAL NOTES. A shed at the boat harbour has been set aside for the use of the representatives of each of the provinces competing for the_ Cup, and special arrangements are being made for the entertainment during- .their stay in Wellington. The Port Nicholson Mbtor Boat Club has agreed to entertain the Sanders Cup yisitors at a launch picnic on' Sunday, 27th January, the day following the final race of the contest, and other clubs have undertaken to do their share of the entertaining. The Dominion Yachting Council, which meets annually at the time-'the Sanders Cup contest is sailed, will hive very little business to transact on Monday next. Last year the conference : a't Auckland' was of extraordinary * importance, on account of the discussion as a result of which Rona was selected as the standard type for nil new boats competing in the contests. On this occasion, however practically the only business to bo transacted will be the formal arrangements connnected with the contest, such as the election of starters, judges', and other officials. The rsal spade work for the contest has been done at previous conferences. Only one remit has been received for discussion. Yachtsmen have always shown themselves good sportsmen,'" and whichever province earns the right to hold the Cup for tho ensuing twelve months will receive the warm congratulations of the followers of the sport in the other., centres. The wish of every true yachts- " man is—May tho best boat via-!