WELLINGTON ANNIVERSARY RAGATTA.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1539, 23 January 1879, Page 3

WELLINGTON ANNIVERSARY RAGATTA.

[Special Wire.] Wellington, January 22. To-day was observed as a holiday. The weather was very fine, with a fresh breeze the greater portion of the day, occasionally pretty strong, making the water rather rough for light rowing boats. For the first couple of hours the attendance was smaller than usual, but afterwards became very largo. For the Open Sailing Boat; race, of ton miles, for a silver cup and £lO, there were five entries —the Toy (Auckland built), Violet, Ofcaki, Lurline, and Pleiades. The Toy took the lead, showing her superior sailing qualities from the start, and soon left the others a long way behind. The Violet, which carried very heavy sail for her size, ran the Otaki pretty close for recond place, until the Olaki at length carried away her gunnel and fell back, giving the Violet second place, but neither of them could look at the Toy, which showed surprising speed and en me in first, leaving the others behind. The Toy immediately started off after the competitors in the Second-class Yacht race, which had started twenty-six minutes before. For the four-oarcd outrigger race of three miles, first prize £25 and silver salver, second £lO, there were three entries—Torpedo, Dolly Varden, and Wanganui. The Dolly had the most likely crew, and was forging well ahead of the other two, when sho was fouled by the yacht Good Templar, and injured so much that she drew out of the race and entered a protest. Afterwards the Wanganui crew proved to be no match for the Torpedo, which won easily, beating the Wanganui by 585ccs. Time —25min. 30secs.

First- class Yacht race of twenty miles; first prize, New Zealand Shipping Company's silver cup and £25 ; second, £ls. This was a gift to Kettell's Florence, which won the same race last year. She came in the first time round bo far ahead that the others were scarcely to be seen, and repeated her performance on the second round, leaving the others dimly showing in the distance. The Contrabandiero, which held second place on the first round, met with an accident, which compelled her to yield her position to the Xariffa. The other competitors were the Lena, Templar and Pet. For the Ship's Gig race of two miles, first prize silver cup and £lO, 2nd £5, there were three entries, the Hermiono, Pleiades and Neptune. A protest was entered against the latter, that she was not eligible as her crew were coal heavers, not on ship's articles. The Pleiades was the longest on the keel, and having six oars to the other's five, gained on the coal heavers in the latter half of the race. In consequence of the protcit the Hermione will not get second prize. For the Coasters' race of twenty miles, first prize, Shaw, Saville's silver cup and £4O ; second prize, £ls ; the entries were the Sarah Pile, 67 tons, Aspasia, Saucy Lass, and Star of the Sea. This was a very pretty race, and excited very keen interest. The first time round the course all the vessels came in a cluster up to tho flagship, rounding which was a very close shave, causing the display of some excellent seamanship. The Sarah Pile waß first, and luffing a little too soon, only just managed to cleay tho baws of the Taiaroa, which hastily paid away chain to avoid collision. As it was, tho mainsail seraoed against the bowsprit of the steamer. The* Aspasia, which was right on her hcols, did tho samo, and wuo Tory jickilj' mioslng stays, and lost a minute or ho while shaking in the wind. Time was taken as the vessals rounded the steamer. The Sarah Pile rounded at 1.48, Aspaaia 149, Star of the Sea 1.4!)?,, and tho Saucy Lass at 1.50 p.m. Then all j went off in a cluster again, and presented an attractive sight, tho Sarah increasing her lead as the wind freshened oh the second round. The Saucy Lass and Aspasia came into collision, and so much time waß lost that both lost all chance of tho race. Tho Sarah Pile led the second time round in fine style, being well handled throughout. The Star of the Soa was second, but as tirao is allowed for tonnage it is likely the Star of tho Sea will get first prize. Junior Four-oared Outrigger Race, tvro. miles ; first prize, silver plate of the value of £10; Becond, a plato of the valuo of £5. There were threp. entries, the Torpedo, Rocket, and Wanganui, but as the water was too rough to please the Wanganui crew, they did not come to the scratch The Torpedo were evidently the most powerful crew, and had it as they liked from start to finish. Whaleboat Race, three miles ; first prize, silver cup and £2O ; second, £7. A good ded of interest was i'elt in this race, as tho Wanganui crew, who rowed in the Lp.mger, seemed a very likely looking, crew, and their boat, which wuc considerably tho longest, carried way on her better than either of the other two. She wua formerly a batswing, from the Thames, and had been metamorphosed into a whaleboat by an alteration in her stern. The Echo is much shorter, and her crew were not up to much, tho stroke being a man who has been rowing far the last twenty years, and is considered rather stale, being qui!e frosty in hair and whiskers. The Arawata, on the other hand, was manned by a young and muscular crew, one of them being He>«"r., the.noted sculler and one of tho funjoujj Dolly Varden crew, who were almost invincible. Tho moment the flag dropped the Echo shot to the front, being the quickest to catch the water, but tho .Arawata went after them at a desperate rate, straining every nerve to reach the buoy first, in which there was an advantago. Thy Wanganui rowed a verv good stroke, but deliberate as comparod with the others. Tho Arawata stuck to it until they achieved what

1 they intended, and took first place. They then settled down to more regular work. I Before half the race was rowed the stroke of ■ the Echo broke his oar at the loom, where the I nails through the leather had apparently rotted it. They immediately turned round and came homo. The breeze having freshened about this time, the water became bumpy and slopped over so freely into the Danger that she became almost water logged, and the Arawata, which wis more buoyant, had it all her own way, apart from the powerful crew, and came in fully three parts of a mile ahead of the Wanganui boat. Second-class Yacht race of ten miles ; first prize, silver cup and £ls ; second, £7. Entries —Red Jack, Toy, Oceola, Flirt, and The Brothers. Tho Violet and lona did not start. It was seen from tho first that, bar accidents, the Red Jack must win, which she did in fine style, doing the courso in 2h. 4min., The Brothers second, Flirt third, and Toy fourth, she having been too much behind at the start. Junior Pair-onr Gig race—Kipple first, Venus second. The Kobe and Dart did not start. The Volunteer Whale Boat race fell through, tho Wanganui boat being tho only one prepared to come to the scratch. Four oared Inrigged Gig race, three miles ; first prize, plate value £2O. Entries—Rover, Maud, and Transit, the famous Wellington boat lately purchased for Wanganui, and with a career without a defeat while owned in Wellington. Again the muscular forms of the Arawata's crew were seen in the Rover, end they at once became the favorites. It was a case of men, not boats, and the result showed that public opinion was right in that instance The Maud's crew pulled pluckily from start to finish, and came in a very fair second ; but the Wanganui crow seemed to bo quite unused to rough water, and were all at sea, coming in very much behind. Timo—--25 min. 32 sees. Ships' Boat Sailing race, ten miles ; first prize, cup and £5. This was a keen race, the Otaki winning by only a few feet, the Pleiades second, Hermione third. The Scullers' race; first prize of the value of £7, was a hollow affair, being won by Hearn with the greatest ease, the other two apparently only going in to make up the race. Senior Pair-oared Gig race ; first prize, silver cup and £lO. Two came to the scratch, the Dart and Venus, both Wellington boats, but one of the Venus' crew being evidently in bad form. The Dirt won, though pushed by the Venus in gallant style the whole way. A duok hunt and greasy pole closed the day's programme. Kot a single accident occured.