OUR YACHTING VISITORS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1924, Page 10

OUR YACHTING VISITORS

WELCOME TO THE CITY.

Yachtsmen, officials of the various provincial yacht and motor-boat associations, and others who ,i;-e in Wellington in connection with the annual contest for the Sanders Memorial Challenge Cup were officially welcomed to the city at a civic reception held in the City Council Chamber late yesterday afternoon. :

The Mayor, in welcoming the visitors, said the Cup was the most coveted, yachting trophy not only in New Zealand, but also in Australia. The unique feature of the Cup waa that it bore three panels bearing references respectively by the King, the present Gov-ernor-General (Viscount Jellicoe), and the Lords of the Admiralty, to the valiant deed by which the New Zealand naval. officer -whom the cup commemorated, the late Lieutenant-Commander W. E. Sanders, V.C., D.5.0., R.N.R., won the Victoria Cross. He went on to trace the life history of Lieutenant-Com-mander Sanders, and to describe the naval action as a result of-which he won his distinction. Mr. Wright said he was sure all who had studied the life of New Zealand's naval hero would agree that the inscriptions on the cup were well deserved. If it had not been for Lieutenant-Commander Sanders's action there would be no Sanders Cup, nor perhaps would there be any other such coveted trophy for competition right throughout the. Dominion. He hoped the visitors would have an enjoyable stay in Wellington. They would find that, like all the other cities, Wellington possessed peculiar beauties, and he hoped they would take advantage of every opportunity to see its principal attractions... Yachtsmen were sportsmen of the truest, type, sportsmen for the sake of sport, "who; spent their money freely in order to benefit it.

Mr. A. B. Johnston, chairman of the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association, speaking on behalf of the visitors from the North, said the purpose of their visit was twofold—to renew old yachting acquaintances and to compete in the Sanders Cup contest. The event was a worthy one, sanctified by the memory of a dead yet ever-living hero, and also by the present Governor-Gen-eral. ■ The event was now firmly established in the Dominion, and the annual contest would do much to break down interprovincial jealousy and prejudices. Another worthy effect was that it would prepare the young men of New Zealand to take their part in the naval defence of the country.should the occasion arise. He concluded . with the remark that whoever won the Sanders Cup the representatives from the other centres would vie with one another in rushing forward to do homage to the victor. Mr. H. E. Moller, chairman of the Otago Association,- on behalf of' the So.uth Islanders, expressed appreciation of the action of the Auckland Association in allowing the contest to be held this year in Wellington waters. He had predicted last year that if the Cup was competed for outside Auckland Harbour it would be taken from the present Auckland holders'.. All- the challenging provinces were determined to capture.'it', and' they;^looked:7 foirward ~to a keen contest. In conclusin, he thanked the Mayor on behalf of the visitors for the li£ Cept'?n Recorded them> and wished Mr. ■ Wright .long -life and, many', happy years to come.

The gathering closed with cheers and a verse of the National Anthem.