Cornwell Cup Debate

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 269, 3 February 1928, Page 7

Cornwell Cup Debate

AUCKLAND AND OTAGO PERFORMANCES COMPARED AsVi ed to comment on the recent Cornwell Cup contest, a well-known yacht racing authority, who at present wishes to be anonymous, prepared the following summary of the Auckland and Otago crews’ performances. He has gone to considerable trouble to work out times, and his efforts show conclusively that the more consistent crew won the cup. He says: ■'There seems to be a difference of opi:ninion as to the decision of the delegates to re-sail the fifth race. In my opinion I think the ruling was sound, taking the i Cornwell Cup rules in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association rules. Apart from the rules it was the decision of the delegates from all ports, they being placed in a position to find two champion boys (not boats). Anyone studying the following would readily decide that the decision was a just one. “Auckland finished second in the first race, 33s behind the Whangarei boys, the winners, and Otago finished fifth, 2m 45s behind Auckland. In the second race Auckland were placed sixth, the winner being Otago, who finished 3m 29s ahead of Auckland. In the third race Auckland finished fourth, being 2m 26s behind Otago, who collided with Hawke’s Bay. Hawkes’ Bay were the winners of this race. Auckland crossed the line just before gunfire with spinnaker set. They had to lower away, keep clear of the other boats, return and recross the line, loosing 4m in doing so. Their time for sailing the course was actually lm 34s faster than that of Otago. It has been stated that Otago crossed the line first four times, but they certainly should have retired in this race as the breach of sailing rules was quite clear against the Otago boat and was declared by them on iinishing. “The fourth race was a most exciting one, both Otago and Auckland racing for the finishing line on almost even terms, the Otago boys getting the verdict by 5s which represented under a boat length difference. THE FIFTH RACE “In the fifth race, after rounding the second mark of the course Auckland rounded 33s behind Otago. The race had been in progress up to this mark only about 11 minutes. Shortly after rounding the mark Canterbury fouled and disabled Auckland who had to retire. One hour eight minutes elapsed between startling and finishing time which shows that Auckland had every chance of winning. This surely justified the delegates in arriving at their decision, as subsequent races will prove. ** “In the re-sail of the fifth race, Auckland boys showed exceptional ability and skill in seamanship, the spinnaker work being worthy of special comment in both rounds of the course. The finish was 12m 26s ahead of the Otago boat. “In the sixth race Auckland again demonstrated their ability and beat Otago, the second boat, by 5m 50s. “The Auckland boys in the .seventh race crossed the line 24s ahead of Whangarei, the Otago crew finishing 2m 14s later than Auckland. The Whangarei boys reported that The Auckland spinnaker boom touched the shrouds of their boat in rounding the Northcote mark and at an inquiry, held after the race, Auckland was disqualified and the race was awarded to Whangarei. “The position of the contest at this period placed Otago, Whangarei and Auckland on a level footing with two wins each. “The eighth and deciding race was won by Auckland, who finished 52s ahead of Canterbury, the second boat, beating Otago by 6m 465.” BOATS ALMOST IDENTICAL It has been hinted in Southern papers th4it Otago’s run of successes fnom the second to the fifth races and Auckland's run of first from the sixth to the eighth heats were due to luck in successively drawing the best boats. Individual opinions given by delegates and crews were emphatic that the boats were true one-design hulls and there was little if ffnything between them. An instance to prove that the boats counted for little or nothing. In the much-debated re-sailed fifth race the Auckland boys were actually sailing against Comet, the boat owned by them. They had drawn Tio, a boat at first considered to be mediocre. In this re-sail the alleged slow boat beat the supposed “Gadfly in disguise” by over 12 minutes. And subsequently the Otago boys lost their races simply through being unwilling to take the spinnaker risks undertaken by Auckland’s crew. It was actually not until the last race that Auckland drew their own hull. Comet. Those interested in Cornwell Cup contests can rest assured that the drawing of any of the eight boats did not in any way prejudice a crew’s chance of winning. Superior generalship eventually won the trophy for Auckland.