YACHTING

Evening Star, Issue 19793, 17 February 1928, Page 12

YACHTING

[By For’ard Hand.] FIXTURES. February 18.—0. Y. Club races; third Paterson Cup race. February 25.—Port Chalmers Ladies’ Day. N.E.H. Club races. March 3.—Port Chalmers Club races. March 10 —North-east Harbor Club, All-comers’ Yacht Rate, March 17.—Moffat Cup race. April 16.—Broad Bay Club races. Sanders Cup Trials at Stewart fsland.—February 17, February 18, February 20, and February 21. WEEK-END TIDES. The following times are according to daylight saving hours:— Saturday.—Dunedin, 2.08 a.m., 2.34 p.m.; Port Chalmers, 1.38 a.m., 2.04 p.m.; Heads, 1 a.m., 1.24 p.m. Sunday.—Dunedin, 2.59 a.ra., 3.26 p.m.; Port Chalmers, 2.29 a.m., 2.56 p.m.; Heads, 1.49 a.m., 2.16 p.m, AROUND THE CLUBS. —Broad Bay.— The Rewa has been sold by Reg. Malthus to Stan. Paterson, and has taken up moorings at the boat harbor. Evidently her new owner has not yet learnt the little fads of the engine, as she was seen to he drifting most of the way home on Sunday evening. Vera and Shadow were cruising about the bay on Sunday with large parties aboard. —N.E.H.— The North-east Harbor Club’s picnic, which was held at the Fish Hatcheries on Saturday, was attended by about forty members and supporters of the club. They were conveyed from the bay in the launches Marewa, Jewel, and Silvocea, and games were indulged in. In a short speech the commodore (Mr G. Bewley) thanked the boat owners for conveying the people, and expressed the hope that all had enjoyed the afternoon. Marata was slipped last Thursday for cleaning and painting, _ and was launched again on Friday. Fine weather prevailed on Sunday, and the yachts Wildcat and Sea Hawk visited the bay. Miss Bruce gave a demonstration on Sunday morning, and quite a number of speed boat enthusiasts have been taken for a run by Mr Drummond. The outboarder Jade was cruising about, but has bad her engine slightly damaged. The Mavis is at present undergoing overhaul, while Lassie is drying out in preparation for the Port Chalmers regatta. A presentation social for the Cornwell Cup crew will be held in Macandrew’s Bay Hall on Wednesday, February 29.

OTAGO YACHTING CLUB. The second scries of club races conducted by the Otago Club will take place to-morrow over the club course. Good entries have beeen received, and if the ideal weather that has prevailed for the last few weekspeontinues some fine racing should be seen. The series will consist of events for yachts l°!t Gin and under, general handicap for yachts, Paterson Cup for class B outboards, outboard unlimited, and a general handicap for launches inboard powered. Minnow has been on the slip ior a week undergoing a general clean up, and is again looking as spick and span as paint will make her. Viking is again on the slip as the result of running on the wall at the boat harbor. An attempt was made to leave the boat harbor at about quartertide, but her keel was embedded about Gin in the mud, and she would not respond to the rudder, running on the wall and damaging the garboard strake. THE AURIGA. A visitor to the boat harbor on Sunday was the launch Auriga en route from Oamaru to Stewart Island. The launch carried a party which made the trip to witness the Sanders Cup races. She left the harbor on Monday for Halfmoon Bay. Among those on board were Mr H. Grocott and his son. Mr Grocott, sen., is well known to. those yachtsmen who participated in the ocean races from Otago to Oamaru many years ago. At one time h© sailed the ex-Dunedin yacht Myrtle, which w-a smashed on the rocks at Oamaru in July last year. BOAT HARBOR SILTING UP. It has been apparent for some time that the boat harbor is nut the sufe and deep haven that it was some time ago. Towards the end of last winter the Otago Yacht Club Committee realised that the depth of water was insufficient, and the Harbor Board dredged it out for them; but now, scarcely five months later, it is in a position just as bad, if not worse than, it was before the dredging took place. This not only causes inconvenience to boat owners, but is also a menace to those using the haven. If a boat once gets her keel into the mud it is only with difficulty that she can be controlled, while in the case of a yacht it is almost fatal, and there is no knowing what damage might be done to other boats on their moorings. Though there has, as yet, been no serious damage done, an accident with serious consequences might happen any day, and surely a skipper whose boat was in the mud could not be held responsible for any damage caused to other craft while his boat was unmanageable. If the sport is to flourish, especially the sailing branch, it is imperative that something should be done to keep the boat harbor at a sufficient depth to enable its being used at all states of the tide.

WHAT IS A YACHTSMAN? An article under the hand of one John Crossley Hartle, who is ( one of the crew of Utiekah 111., an Australian yacht at present in the South Seas, was published in the Melbourne ‘ Herald ’ on July 7. The article in some respects is interesting, but a portion under the heading ‘ What is a Yachtsman?’ is both misleading to those who know little of the sport and offensive to those who love to sail in small craft, and who endeavour to uphold the traditions of the sea so well established by our brethren of the great service—the Navy. Great exception has been taken in all yacht clubs in Victoria to the words which were written, and which, no doubt, have been assimilated by the public. Mr Hartle writes in the following strain ;—“ Now the difference between a yachtsman and a sailor is somewhat after this wise: The sailor does what has to be done, because it is useful or necessary, and when done, it usually ‘ stays put ’; but the yachtsman does what is supposed to be the correct thing, according to theory, even it be neither useful, necessary, or ornamental, and usually it has to be done all over again in accordance with some other weird theory. When the sailor is in difficulties, or fears bad weather, he puts out to sea in order to get room to roll his eyebrows, whereas we yachtsmen bolt for the nearest funkhole. The one looks on his ship as his servant, and as a means to an end, but the other is a slave in the service of his yacht, and apparently looks upon it as an end in itself. Our gods are Mulhauser, Voss, Connor, and O’Brien, Ralph Stock, and others of that ilk, and their writings_ are our Bibles and our psalters, containing all the law, and the prophets.” Mr Hartle, in referring to his shipmates, writes also thus:—-“We justified a terra applied to us some time ago, ‘ The Bold Adventurers,’ and that is a very polite and kindly way of saying it. Wo might bo called ‘ B.A.’s ’ of another sort —and with far more truth.” “ Crosstree ” writes in the ‘ Australian Motor Boat and Yachting Monthly ’ that he is amazed to read that one who apparently classes himself as a yachtsman, should so demean his journalistic capabilities by writing an article which is, at its best, an effort to make the true yachtsman appear in the eyes of the public as a man who engages in a sport which is carried out according to “theory,” whether it he “ useful ” or “ necessary,” and which from the tone of the article, would lead the layman to believe that yachting is mere red tape. The reference to yachtsmen “bolting for the nearest funkhole ” when im element of danger is present, is as nauseating to the true yachtsman as it is untrue. The latter part of Mr Hartle’s article may refer to his own conception of things, but the view will not be shared'by all. Mr Hartle must have, indeed, trained in a “ weird ” yachting school. The inis yachtsman is one who has a. genuine love of the sea in all its moods. He is one who should first have a knowledge of his yacht and her peculiarities, and secondly, know how to handle her to best advantage. He is a man who will not sail into danger for danger’s sake, but once in it, will keep his head and do his best to get out as easily as possible. He loves to see his craft in the best fo trim and condition, and he does things because they should be done, and in doing them be applies practice to aid theory. He thinks ahead, and meets difficulties when they come. He does not rely on the other fellow, but does his own job. Whether he be racing or cruising he is always keen on what he is doing. He knows sailing rules and regulations, and observes them. He is not finite like the sailor of old of whom the poet thus,spoke: “Every finger a roaflinspike, every hair a piece of seizing twine, and every drop of blood Stockholm tar”; but ho remembers the old advice, “ One hand for yourself. one for the ship, and never let go till you are sure of the next move.”