MERITORIOUS WIN

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1932, Page 12

MERITORIOUS WIN

COENWELL CUP EACE

PLIMMERTON EASILY

A meritorious win was registered by the Plimmerton crew—C. Eedward and T. Julian forward hand)—in the fifth Cornwell Cup race yesterday afternoon. They took the lead soon after the start and ■\vere never afterwards troubled, finishing 4min 35sec ahead of Auckland.

The wind was a light to moderate northerly. The windward and leeward course was from the Evans Bay Clubhouse to Shark Bay, down to Shag Point, and back twice, then to Shag Point and to the clubhouse.

The draw for boats resulted: Auckland, Shirley; Manukau, Wee May; Plimmerton, Runa; Porirua, Waitui; Wellington, Winsome; Christehurch, Wet-U; Lyttelton, VVairoa; Otago, Nukumai. Porirua had the worst of the start on the long beat to the Shark Bay buoy, and Plimmerton, Auckland, and Otago were the early leaders. Once the crews settled down the Plimmerton boys began to draw out, their boat going well into the wind and slipping nicely through the water. At the buoy Plimmerton had a lead over Auckland of lmin 18sec, with Otago nearly a minute further back, then Lyttelton and Porirua, and finally Wellington, Christehurch, and Manukau in that order. PORIRUA RETIRE. On the run to Shag Point Plimmerton increased their lead over Auckland by 19sec, and Otago, as a result of smart spinnaker work at the start, closed up slightly on the second boat. The Lyttelton boat also made a fast run, and was only 23seo behind Otago at the mark., Porirua were fifth, but their boat touched the buoy, and the boys immediately retired. Christehurch and Wellington were, nest round, the Manukau crew having retired with their boat half-full of water. The Wellington sail appeared to be setting very badly as the boats beat up the bay again to Shark Bay. Gilligan, the Wellington skipper, tried his luck up the eastern shore, but made no impression on the leading boats; on the contrary, the Winsome fell further behind on every board. At the windward mark Plimmerton were leading Auckland by 2min 35sec, and Otago by 3min 25sec. Of the other three only Lyttelton were in the running, but they were smin behind the leading crew. The Christehurch boat retired through, hitting the buoy. NEARLY A CAPSIZE. Plimmerton nearly went over as they squared away on the run, but a good recovery was made. There was delay in setting the spinnaker, and Auckland and Otago reduced the gap, but the northern crew had to stand well past the buoy with their spinnaker giving trouble, and they lost much of the advantage they had gained, rounding 2min 4sec after Plimmerton. Otago followed 40sec further bat:k, with Lyttelton close up fifth, and Wellington well in the rear. The final beat up to Shark Bay resulted in the Plimmerton boat again taking time out of Auckland and going round for the run nearly 4%min to the good. Otago were still, third, but had fallen behind on the Wind and were 6mia 41sec later than Plimmerton at the buoy. Lyttelton were holding on, although they had no chance of a win unless all the other boats capsized, and their skippers were taking no chances. The run to Shag Point and the beat to the finishing line did not alter the order, and Plimmerton went on to score a welldeserved win. The official finishing times were:—Plimmerton, 6hr 28min 30sec; Auckland, 6hr 33min ssec; Lyttelton, 6hr 34min 2sec; Otago, 6hr 34min 51sec; Wellington, 6hr 49min. THE RUDDER QUESTION. The advisability or otherwise of altering the present type of . rudder for the Takapuna class was considered by the Dominion Conference last evening. Several delegates favoured a bigger rudder to give better control of the boats when running before the wind, and it was considered that a rudder of the same size as at present but' deeper in the water might meet the complaints that had been made. The question of the possibility of added expense was raised, but it was thought that any concern on that ground was needless. The chairman (Mr..J. Mackay, Auckland) considered that inexperience and lack of balance were the primary causes of the capsizes which had occurred, but said that the Takapuna Boating Club was prepared to adopt any rudder which proved more suitable than that at present used. It was finally decided to suggest that the Takapuna Boating Club experiment /with different types of rudder, and if. one was evolved which it was thought would be of general utility throughout New Zealand, patterns could be supplied to the various ports and rudders made to be reported upen at the nest Dominion Conference. \