YACHTING.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 12 April 1910, Page 3

YACHTING.

Til 10 POSSIBILITIES OF Til 10 lIOROmiENUA LAKE.

(Specially written for " The Horowhenua Chronicle.")

From the earliest times the heart of main lias responded to" the cnll of the sea, and the evolution of the craft constructed hv primitive man to that of the "Shamrock" and tin* "Constitution " of the present day has been thorough and consistent. The same motive and the same pleasure stirred in the hrea.st of tho„,savage, as lie bestrode a loo; or paddled his canoe down the reaches of some river or across the surface of some lalce, as tlval which prompts Sir Thomas Lipton in his persistent efforts to wrest I'rom America the Blue Ribbon of yacht racing. The call of the sea is in the veins—always has been, nnd always will be. Nothing can wash it out, and tlio more it is temporarily satiated, the greater is its lastin p; power. From time to time Rovalty has shown marked susceptibilities for yachting. Charles IT., though hardly a success as a kino;, was a keen sportsman, and loved and knew a good hoat. lie created the first, yacht squadron in England, and sailed his own boat in the first race, of which there remains any record, beating his brother. the Duke of York. Peter the Great, the most notable Czar of nil tlic Russias. and builder of St. Petersburg. was another good sailornvan and lover of yachts. His is, perhaps, .the strangest of all the instances of sea-going spirit. Being brought among the people on the inland steppes iff the country, lie associated with those who had no nautical experience whatever: but. before reaching the age of twentyone he had made himself a practical shipbuilder and .a first-class sailor. Other Royal personages have taken ever as great- interest in this great spurt. The evolution in tha Type of craft has gone on down through the ages, from the ancient Roman barge with its double banks of oars, worked by slaves, and small gaudy sail: the ancient Vikiing's vessel with which he used to navigate the .stormy w.aters of the North Atlantic; the Pelican, with her bluff nose and high poop of the sixteenth century ; down to the symmetrical yacht with its lavish and its costly fittings used by the millionaires of the world al tl'ie present day. To many places yachting lias assumed gigantic proportions, but here people are compelled to do things on a small scale, and tin 1 reasons are obvious. fn the first place the area and depth of our hike are too small to permit of large and deep draught vessels:' and secondly. there are no_ millionaires in the immediate vicinity of l.evin. Rut we can evolve .a class ol boat within the reach of all that will make the men who work them handy, smart, and resourceful. I he water ol the lake is free to all. a few pounds will buy a boat, and there is nothing to pay lor the wind which propels ir. With these advantages it is indeed a poor man who cannot avail himself ol the opportunities which Nature provides. THE CLASS OF ROA f TO nl'l f.D. Without going into tin* minute.-'! details, we may sav that the cost of the type of boat most suitable to the waters of the lake ought not to exceed .(.'3O. Of course, .should a type of racing machine, such as is seen in Sydne\ and other Australian harbours be evolved, the cost becomes without limit. In our own case, and in all others the-'questions of cost is a big item amongst the greater number ol people interested in the .sport , the controlling body should exercise _ its powers in the placing of restriction 1on the beam ot the boat, sail area, a,ml the ballast carried —or yacht racing as a sport will be ruined. With these digressions kept well in view, it will be seen that the ISIt. class, with a beam of i'rom six to eight feet, carrying a sail area ol about 300 square feet, is the most desirable boat to build. I'or those who desire a smaller type the Kilt, boat, beam live to seven leet. and the lift. boat, beam four to .-ix feet, are classes that are also sui'able for the sheet- of water at our disposal. The timber used shoe'! in all cases be kauri, for praeticallv uo other New Zealand word will st''iid the action of the lake water. White pine lasts only two or three, sease.ns, and consequently will -row a great deal more expensive than kauri in the end. THE ROSSI RIT, I TIES OF YACHTING ON THE LAKE. There are many boys in and around Levin who have the right spirit, which, if properly fostered, would lay the foundation id' a line sailing club, which would undoubtedly arid to the attractiveness of the local lake. At p resell it there is no one here to take the leading part, and consequently tbe boys are wasting their time ill paddling about in the shallows, or trying to make the best of a bad job on a. leg or in a canoe. East year we had a live model yacht club, but this sear it appears to have become defunct. It is unfortunate for local boating that this is so. for fluboys who sail mode! yachts to-day ■are to be the backbone of the .sai 1 - ing clubs in the future. Indications point, however, to an inereas•■d popularity in sailing, and the future of boat racing seems wc!l assured. ' From the spectacular point of view the lake is a;n idee,l place- for racing, for the boats are in view during the whole of the race. hi many places only tiestart and finish of a race can lie viewed by the public, consequenllv much of the pleasure is lost. With a keen interest displayed during the next season by local yachtmeu. sailing and sailing races should become- one of tlio features of t.fu lake. THE VALUE OF YACHTING. To the uninitiated, yachting h merely a pleasure, having no moral or intrinsic value whatever. But it is a fact that the training received from boat racing is the hardest and the best. Each main in the crew must bo ready to give the best that is in him; there must be no hanging hack, no dodging, but implicit obedience and readiness to respond to the word of command. There must, be loyalt-v in the highest. degree. ft is. a great sport, and good for >a man mentally, morally "and physically. For the youngsters no better school can be procurable. The laws that, govern it are equal, and the reward—or punishment— sure. One chance onlv is given; one false move with its m om einbarv nervousness, and grace is certain. Tt cannot- fail to he good training for the boys, because it hardens them up, browns their skins, and teaches tliem readiness and resource. Tt brings them into touch with Nature, teaches them to study her ways, and brings them closer to the real tilings ol life. CLEANNESS OF THE fIPORT. Boating is a sport that .is clean and wholesome; one.of the few forms of .sport which the element of gain has not penetrated. With butjow exceptions, the true amateur spirit, reigns in boating circles. The rules that govern this sport preclude the possibility of the Contaminating influence of the "crook," and the word "stiff - "' is unknown. On this cleanness may be based the welfare

of its future, and "its votaries will he those in which the spirit ol dean sport is uppermost. Willi a. little I'l.stering there is no reason. \\h.\ boating s'noukl. not become one ol the leading sports of fjevin. 'I he opportunities are here, and it remain?; only for some linn hand to -.niiiie the rising >.■: 'uerafinn in Hie ~jrvl,t ch.vr 1 i »<■■me its <- - u-. C.- - .