AT THE SIGN of THE PENNANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 752, 27 August 1929, Page 14

AT THE SIGN of THE PENNANT

Li>

KEELSON

OUT OF THE LOCKER The Point Chevalier Sailing Club has its annual meeting this evening in the clubhouse, Joan Street, at 8 p.m. It is asked that members and prospective members be present in force. * * * The annual meeting of the Devonport Yacht Club will be held in the clubhouse, King Edward Parade, on Thursday evening. The club also asks a good attendance. * * * The annual meeting of the Takapuna Boating Club takes place in the boathouse, Bays water, on Thursday, September 5. There seems to be some doubt now as to anything coming of the proposed merger between the Richmond Cruising Club and the Ponsonby Cruisng Club. It seems probable that nothing will be done this season. At any rate, most members who have been asked their' opinion seem desirous of something being done to stop the decline in racing on the upper harbour, yet feel that a merger ought to be a last resort. “The best thing that could ever happen,” was the description one influential yachtsman applied to the recentlyannounced proposal regarding the financing of opening and closing day racing Another said the scheme was impracticable and would be in the end too costly to yachtsmen. More, however, were sympathetic but desired time to think the idea over. * * * The 22ft. mullet boat Hilda, owned by Mr. G. Clark, of Belmont, has been sold to a Whangarei resident. Hilda went Xorth in tow by the llakau on Saturday. Mr. Clark has recently bought the keeler Alexa. Hilda was originally built for Mr. R. Connelly and has done a good deal of racing in Auckland. Alexa was built by Mr. T. Le Heaquet. of Devonport, for Mr. E. Payne, of Thames, in 1904 and has seen several owners. * * Should our colleges do for boating as much as they do for football, tennis and cricket? Auckland is pre-emin-ently a maritime city and as such should be ready to develop the sport of boating as a national recreation equally with land sports. What about an inter-collegiate sailing race? $ * ■* The 50mile mark for outboard speeds is hoped for in America, where the official record now stands at 47.288 m.p.h. Two or three records have been broken lately and engine designers and makers of hulls are trying every art to reach the 50-mile pace. Last month a mar*athon for outboards over a 200mile course was staged on the Lake at Chicago

“The Seven Graces of the Sea” is the poetical appellation bestowed on the big yacht class in England, which until this season included the King’s yacht, Britannia. The class comprises Shamrock. Lulworth, Candida (a new boat}. White Heather, Astra. Westward. Cambria. All these craft are regular entrants at the big regattas. It may be noted that the yachting season in England runs from May 25 to th 9 end of August and takes in 28 fixtures. One of them on the Clyde

provides eight days’ racing. The ctews have a busy few months. * * *

The 12-metre class has proved very popular in England, but the six and eight-metre boats are more numerous. The King of Spain sent a team of eight-metre racers to the Cowes regatta last week. The official registrations show 308 “eights’* Now that Sir Thomas Lipton has challenged again for the America Cup it is interesting to note that both Resolution and Vanitie, the cup defenders, are still racing in the New York Club regattas. In June, Vanitie, giving Resolution a time allowance over 17.7 miles, won by 4mins 24sec, reduced to 3min Bsec on corrected times. Vanitie has recently had a new’ spar fitted. It is 157 ft long, hollow, and all the fittings are of Monel metal. The outrigger canoe has found an imitator in a sea-sled. It is being utilised on American lakes and rivers. The canoe is 3 9ft long with a beam of 39in; the outrigger 15ft out from the canoe. The sled carries 156 sq ft of sail reefing down to 75 sq ft. It is impossible to turn one over in sailing, and a sprightly turn of speed is obtained. With 3,250,000 pleasure-boats the United States is a market for boats and fittings. Many firms turn out boats on standardised lines. You ca:i buy runabouts, sedan-cruisers, express cruisers, all-weather craft and other species named like motor-cars. In the circumstances it not altogether surprising that entries cf from 70 to 120 for a race in Long Island Sound regattas are reported. One of the latest proposals is for the building of a onedesign class to be called East-West class. Men from the Eastern States go west in the winter to race and in the summer the Western men go east, the boats remaining at home. The visitors use the boats of their hosts. Both in England and America there has been a strong controversy about the merits of the square rig. It seeing that most critics admit that it has advantages for cruising, its weight and handling being the main disadvantages. Fishermen in a hurry to get to the sword-fishing grounds at Russell, Mercury Bay, or in the yet unexplored Bay of Plenty, may look forward to a new type pontoon boat, a flying type, that is proving very handy for fishine and hunting in Canada and the United States. Lately a team of them flev from New’ York to Winnipeg. Another attempt is to be made to launch across the Atlantic. The boat to be used is a 26-footei, 6ft beam, metal hull, 75 h.p. six-cylinder engine. She will carry a crew of five and 450 [ gallons of motor spirit. The course j will be from Newfoundland to Ireland | and Hamburg. The Yachtsmen’s • Calendar August 2y.—Devon port Yacht Club’s annua! meeting. September 27.—Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s annual meeting.