Win for Wellington

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 589, 15 February 1929, Page 11

Win for Wellington

FIRST SANDERS CUP RACE Avalon Fails by Over Two Minutes (Special to THE SUN) ~ mrr ’'~ r AKAKOA, To-day. VUE first race for the Sanders Cup this morning resulted CLYDE (Wellington) 1 AVALON (Auckland) - COLLEEN (Canterbury) The race was declared "olf" yesterday after four boats, including both Clyde and Avalon, capsized in a sudden severe squall.

rpHE Wellington boat, piloted by W. Rountree, who sailed a great race, crossed the finishing line -min. 45seo. ahead of Avalon. Rountree’s win was a very popular one. Although the wind was not blowing as hard as it did yesterday, it was still piping fairly hard this morning, and a good sea was running. The boats and crews in the race were: Colleen (Canterbury), th« def< id< r, F. Morrison (skipper), .1 Treleaven. A. Sinclair, and G. Lamb. Avalon (Auckland). A. Willetts (skipper), F. Cloke, J. Larritt and J. Curry. Clyde (Wellington). N. Rountree (skipper), R. Rowntree, R. Kerr and J. Hines. Eileen (Otago), G. E. Kellett (skipper), A. Dawson, J. Robertson and S. A. Gibson . Murihiku 11. (Southland), O. E. Johnston (skipper), H. Hansen, C. Jamieson and G. Johnston. DAMAGE MADE GOOD Under the hands of Messrs. Geo. Andrews and G. Bailey, Avalon had been repaired, and when she sailed out this morning - showed no signs of yesterday’s damage. The course was a windward and leeward one, being a dead beat across the harbour and a run back to the wharf, twice round. The boats carried heavy weather crews. They got away to an excellent start l at 10.47 o’clock, Clyde being first across the line, with Colleen right on her stern. Next came Avalon. Murihiku II and Eileen. The five boats put over on the port tack, but Clyde and Avalon had not gone very far before they changed. Morrison carried on much further and did not change his tack until he found the weather was getting too heavy for him. So far Colleen was getting easily the best of the race, although Clyde was holding on to her. Avalon and Eileen were also having a good go, just a little bit to leeward. Murihiku II was well to leeward.

whose hand was some lime in getting j the spinnaker broken. With her spin- i naker drawing well Colleen flew like a witch before the southerly. Clyde and Colleen hung together like limpets, and seesawed all the way back to tl ■ buoy off the wharf. The wind no t dropped considerably* Morrison reached the buoy first, but only five seconds ahead of Clyde, while the others were well astern, with Eileen last of the fleet. The times at the buoy were:—Colleen. 11.40.10; Clyde. 11.40.15: Murihiku. 11.42.45; Avalon, 11.45.0; Eileen. 11.45.10. On clearing the mark Avalon's skipper hoisted his leading jib, and before a mile had been covered had made up a lot of leeway, although Clyde and Colleen were still in the best positions, with not much to choose between the two. On rhe rest of the beat, up the harbour, Willetts sailed like a chamj pion, and before the buoy had been | reached A valon had weathered Colleen. However, Clyde was in the best position and fetched The mark well ahead of Avalon. The times were: 'Clyde, 12.13.45; Avalon, 12.45.10; Colleen. 12.45.30; Murihika. 3 2.47.45: Eileen, 12.50.0. When Colleen’s spinnaker was broken it was torn. With only a run to the finish Clyde looked a certainty, and scudded along before the wind in great style, to win by 2m 455. The finishing times were: Clyde, 12.32.25; Avalon. 12.35.10; Colleen, 12.35.15. The other two boats were well behind, with Eileen last. The full story of the capsizing of four of the competitors in yesterday’s gale will be found on page 14.)

The boats were making good weather of it, although there was a good “lump” on the harbour. On the rest of the beat up the harbour there was nothing much to choose between any of the boats, and all were having a great fight. Murihiku, keeping into the land, made a lot of leeway, and was going well. Both the skippers of Eileen and Avalon made the error of going too far across the harbour, and were a ipng way to leeward. Clyde and Colieei? were having a ding-dong tussle, but near the buoy the Wellington boat got the weather position, and was about 45 seconds ahead of Colleen. Times and placings at the buoy were:—Clyde, llhrs 21sec; Colleen, 11.21.45; Murihiku, 11.23.0; Avalon, 11.24.30; Eileen, 11.24.45. Treleaven, Colleen’s spinnaker hand, had his spinnaker out in double-quick