THE LYTTELTON REGATTA.

Evening Star, Issue 4013, 6 January 1876, Page 3

THE LYTTELTON REGATTA.

The Champion Sailing Race proved a very hollow affair so far as the first prize was concerned; but the contest for second honors was not void of interest. The Alert, which was first favorite, had the misfortune to carry away her foretopmast prior to starting, and not being able to get up another one was placed at a great disadvantage. The Franklin Belle, which won so easily, was built in Hobart Town, but now belongs to Dunedin. She was considered dangerous from the outset, but no one expected to see her run away from the others in the way she did. She sails remarkably well up to the wind, and goes about like a top. Her captain said he could take her round a post, and after the way in which she rounded the buoys on Saturday no one will say but that be has some grounds for making the assertion. She carries a centre-board, and has an exceptionally light draught. This is not her first appearance with credit at a reSatta, This vessel, which has been built about seven months, took second prize at Hobart Town regatta. She is a barge with aflat bottom and a centre board 12ft Gin in depth, and we believe can show her heels to any vessel in New Zealand round such a course as that at Lyttelton on Saturday. The Alert was the favorite in the morning, but when a false start was made, a few minutes before the race really came off, a few of the knowing ones watched how she gathered way, and worked the oracle. The Leslie, another Hobart Town vessel, is very smart, and has a bottom like a yacht, but she is too big for Lyttelton harbor. Outside she would probably show her heels to the lot. The Alert came in second, but had to give the pi’ize to the XXX, that ketch being close on her heels, and not half the tonnage. The Jupiter, Reward, and Gipsy were never in the race, and neither *of them went right round. The yacht race brought a good lot of entries to the post, and the race proved a very interesting one. The first pi'ize again fell to Dunedin, to which port the Spray belongs. She was sailed by Mr Gibbs, of Dunedin, who sailed the winning yacht Ripple last year. The Spray was beautifully bandied throughout, and the greatest credit is due to Mr Gibbs, who undoubtedly won tbe race by superior bandlixxg of his craft. The Xarifa belongs to Wellington ; the Advance, Fleetwing, and Annie Ogle to Lyttelton; the Scud and Venture to Akaroa. The Fleetwing had the misfortxxxxe to split her jib in starting, and havixxg only a small storm jib to replace it with, lost considerably by the mishap. The extexxt of the misfortxxue may be judged fi’om the fact that prior to starting the race was considered to lie between the Fleetwing and Annie Ogle. The finish of the yacht race is thus described by the ‘Lyttelton Times’:—“For some time all interest had been centered in these two vessels, the othex's beixxg hopelessly distaxxced, and it bocaixxe very exciting when it was understood that the Annie had to increase her lead in beating ixp to the flagship in erder to make xxp to the toixxxage time she had to allow. Ixx beating xip the Spray by superior handling got to windward of the Aniue, which made the x - acc still more exciting. The Spray tried to weather the Mary Ann Annison, bat failed to do so, and her captain putting up his helm went mxder the stem of her very cleverly. This deviation by the Spray favored the Axxnie a little. On neaxing the flagship, the Annie tried to fetch right in, but failed to do so, and had to make a short board. In the meantime the Spray came up again, and the Amxie going round rather too soon on the port tack, was in danger of having to give way to the Spray (which, by tbe rules, she would have had to do), or of fouling her. The Spray, however, went about a few feet from the Annie to save a foul, and this being beautifully done, evoked loud cheers from the flagship. The Spray now held a slight lead, and though looking at one time as if she would have to go about again to weather the flagship, held her wind beautifully, and passed the winning line two lexxgths 'ahead of the Annie—a feat which excited fux-ther cheering. The Scud came in a very bad third. The time at which each of the three came in was—Spray, 4h Slmin 55sec. ; Annie Ogle, 4h 52min 20sec; Scud, 5h 25min 45sec,