YACHT RACE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 61, 12 March 1875, Page 2

YACHT RACE.

[communicated.] ' The somewhat disappointing nature of the yacht race at the recent Regatta, produce 1 a challenge on tehalf of one of the defeated boats, the Star, to sail either or both of the other 3 round Tonga Island, which was at once taken up by the Minnehaha, but declined by the owners of the Claymore, the winning boat at the Kegat a. The result of the challenge, therefore, was simply a match between the well-known Minne and the new iron boat, which was saile 1 on Tuesday last, the course being from Nelson round Adele Island and back to the llell buoy, some 50 miles or so in a direct Jourse. The boats started at 10 30, against tie last of the flood*, from buoys moored oflij the Government wharf. Both got away smartly, and crowde i all sail under a light sea breeze for the run down to the en ranee of the harbour, which they reached level. The Minne then 11 kept more away, ami crossed the bows of the Star, which hauled her wind sooner, and settled down on the weather quarter of the Minne under all fore-and-aft sail for the long reach to Adele Island. The Minne kept well full, the fc*tar lying as closu as she could go, and the result of the fi st tack at 12-45 was that the Star weathered the Minne by three or four lmndrei yards. On the other tack, however, the Minne did better, and when she went about again at r 15, weathered ihe Star by about fifty yards. The Sar appeared to keep on this tack too long, as the wind was breaking off, and she evidently had not done so well upon it. At 2 p.m. she went abou f , the Minne being hull down heading for Riwaka, the Star lying up better, but not making the way of her rjval against a short quick Eea, which rose fast as ths wind freshened, and into which 6he plunged heavily, whilst the sharp deep Minne cut clean through it, going without gaff-topsail, very wet but very fast. The Star still carried all sail, aud longe 1 for wind to drive her. Wi en near the Riwaka shore the Minne went about, a long way to leeward of the Star, and at 3-15 p m. went about ngain, heading with'tho Star for Kaiteriteri, and leading her by perhaps a mile, which represmted ihe gain she hid made whilst the boats were in the pen way. As they nearcd the west coast the Avind hauled more off, the Minne heading into Sandy Bay, whist the Star looked well up into Astrolabe Road?. Here the wind fell light, and tha Minne seemed to gt-t embayed, whilst the Star held, well on, and appeai't d to have every chance of passing her r.val. The wind, "however, fell so light that neither boat could do much for some time, until the Minne caughtspjne v ice little airs, which carried her wel^fptn^-Koada, and at last at 9 pin. rojmded the north point of the island, when alfe met a nice SW. breeze, which enabled /her to lie her course beautifully for the ' reach homo. At 1 a.m., however, thiafaileJ, leaving her a'f w miles fr.-ra the entrance of the harbor, then with a light "N/YV. air 6he ret Bquireeail, which carried her on until she met a light breeze out of the Muifai, and so crawled along under the Boulder Bank, until she burnt her bhie light at the winning post at 4' 10 a.m. 'ftlean while the Star lay becalmed for a long ."time off Fisherman's Island, until at 6 55 a light air took her half way through the roads, when it fell so light that for some time she barely held her own against the srong flooi tide. At length aj; 9-50 she cleared the isl«nd, and felt the* same breoze that the Minne bad been jfivjoying for the previous hour, and spun along in great syle ia smooth water, until she sighted the light djb 1140, when it fell away, and very soon after It ft her altogether becalmed. At 2 a.m. set the squaresiil to a light air from the N.W., which it 11 again in a few minutes to a flat calm, thence she had light airs from the southward, altogether barely enough to enable her to holt her own a^tunst the ebb, and for some hours she made litile or no way whitever. At 5 am. it was again a dead calm, until at last a light southerly breeze deal ahead sp ang up, uDder which she slowly beat down to the buoj', which she passe 1 at 740 a.m., three hours anil a half behind her rival. The match 'ost much of its intere-t from the fi kleness or to'al want of wind, but was still a most interesting o-e, and has prove! that either boat well sailed, a 9 they undoubtedly were on this occasion, would be a difllcult one to beat. Each has points of sailing upon which it can teat tho other, and it setuisas if the sain* rare might be siled half a dozen time s, with equal r suits on either side. The Star had no chance of proving what she co ild do when goin* free, or in a heavy breeze, in which it is believe I nothing hero can touch her, the race having been throughout sailed in lic,ht airs, close /inu/erf, but she must always give the " Minne " best in any light airs or in a s» ort sett, in either of which the latter is remarkably f st. In any case we shf.ll look forward to their next meeting Avith great inteiest, and congratulate their spiriteJ owners upon having given so great an impt-tus to a class of eport which is of the very bek and healthiest kind.