AT THE SIGN of THE PENNANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 40, 10 May 1927, Page 7

AT THE SIGN of THE PENNANT

(By

KEELSON)

SATURDAY’S RACING

Every* - racing man is looking forward to the “mile-a-minute” boat which will obviously be statute miles, for not many of us have as yet dreamed of a boat doing a nautical mile in one minute. A nautical mile is 800 ft. longer than a statute mile, and is roughly figured at a mile aiid onesixth, but this is only approximate, for to be exact nautical miles must be multiplied by 1.1515 to obtain statute miles. In this part of the world we prefer to follow the English custom of counting out speed on the water in knots, which we think is the most seamanlike way of reckoning. PRIZE DISTRIBUTIONS One of the items of the various boating clubs’ agenda papers for their next meetings is the fixing of a date for the annual prize distribution. The Akarana Club has secured the Masonic Hall, Belgium Street, for their function, which will take the form of a dance. The Richmond Club is holding a special meeting to-night to discuss its social and prize night. The Victoria Cruising Club proposes to hold its function about the end of June, but the date has not been definitely fixed. • THE BURT CUP There was apparentl3 T some misunderstanding over the conditions under which the Burt Cup, which Yvas won last Saturday week by My Girl (stored by Miss Waldron) is competed for. The rules lay down that the launch must be steered by the wife, daughter, or fiancee of the owner. It is the Lunn Cup race in which the boat is Peered by a returned soldier, his wife, or his daughter. BIG LAUNCH FOR AUCKLAND OWNER An important addition to our local pleasure launches is now building in the yard of C. Wild at Stanley Point The launch is to the order and design of Mr. E. J. Kelly, late owner of the Daisy. She will bg one of the largest launches on the Waitemata, her dimensions being: Length overall, 46ft.; beam, lift 9in.: head room, 6ft. bin. The boat will be poYY'ered with one

Once again yachtsmen have had very unpleasant weather conditions for sailing - , particularly those who took part in the Takapuna Boating Club’s postponed fixture on Saturday afternoon. A good hard breeze from the southeast blew throughout the afternoon, and with the tide running out it was only to be 'expected a good bumpy sea woLild be raised. In most of the classes there were not sufficient starters to constitute a race, and these were declared off. The 26ft., 22ft. and 20ft. mullet boats just managed to get the necessary three starters, and incidentally a representative of each measurement, and they were dispatched on their long journey to Matiatia. They had not gone \ r ery far before the Winifred retired, thus leaving only Celox and Venus to fight qut the issue, which ended in favour of Venus by 2 min. 35sec., no part of her liberal handicap being required. It was a pity that only Scud and Kismet turned up to start in their respective classes, for if another- boat of either class had turned up, I feel sure the club would have put on a special race. It must have been very disappointing to the owner of Kismet after coming all the way from St. Bay, the slog back would not be appreciated in the circumstances. The keenness of the younger generation of yachtsmen was particularly evident in the Takapuna Club’s onedesign class, Delphine, Comet, Kitty and Tuatea facing the starter notwithstanding the boisterous conditions. The lads made a very good showing indeed, and were not a bit afraid to carry spinnakers off the wind. I must confess that this is the first race of the Z class that I have had the opportunity of witnessing from start to finish, and I am convinced that in a year or two these boys in a good 14ft. one-clesigner would be hard nuts to crack. The race itself was rather a good one to watch, though short, the Comet eventually winning from Delphine by a little over a minute. ON THE MANUKAU Yachting on the Manukau for this season was also brought to a conclusion on Saturday, with a race for the Fearon Challenge Cup, sailed under the auspices of the Manukau Cruising Club. Sylvia, being the holder, her right to retain possession of the cup, was challenged by Merry Jest. With conditions obtaining similar to those on our own harbour, it was necessary for both boats to take a tuck in their sails. As a contest it was interesting, but Sylvia was just that little bit better on the wind that made all the difference, and gave her possession of the cup for another year. HAULING UP FOR THE WINTER The conclusion of the Takapuna Club’s fixture on Saturday definitely marked the closing of the yachting season in Auckland. A visit to any of the hauling-out sites will suffice to show that winter storage is the main consideration. The energetic workers at the Victoria Club’s slipway got through a big weekend, no less than four launches and the keelers Iris, Peri and Loloma being hauled out in the one day. A strenuous job was undertaken by the crew of -Drone and some willing helpers last night, when, after hauling the 16-footer up on the beach at Judge’s Bay, they lifted her on to trolley wheels, and commenced a strenuous haul up the hill through Parnell Park to Gladstone Road, Yvhere Drone will be housed for the Yvinter. Overland the yacht does not live up to her speedy reputation through the water. KNOTS v. MILES The question of recording the speed in statute or nautical miles for powerboat races has recently been the cause of considerable discussion among the racing fraternity of America. It seems to be “the desire among the majority of American OYvners to use the statute mile, on the grounds that owners of fast boats wish to get all the credit due them as to speed, in language readily understood by those unlearned in nautical nomenclature.

Of course most power-boat men know that a nautical mile is 6,080 feet and that it is used by deep-sea navigators because it is exactly one-sixth of a degree, which simplifies their calculation, but tends to complicate matters for the owners of racing craft, who like to know tlieir boat’s speed in statute miles.

150 li.p. Loew Knight slee\*e-\*al\’e engine, which will drive her at a speed' of 15 knots. The construction of the new launch is well forward, having been finished off outside. The internal fittings are at present receiving the attention of the builder. The main cabin will be finished in polished oak. The kitchen, which is in the engine-room, will be constructed of marble, and the forward cabin finished off in kauri. The whole job is expected to be completed by September, in readiness for the opening' of the 1927-28 season. SANDERS CUP AGAIN Much space has been used up already in Sanders Cup business, but yachtsmen Yvill understand when I say that there are many points that want clearing up, points which should never have been allowed to exist, and that must of necessity and for fairness sake, be treated with a firm hand before the next contest comes off. At a meeting of the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association last week a letter was received from the Otago Association asking several questions about the measurement of Sanders Cup boats. They asked that, if a boat is built to the present plans, would she be eligible? Secondly, how much variation is alloYved from the plans. Just let us analyse the questions. Is the first one a snub to our loyal workers Yvho derived no monetary gain in putting the class on a fair, and definite footing by producing moulds, etc., to build replicas of Rona? If Otago boatbuilders are afraid to build to the design, Auckland boatbuilders have proved they are not. As the Southern association has been in possession of, and also built to the Rona design, the second question will take some understanding. The chairman of the Auckland Yacht and Motor Boat Association is reported to have said that he failed to see what the Otago Association was aiming at. Perhaps the question embodied in a note that I received a few* weeks ago may have some bearing on the subject.

I was asked Yvhether I had heard the rumour that Otago Imd an option on the purchase of Betty, pending the adoption or otherwise of suggested Dominion measurer. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that building in the class has stopped. There must be some reason for it. THE- MEASUREMENT QUESTION The only solution to the muchdiscussed question of measuring Sanders Cup contestants Yvould appear to be the suggestion made bj' Mr. E. J. Kelly some time ago, i.e., the making of light, metal, outside moulds, an identical set of each to be kept at the ; centres interested in the race. The only method of measuring at present is by means of a set of inside moulds, while the boat is being built. Once the decking it on the use of inside moulds is obviously out of the question. The proposed appointment of a Dominion measurer is also impracticable on account of the heavy expense involved. This point was stressed by Mr. J. B. Johnston at the meeting of the association. Otago yachtsmen are apparently no more in favour of this proposal than Aucklanders are. The matter will probably be referred to the Dominion Conference along Yvith the suggestion regarding the proposed sets of outside moulds. IN DEFENCE OF BETTY “Christchurch, May 2.—Dear Keelson. —A letter signed “Moss” in your column has been brought to my notice. In case anyone is inclined to swallow the astounding story that Betty is four inches out in the forward section, I had better contradict it. “When the Betty was planked up she fitted the moulds within an eighth of an inch everywhere, except the forw*ard mould w r aterline, which was a-quarter of an inch full; but in -working in the heavy gunwale an error crept in, and she is now approximately a half inch out at the forw*ard mould offsets at the deck-line. “This half inch is the most she is out anywhere unless alteration of the keel curve (common to five boats measured) has caused greater errors. “The reason that Betty is allow*ed to compete is because officials have tried and failed to find that she did not meet all the requirements of the specifications. “It is hard to see why the Betty should be made the scapegoat for some little dissatisfaction and doubt as to the future of the class. Although probably I have spent more time studying boat design and handling small boats than anyone in the Dominion, the value of lightness exemplified in Betty might have been conceived by a child’s mind, and it is quite legitimately employed. ‘Moss’ states that Betty is four inches out, whereas careful measurement shows her only aquarter of an inch out. “I believe that the reasons for so little building in the class are the great expense of building, and keeping up the show-case boats that are nownecessary to ha\*e a chance in the contest, and the w T ant of demand for them afterwards at a fair proportion of their cost, for ordinary racing. The first is the reason for the ultimate failure of most classes, and it is hard to find a re^ ne<^ J * Patiki classes, with competitive building, would soon .suffer likewise. “I belieY*e that a return to the old restricted class would induce several with ideas for faster models to build, and it should not harm the class.-u-I am, etc., Geo. G. Andrew’s.”