RICHMOND REGATTA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 868, 11 January 1930, Page 13

RICHMOND REGATTA

YACHTS start without ANY WIND breeze comes later When the 42 yachts which lined up for the Richmond Cruising Club's annual regatta this afternoon attempted start in their various classes there a - hardly a puff of wind to move the They had to start against a flowing tide which almost offset any stray airs which now and then pressed behind the ails. So languidly did the early tarters creep along that other classes tarting Hvo and ten minutes later vertook the first boats before they had gone 50 yards. By the time the very small fry were ready a temperary northerly without any weight meved them along gently. Later, a fairly steady breeze on the Northcoto side of the harbour drove the small craft steadily for part of the course. \U six events started and finished between the Ponsonby AVharf and the launch Murion L> placed at the disposal nt the club by Mr. J. nonaid, president. The course for the mullet-boats was from tho start to the Sandspit beacon rounded on tho starboard hand, thence to the Resolution buoy on starboard, thence to the plie heason off Chelsea ~n port, thence to the Ilona buoy on starboard, thence to the fiiy.shing line. The classes from V downward raced to the Rona buoy on port, thence to the Pile heason on port, thence through the starting line to the Rona buoy on port thence to the File beacon again on port thence to the Rona buoy on starboard. finishing at Ponsonby Wharf. , . ... After an hour a strong northerly was blowing and the skippers made full use of the opportunity. At 4.45 p.m., the wind fell away to a flat cairn, which persisted for 35 minutes and spoiled the racing. The boats could not make progress against H strong ebb tide and. at the time of ioing to press, were scattered about the harbour. j n V Class, Surprise was able to finish at 5.25 p.m. and in S. Class, Mistral finished five minutes earlier, but the state of both races is still in doubt. H and I Classes. —There was no wind for the start of the big mulletboats at 2.49. The competitors drifted across as best they could. The starters were Starlight, Why Not, Spray, O mat ere and Starlock. L and N Classes. —Rakoa, Valeria, Mfttariki, Otira, Mowai, Malua crossed the line in that order. Against the incoming tide the boats made imperceptible headway and drifted in a bunch for 10 minutes. S Class. —Tho following boats started: Atangatai, Btingareo,' Aratu, Phyllis, Mistral, Rangitira and Swiftsure. On the run from the Pile beacon to tho flagship Mistral had established a long lead over all other boats sailing tho course. Aratu was next more than three minutes later. Rangitira was third with a lot of distance to make up. Then came Rita and Atangatai which had to put in a board to round the mark-launch. Y Class.—The boats started In bunched formation, the starters being j,o is, Fav Cupid. Rahlri 11., Oreti, Matariki IT., Maureen and Spot. Cupid, racing well, led Fay at the completion of the first round, with the others strung out. T Class. —The starters were: Shalimar, Joan, Ramona, Ola 11., Manu. Tamure, Romance and Zina. Shalimar was first round of the 14-footers. Manu was second and Joan third. V Class.—Tii race for the V’s brought out Desdernona, Scud. Rita. Sun. Surprise, Leveret and 'Bell which started in that order. At the end of the first round Surprise had worked into a good lead from Bell and Wild Wave. Sun and Scud came next.