Judge's Boat Missed

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 301, 12 March 1928, Page 7

Judge's Boat Missed

SQUADRON RACE HAS CURIOUS FINISH CRAFT LOST IN THE DARK A curious position has arisen in connection with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's cruising race to Te Kurue for the T. M. Alexander Memorial Gold Cup, which was sailed on Saturday afternoon. Finishing in the dark, only two yachts, lorangi and Rawene, out of 16 to complete the voyage, had their times taken. By some means the other 14 missed the judge’s boat and went into Te Kume without reporting their arrival. The judge’s boat, the launch Avis, moored a quarter of a mile off The Calf, carried a riding light in her forestay, and a light in the cockpit. The judge. Mr. Roy Johnston, kept a sharp look-out until 9.15 p.m.. when he went into Te Kume to find the flotilla assembled at anchor. On the actual recorded finishing times Rawene is an easy winner. The judge’s report of the race will be discussed by the committee this week. THE RACE IN DETAIL The handicaps were:—Ariki scr, Torangi 6m, Thelma 9 jm, _ Waitangi 12m. Ngatoa 14m, Rawene 15m, Prize 17m, Moana and Victory 18m, Ilex and Heartsease 24m, Kotiri, Waione 2Sm, Little Jim, Ida 30m, Windward 33m, Rangi 36m, Delville 46m. There were 19 starters. A flat calm prevailed just before the start of the race, and at 2 p.m., the starting time, the flotilla lay almost becalmed on glassy water. Ida caught a stray zephyr from the south, and got away first, on the inside, near the King’s Wharf. After her came Windward, and then a bunch of nearly a dozen, whose sails made an impressive stack of canvas. W r aitangi crossed in the rear of this bunch, and 12 minutes later came Ilex, late in starting. Scout did not compete. The wind was so variable that Victory, Rangi, Ariki, Ida, lorangi and Delville were able to stand down harbour, holding a light southerly, while the rest put in a board to North Shore with ?.n easterly. The wind dropped at Brown’s Island, and the leaders were becalmed. Delville and Moana kept close inshore, and carrying the breeze, passed lorangi, 'Waione and Nga-Toa. A little later all picked up a light southerly, and the boats tailed out. . . Further down the Gulf Ariki and lorangi had a luffing match, which carried them toward Maraetai. Moana, Delville and Victory also stood along the Maraetai shore. These boats had a southerly wind, but those that worked the Waiheke shore experienced a northwesterly wind and this held until Orapiu was reached. Meanwhile lorangi came across from Maraetai, but Victory and Ariki . carried through the sandspit passage. At Orapiu the order of the leadAt Orapiu the order of the leading boats was: Ngatoa, lorangi, Rawene, Thelma and Prize. lorangi and Ngatoa raced together until sundown, when the former set up a lead of three or four minutes. At dusk she seemed to be going further ahead. Ngatoa crossed what was thought to be the finishing line off Rangipuke Point at 7.43 p.m. Ariki followed a few seconds later. Several skippers said they saw lights of a boat anchored a long way off Rangipuke Point, but this they believed to be a fishing launch. Thelma attempted to set her light sail, but had to take it in. About half-way over to Te Kume Rawene caught lorangi and closed up on Nga-Toa. After sundown the night became very black, and it was difficult to pick up the boats, and, as already stated, only lorangi and Rawene had their times taken. AKARANA’S_BUSY DAY MANY BOATS COMPETE A fair sailing breeze from the southwest prevailed on Saturday afternoon when the Akarana Yacht Club held cruising races in Matiatia for keelers and mullet boats and harbour runs for the smaller classes. Fair entries -were received in most classes and there were few defaulters. A feature of the racing was the first race of a series for Star class boats competing for the America Cup. Details of the races were as follow: Cruising Races 'a class Result:— Starloch • • • • 1 Esma • • • • " Starlight £ Finishing times: Starloch, 4.46.16; Starlight, 4.50.42; Esma, 4.52.10; Celox, 4.54.20. E CLASS Result: — Maybelle 1 Naiad | Aurora 3 Finishing times: Maybelle, 4.55,16; Naiad, 5.55.30; Aurora, 6.36.0. L CLASS Result: — Louisa l Doreen • • • ~ Marie ° Finishing times: Marie, 5.0.40; Louisa, 5.0.55; Venus, 5.4.40: Doreen, 5.7.12; Rahiri, 5.13.50: Valeria, 5.17.25; Waima, 5.19.10; Huia, 5.21.10. N CLASS Result:— Winifred 1 Wairere 2 Wayward 3 Finishing times: Winifred, 5.4.10; Wairere, 5.14.50; Wayward, 6.43.35; Ngaro did not finish. Harbour Races M CLASS Result: — Matarere, 4.13.32 1 Maratea, 4.14.8 2 Mawhiti, 4.14.30 3 Also finished: Maroro, 4.15.45; Manene, 4.15.48; Mischief, 4.16.20; Maia, 4.18.32. V CLASS Result: — Magic 1 Wild Wave 2 Drone 3 Finishing times: Drone, 4.20.25; Magic, 4.21.8; Surprise, 4.21.50; Wild "Wave, 4.23.45. S CLASS Result:— Wai Tui 1 Atangaiti 2 Sea Sleigh 3 Finishing times: Atangaiti, 4.31.10; Wai Tui, 4.31.45; Sea Sleigh, 4.39.1. T CLASS Result: — Kismet .. 1 Marie 2 Finishing times: Kismet. 4.27.20; Marie, 4.30.10; Ngaio, 4.32.25. The last boat reported hitting a mark and was disqualified. Y CLASS Result:— Opah 1 Jupiter 2 Alerte 3 Finishing times: Alerte. 4.22.20; Opah, 4.22.50; Jupiter, 4.28.30. Alerte wins the Akarana championship for combined X and Y classes. STAR CLASS Result:— Moa 1 June 2 Ola IV 3 Finishing times: Moa, 4.40.52; June, 4.40.58; Ola IV., 4.44.30. OUTBOARD HANDICAP Result:— Peggy I Bacteria 2 'Op It .3 Finishing times: Peggy, 4.14.28; Bacteria, 4.14.35; ’Op It, 4.15.30. Kurly Kale and Sea Flea did not finish. OUTBOARD RACE FOR MAUDE SHIELD Result:— Kurly Kale 1 Peggy 2 Bacteria 3 Finishing times: Kurly Kale, 3.39.44; Peggy, 3.39.46; Bacteria, 3.40.56; Op It, 3 4114.