Akarana’s Yachts in Easterly Blow

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 226, 13 December 1927, Page 14

Akarana’s Yachts in Easterly Blow

There was a fresh easterly breeze blowing in on Saturday when the Akarana Yacht Club held cruising races for keel yachts. mullet boats and launches to Awaroa Bay and harbour races for the small craft and outboard motor-boats.

This was the first occasion this season that the competitors in cruising races had to beat out of harbour, and hitherto the yachts had started “off” the wind. Some excellent sailing was seen, particularly in the keel classes and the M boats.

A total of 74 entries were received in all classes and 61 boats fulfilled their promises to start. Ten entries were received in the A, B and C classes and eight sailed in the event. lorangi and Victory were missing. Three out of five in the E class faced the starter Mirage and Aurora being the absentees. All three V class boats turned out and sailed a fair race. The remainder of this class were evidently not keen to go outside the harbour limits and probably the event will not be sailed outside again. The others cannot be blamed for holding off —even with the enticement of a dance at the destination.

A fine race was staged between Waitere 11. and Starlight in H class-and good handicapping on the wind .was revealed. The presence of the vessel Tymeric, which was making for a berth at King’s Wharf, caused a little confusion at the start and Esma and Celox got in each other’s way. All the entrants started.

In N class three out of four put in an appearance, Ngawa being the defaulter. Members of the crew of Wairere are learning the sailing business with better results each time. This was their first real test against the wind and a creditable performance was put up. They have a good boat and with experience will come greater success. The crack mullet boat Valeria showed a pair of twinkling heels under Mr. J. McWhirter’s directions and proved her worth on the wind. She won after an exciting race with Venus. All seven entrants duly lined up and enjoyed the race although Waima and Mowai did not complete the course. The most popular win of the day was undoubtedly Maratea’s victory in the harbour race for M class boats. This was the new boat’s second race since she was built this season and after holding a position close behind Matarere and Manene on the close haul on the second lap of the harbour race, she saw her chance on the run back to the finishing line. Setting her Spinnaker she made good time to score a comfortable win. Congratulations to Maratea. Mawhiti, which had been prominent in other clubs’ races, got lost this time and arrived home last.

Ola IV. won easily enough in the Star class from MOa, which finished 24s ahead of June. Unfortunately the last-named carried away her backstay. However, she really lost her chance when Ola’s skipper changed her lead to second place by a strategic turn on rounding for the second lap. Five out of six appeared for the S class race. Yachtsmen will sympathise with the owner of Namu, Mr. Pollard, Jnr., whose father’s mill was destroyed by fire on Friday morning. That is why his son’s boat could not start. Mistral was apparently safely in the lead when she had the bad luck to carry away her bobstay on the beat to the Sandspit. Sea Sleigh then sailed to advantage and won. Atangatai was put out of the running when she buckled her centreboard. * * * A fine field started away in the T, X and Y combined race, no fewer than 11 boats hearing the gun. Linnet qualifies for the second heat to be sailed next Saturday in continuation of the tests for the prize of a mainsail given by Mr. P. D. Leah. * * * Taken as a whole the handicapping in the harbour events was fairly well done, but the cruising races were not particularly well gauged. The stiff blow in harbour was not reckoned with and that was nobody’s fault.