OTAGO'S SUCCESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 883, 29 January 1930, Page 13

OTAGO'S SUCCESS

EILEEN SCORES IN FIRST SANDERS CUP RACE TWO BOATS FORCED OUT Eileen, Otago's challenger, scored a runaway win from Avalon, Auckland, in the first race of the 1930 Sanders Cup contest sailed on the Waitemata Harbour yesterday afternoon. Weather conditions imposed a severe test on boats and crews alike, a heavy nor'-easter raising an angry sea in the Rangitoto Channel. Misfortune attended Colleen (Canterbury) and Clyde (Wellington), both boats having to retire through breakages before the race was half completes!. Handled with sound judgment by her skipper, G. Kellett, Eileen sailed an excellent race, and led for the whole of the course. Avalon’s skipper, J* Patrick, made the unaccountable error of sailing for the wrong mark early in the first round. Before he realised his mistake he had lost the race. N. Rowntree, at the tilLqjx of Clyde, followed suit, apparently trusting Patrick for a lead. Soon after" rounding the correct mark Clyde carried away the gooseneck of her boom. Colleen broke her main shroud only 12 minutes after the start, and had to give up. After Clyde’s withdrawal the race was a melancholy procession, in which Eileen was never less than five minutes ahead of Avalon. Otago’s candidate finally ran in Smin 3sec ahead of the cup defender. The course was a windward and leeward one, starting off Orakei Point. The boats were sent on a dead slog to the white light buoy in Rangitoto Channel. After rounding, they had a flat run back to the starting line, and were sent round the course again, the total distance being nine miles.

Keen jockeying for weather position marked the start at 2.40. The order of crossing was Clyde, Colleen, Avalon, Eileen, all within 10 seconds. Eileen made no attempt to sprint across at gunfire but hung on to work into an advantageous place. Kellett struck off on port for a long board across Orakei Pay well to leeward of the other three, and appeared to be sailing an. unsound course. Clyde was well to windward with Colleen and Avalon abreast but to leeward. The breeze was. freshening and a nasty chop with a strongly flowing tide gave the skippers some hard thinking. Patrick was drawing ahead of Collins and Clyde was lying third. Kellett’s strategy Avas apparent, when to everyone’s surprise Eileen weathered all three of her rivals when she threw round on starboard 50yds off Orakei "Wharf. Clyde followed suit a minute later, and Colleen and Avalon immediately afterward. After a short board Eileen went back on port again and had a fair lead. Avalon caught Clyde on the wrong tack and put her round, then turned to port. Colleen was last, 50yds astern of Clyde, when she came up into the wind in difficulties. She had pulled the cleat out of her deck and her main, shroud gave out. Collins then turned and made for home. The other three had now entered on a long board closehauled, with Otago s()secs in the lead of Auckland, with Clyde last. Hurling

through wftite water and leaping like a school fof porpoises the boats presented a wonderful picture. The contestants continued on the port tack for 25 minutes. There was little between the boats. Avalon was not holding up so Avell as Eileen, and Clyde, sailing freer began to creep up on Auckland, but lost what was gained through edging to leeward. Kellett a minute ahead threw round to lay the white light, but Patrick, believing Otago had committed an error, continued on for five minutes, with Clyde following closely. It was not until Eileen was over a mile away that Patrick realised he was laying the green light contrary to instructions. He squared off to rectify the error, but his mistake had cost him the race. Clyde was in the same predicament. Times rounding the white light: Eileen, 3.31.40; 3.35.50. While Avalon was going round, Eileen was running like a flying boat to complete the first round. Kellett, exulting in sure vuctory. threw caution overboard and set his spinnaker when out of the worst of the sea-way. Avalon was content with the headsail. When turning at the white light Clyde broke the gooseneck and ran for the boatsheds under her jib. Times on completion of the first . round: Eileen .. 3.47.0 Avalon 3.53.0 Entering on the second stage Eileen understock practically a replica, course lor the first two boards, but shortened the distance by a good manoeuvre at -i.12 p.m. Patrick was forcing his boat j in an effort to reduce a deficit of j seven minutes, but Kellett had him all I the way. Eileen rounded the white light again at 4.41.0 and Avalon, which had speculated a different series of boards, at 4.45.20, after having to put in a short hitch to get round. Avalon was now Train 20sec in arrears. On the final run for home Eileen’s crew had an anxious moment: when a gust nearly capsized the boat. Kellett again set his spinnaker and increased his advantage, Avalon declining to take the risk. Finishing times were: Eileen, 4.57.0 l Avalon, 5.5.3 2 Kellett well deisenved his success, ; and was warmly commended for his | cool seamanship. Patrick was also commended for a game attempt to pull the race out of the fire. During the second round there was a chance of the wind moving to the west,, and had it done so, fortunes might easly have been reversed. Despite the.* severity of the blow none of the skippers reefed down.