BAYSWATER SNAPSHOTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 254, 17 January 1928, Page 14

BAYSWATER SNAPSHOTS

CORNWELL CUP CONTEST The Cornwell Cup contest is now properly under way, and the series of races is at present the centre of Auckland aquatic gossip. At the time of going to press three races have been held, and a fourth is in process of decision. Ideal weather conditions have prevailed up to the present, and there has been sufficient wind to give the young crews a sound testing. • • • On Saturday there was a full mainsail breeze coming down almost due north. The course that afternoon gave a spinnaker run, a dead slog, and another run over the triangle. After an excellent race the Whangarei boys, INI. Robinson and N. Hollows, carried off the honours. Auckland came along next only 33 seconds in arrears, and after the local crew came Canterbury 11 seconds behind. Splendid racing. The winners sailed the boat Delphine. Auckland was aboard Lai Lai, and Canterbury drew Trevic. * * * The second race began at 12.45 p.m. yesterday, and was sailed over the same course as Saturday’s race, only the east-nor’-east wind eliminated a beat. The boats had a run to the Northcote mark, a close haul to the bay-head buoy and another close haul to the finish. This race was won by Otago after an exciting tussle with Wellington by 17 seconds. There was also a keen go for third place between Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Tauranga. Only one second separated the first two of the trio, and the last-named was only three seconds behind Canterbury. This shows the boats to be very well matched as regards speed capabilities.

Race number three, also held yesterday afternoon, was contested over a different course. This time the boats were sent for a run to Northcote buoy, thence they had a beat to a mark-boat moored off Bays water Point, thence there was a close haul back home, the other two races were exciting, this one was doubly so. A great finish was witnessed when Otago, Hawke's Bay and Canterbury swept almost abreast toward th© finishing line. First one and then another would gain the advantage until Otago got her nose over just two seconds ahead of Hawke’s Bay. Then Canterbury arrived six seconds after the Bay boys. • * • Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga put up a hot fight for fourth place. Nine seconds separated the first two, and the local lads beat their plucky little rivals, the Carter boys, of Tauranga, by a solitary second. Even more closely contested races will probably be seen as the boys get used to the vagaries of Waitemata tides and breezes, but the most sceptical canrot grumble at these results, which are as close as many Sanders Cup races.

Every contest has its comedy. Much amusement and a good deal of astonishment was caused when Whangarei’s boat capsized, during the second round of the second race. The Northern boys were second to last at this stage, and were having trouble with their spinnaker when over they went. Strange to say the boat did not fill, although it lay right over on its starboard side. One of the crew was shot out and swimming round he joined his mate, who could be seen hanging on to the weather side. To everybody’s amazement they righted the boat, hoisted the mainsail, stowed the spinnaker and joined in again in time to tease Mar ukau, who was chugging along well astern of the rest of the flotilla.

An unfortunate incident occurred during the third race, which ultimately cost Otago the race, .although the Southern boys finished first. Somehow, while the Hawke’s Bay boat was standing out In the bay on the starboard tack on the beat to the Bayswater mark-boat, Otago, on the port wind, rammed the other fairly amidships. Of course there could be only one result. Yet no abuse followed the collision. At the nautical inquiry held afterwards Riddell and Churchill, like good sportsmen, did not quibble or excuse themselves for the mistake, but admitted the error of judgment at once, and so the race went to Hawke’s Bay. Mrs. T. Hutchinson, of Napier, mother of one of the young crew of the Hawke’s Bay boat, is a keen follower of yachting. She came all the way from the East Coast to watch her son and his mate’s fortunes, and it was a very proud mother that saw her boy sail a splendid race.