AT THE SIGN OF THE PENNANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 586, 12 February 1929, Page 14

AT THE SIGN OF THE PENNANT

SANDERS CUP CONTEST FIRST RACE ON THURSDAY The first race of the 1929 Sanders Cup contest takes place on Thursday afternoon at Akaroa. The Auckland crew, Messrs. A. Willetts (skipper), F. Clarke (owner and mainsheet hand), I. Larritt (for’ard hand), and J. Curry (heavy-weight), left for the South by tho Limited on Sunday evening, and were due at their destination this morning. Their boat, Avalon, was shipped by the AVingatui on Thursday afternoon. The competing ports are: Auckland (Avalon); Wellington (Clyde); Canterbury (Colleen); Otago (Eileen); and Southland (Murihiku III.). Auckland’s chances of regaining the cup appear to be excellent, for we have sent a top-notch crew and our best boat, which, it is confidently believed, is better than any of the others. If the cup comes to the AVaitemata it will doubtless be the saving of the contest, as far as Auckland is concerned. There is no doubt that a win would do more than columns of argument to revive the flagging interest in the class all too apparent in this centre. Good luck to our representatives!

HARDY ANNUAL AGAIN Never is there a Sanders Cup contest unless the bogey of measurement crops up, says “Bobstay,” of the Christchurch “Sun,” and the coming contest will be no exception to the rule, for one of the remits that will come up for consideration at this year’s Dominion conference will be that in fut Lire every boat competing in a contest be measured by outside moulds before the contest starts. The remit comes from Canterbury. This is a similar remit to those which have been discussed at nearly every conference, and which so far have always been thrown out. It seems likely that it will receive the same treatment on this occasion. What good Canterbury hopes to do by forwarding the remit is hard to say, and, judging by the opinion of many supporters of the contest, the majority of yachtsmen, both in Canterbury and in other centres, look upon it with disfavour. In the event of the remit being carried, it is taken for granted that all the boats will be measured prior to the racing. Now, the question is, what will happen to a boat if she is found to be out? Will she be sent home again, say to Auckland or Southland,

By KEELSON. or wherever she may have come from, or will she be allowed to compete in the contest and be barred from future contests? If the boat were not allowed to compete it would certainly be hard for he centre that sent that boat, afer she had been marked O.K. by the provincial measurers; and then again, if she was allowed to shirt, and won. it would certainly not be fair to the other centres. The boats, on being measured, might all be found to be out. What would happen in a case like this is hard to say. Probably, all the boats would be sent home, and this would certainly be an epochal event in yachting history. It would also be extremely hard if a man built a boat which, while she was in the moulds, was measured and passed, and was then thrown out by a Dominion conference. The boat might be out through no fault of the builder, and then it would mean that the owner had gone to the expense of building a 14-foote,r only to have it thrown out. The boat would then be almost worthless, for this class of vessel is practically no good for anything else, and the builder would be very lucky if he got half the money he put into it. Until something more efficient can be though of, it seems that the question

of measurement must rest entirely in the hands of the provincial measurers, and, unless a Dominion measurer is appointed, things will have to remain as they are at present.

OUT OF THE LOCKER Ten members of the Takapuna Boating Club made a trip to Canoe Bock during the week-end in the launch Hanene, under charge of the commodore, Mr. J. J. Mackay. The object was to catch hapuka. Although plenty of kingfish and schnapper were about the party went short of hapuka steaks. Pupuke, one of the three Takapuna punts which the Auckland representatives took to the Cornwell Cup contest, has been bought by Mr. Id. C. Brown, of Macandrew’s Bay, Otago. Pupuke, which was built by Mr. Fortzer, at Bayswater, was sailed for the first time at Lyttelton, when her rudder broke and put the Christchurch crew out in the first race. Mr. Brown intends her for boys to compete in the next contest. * * * A well-known and respected launchman came into the office the other day to seek the assistance of The Sun paper in rectifying a matter that is causing him some concern. He refers to the use of ungentlemanly language by some yachtsmen aboard their boats at anchor in some of the resorts of the gulf. He says that more than once he has had to move his launch away from a flotilla of yachts, when he had his wife and women friends aboard, to an anchorage out of earshot of the sailing craft.

The well-known auxiliary yacht Vision, a 44-footer, built by Mr. James Reid, of Northcote, has been bought by an Auckland yachtsman. From December, 1923, Mr. Reid and members of his family used the vessel as a flQating dwelling, and for many cruising trips. In May, 1924, they set out on a cruise of the South Pacific. They visited Samoa and many other islands, returning in June, 1926. The new owner intends to allow the vessel to remain on the slip at the western beach at Northcote until next season. CLUB ACTIVITIES On Saturday the Devonport Yacht Club is conducting a series of races for all classes. It is the club’s annual “cup day” and among the plate offered are the “Duder,” “Herald,” “Jellicoe” and “Edwin” Cups. The New Zealand Power-boat Association has a cruising race for launches to Kawau for the Kermath Cup and trophies. A sweepstake event for outboards is also listed for Saturday. The Manukau Yacht and Motor-boat Club will hold its harbour championships for certain yacht divisions and on Saturday. Championships will be decided for the open yacht section and the Cornwell Cup class. The 14ft and 18ft classes will be decided later. * * * The second annual race to Te Kume, Coromandel, for the T. M. Alexander Memorial Gold Cup and miniature will be held by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on February 23. It will be remembered that the first race held last season was something of a comedy as several of the heelers could not find the finishing line in the dark. The • re-sailed race was won by Ngatoa. * * * On the same day the squadron has a cruising race for launches for a prize given by Mr. .T. B. Johnston. A harbour race for M’s will be held for Mr R. Griffiths’s prize.

The Ponsonby Cruising piub intends holding its annual regatta on March 9. On this occasion there will be no flagship, but a launch will be used as the official boat. A new departure, or rather a throw-back to the earlier days of the club, will be a number of sideshows in front of the clubhouse, St. Mary’s Bay. The club’s annual picnic, this time to Motutapu, will take place on March 17.

Delegates representing the two Manukau clubs will confer shortly on the whole question of moorings on the matter of the revision of the moorings register, and on other points affecting the interests of the clubs.

prise. Prone, Pal O' Mine, Shooting Star. Felix and I : -Devil. Boat owners will be supplied with particulars of courses. The next committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 19. A cruising race will take place on February 23. AUSTRALIAN • 14-FOOTERS The 14-foot sailing dinghy championship of Australia, which corresponds almost exactly with the Sanders Cup contest in New Zealand, was held on Melbourne harbour on January 25, 26 and 28. There were three races over a windward and leeward course of nine miles for the nine competitors—three from South Australia, three from Victoria, two from New South Wales, and one from Western Australia. The winner was Scandal, South Australia, an ex-Victorian boat, with 11 points, two Victorian representatives tying for second place with five points each. Points are awarded for first, second and third places. Thousands of spectators watched the races, a feature of which was the successful use by the leathers of ringtails in addition to spinnakers. shark: and launch collide An extraordinary experience befell Mr. Norman Wilson, of the Manukau Yacht Club, during the week-end. He was d iving the launch Dione in the South Channel of the Manukau harbour, and had arrived off the Horn when he noticed a 10ft. shark about 100 yards ahead. He altered the Dione’s course to get a closer view. The shark also altered course and launch and monster collided. The Dione drove right over the shark, which lashed up a tremendous flurry of spray as it sped away badly jarred. Mr. Wilson says the shark was not the only participant in the encounter to feel disturbed.

CRUISE OF LAUNCH KENYA (From Our Own Cori'espondentJ TAURANGA, To-day. The launch Kenya, owned by Mr. L. Heard, of Auckland, arrived here on Friday evening with a party of seven. On the way down they called at Mercury Island and paid a visit to the Zane Gray camp. They had a try at the big fish game but their bait gave out and so did not have any catches. It is their intention to go to Mayor Island for game fishing, and if circumstances permit visit White Island. The party consists of Messrs. L. Heard, T. Mackay. T. Bird, B. Herd, J. Burns, D. McCleay and V. Dunne. They report having had a most enjoyable trip so far and are looking forward with pleasure to their fishing at Mayor Island.