ON THE MANUKAU

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 900, 18 February 1930, Page 14

ON THE MANUKAU

Judging the combined cruising races on the Manukau on Saturday was a task which tried the skill of the officials. A white squall drove across the water as the boatg approached the finishing line, and the mark buoy being invisible the grey shapes of boats scudding past could not be distinguished. All that could be done was to take the times and identify the boats afterward. Janet over-ran the finishing mark and getting down to Puponga had to be helped back by a service launch. Some fast times were registered in the cruising race, a spring tide being a factor. The distance from Oneliunga Wharf to Cornwallis is 14 miles. The 24-footer Aoma arrived at the finishing line in lh 21m 51s. Sylvia, a 22-footer, took lh 22m 30s; the two 14-footers, Nyria and Sea Toiler, which had a battle royal all the way down, took lh 23m 42s and lh 26m 24s respectively. Nyria was giving Sea Toiler Gm, but it was not wanted on Saturday. Nyria was awarded the Cruising Club s prize and Sea Toiler the Yacht Club’s prize. The latter thus gains an extra 12 points for the Points Cup, making a total of 55 points for the season, this being the third win. Nyria is second boat in the competition. CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS The open championships of the Manukau in the 12ft 6in, 14ft, 18ft, open yacht and launch classes are set down for decision on March 8 under the control of the Manukau Yacht Club. The championship for outboards, a new race, is scheduled for the same date for a silver cup, given by the Farmers’ Trading Company. Mr. C. Turnbull will probably take It Too over to race, as Onehunga is his home town. In the 18-footer class a great race is expected between Drone, Champagne and Daphne, all crack boats in 18-footer flattie classes. The 14ft race will bring out Sea Gnome, Myria, Janet, Shirley, Sea Toiler. Betty and Mist Maicl at least, and there will be a battle for honours. It is rumoured that the 14-footer T class boat Shalimar and the Y 14-footer Lois will be Waitemata entrants. The speed championship for launches is a feature of the programme. The Ponsonby Cruising Club will be entertained this week-end by the Manukau Yacht Club with a prize race to Cornwall for yachts and launches. Mr. J. Griffin’s shack has been placed at the disposal of the guests, for whom a fishing picnic, has been arranged. As it is a 6 o’clock tide on the Manukad on Saturday the sailing boats will have a hard punch down. ANNUAL RACE TO TE KUME What is undoubtedly one of the Royal New Zealand YAcht Squadron’s most important racing fixtures will be sailed on Saturday, when the third annual race for the Tom Alexander Memorial Gold Cup to Te Kume will take place. The squadron anticipates a very large field for the big handicap event. Last year the cup was won on allowance by Ida. A handsome miniature goes with the cud. The squadron also has an extended cruising race for launches and a harbour race for its M class. The Victoria Cruising Club will'also be busy on Saturday with a calendar of harbour events over the club’s usual course. MODEL YACHT NOTES The Orakei Basin Model Yacht Club held a series of races on Saturday. Results were: Boys’ Race. —Silver Wing (45sec), 1; Miss Orakei (30sec), 2; Venus (1.15), 3. This was the winner’s best performance to date. Next Saturday will be a red-letter day for the boys, when events will be contested for Mr. A. R. Bevin’s medal. Rules are such that the winner may ultimately come from the ranks of the third-raters. “I have had a look at the skeleton of the new America Cup challenger. Shamrock V., which is being built for Sir Thomas Lipton at Gosport,” says an English writer. “She is already taking definite shape, and I was informed sh€> will be ready for launching in March. The erection of the steel frames is already well in hand, and the keel plates are being riveted up and the deck beams placed in position. Shamrock will be wood planked over the steel frames, and will be much more serviceable than her freak predecessors. She is to carry an owner’s launch, a dinghy and a lifeboat. “Her mast will be so long that the builders are having to erect a special shed to hoßse it. It will be hollow and made in sections, and when ‘stepped’ it will tower above the masts of the Astra and Candida. Thanks to the co-operation of the Royal Y'acht Squadron, and the Royal Thames. Victoria, London, Southern and Lymington Clubs, Shamrocl; will take part in a series of races in the Solent from May 8 to June 9. and this will give Captain ‘Teddy’ Heard and the members of his crew admirable training in actual racing and becoming acquainted with the capabilities of their boat.”