AT THE SIGN of THE PENNANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 924, 18 March 1930, Page 14

AT THE SIGN of THE PENNANT

By

KEELSON.

OUT OF THE LOCKER

The auxiliary mullet-boat Twilight fend the mullet-boat Iluia were at jbwanaki during the week-end.

Devonport Yacht Club is waiting a l -port from an architect on the cost of equipping its pavilion with glassedin balconies. It is hoped to have the work ready for next yachting season.

Tho weather this week-end was perfect for launching. Some visitors from ►South, who were out for a cruise, expressed great admiration of the beaut. f of tho Gulf and the islands as they appeared in the calm weather. The sun was too bright for fishing, however, and all that seven men on one launch caught was 12 fish.

If the present weather continues Until Easter there will be an exodus of boatmen from the Waitemata. A number of owners are getting their craft ready on the off-chance.

Twilight went to Motutapu last Saturday afternoon and then on to Owanpki that evening. In the same bay wore May Belle, Haia and Eileen. Twilight got a good haul of piper. * <* * Pakeha was fishing at The Noisies jt>u Sunday, but had little success.

Tho launch Deben arrived at Owanjp ki on Sunday with a picnic party. The « ruiser Kenya visited Kawakawa during the week-end.

Protests from earlier in the season •Will be considered by the sailing committee of the Akarana Y'acht Club tonight.

The' 20-footer Waiomo has been bought by Mr. Nolan Watson, of Parbell. She has been towed over from jßayswater and is now moored close to tho Akarana Yacht Club’s skids.

The Manukau Cruising Club had w. {very successful day on Saturday, the •start of the race being very even. Next Saturday the Manukau Yacht Club bolds a harbour race in conjunction with the Cruising Club. Good entries tire expected.

Fishermen up North also have a story that Zane Grey was thrown overboard. chair and all, by a mako, supposedly dead, which was tumbled into the cockpit of the launch from which bo was fishing. The astonished Zane, on regaining the launch, is said to have lustily dressed down a photographer who was present and who 2nissed the picture. * * * The usual weekly dance of the Akarana Y'acht Club will be held in the clubhouse. Mechanics Bay, tomorrow night. A free bus runs from Endean’s Buildings.

The fortnightly series of dances Organised by the Point Chevalier Sailing Club will be continued next Saturday evening. The clubhouse will be specially decorated and a number of novelty dance items will be on tho programme.

A Z class “smoker” was held last Evening in the Manukau Y’acht Club’s pavilion with Mr. Norman Wilson, ■who promoted the class on the Manukau, as prime mover. The function was organised as a wind-up to a Z Hass challenge race two weeks ago, when Messrs. Alec. Grant, Norman Wilson and Burns Young competed in. it single-hander event, Mr. Y’oung winning. On March 2D a continuation of fhe Z rivalry is to be staged at Islington Bay. when the whole of the Z boats from both harbours will be racing. cups and medals having been presented by supporters of the class. Challenges were flying freely at the function last evening, and there will be come settling of scores.

The mako that obligingly jumped aboard a launch last week in the

“Fishy North,” is not the first of the big fish that essayed the feat. Three years ago two well-known Aucklanders were fishing in a dinghy off Cape Brett, on the seaward side of Zane Grey, when the latter hooked a fish which broached well out. The men in the dinghy were astonished to see the big fish plunging straight at their boat. Both hastened to the bow of the dinghy as the big fish jumped right over their boat. One man complained that “these big fish did not seem to look where they were going.” He had no desire to explore the ocean on the end of a swordfish’s bill. * * * Considerable amusement was caused during the second race fm* outboards at the Ngaruawahia regatta on Saturday last when one of the competing boats, Miss Hamilton, hurdled over one of tho Maori canoe hurdles. It came about through Humbug stopping in her tracks Just after rounding a buoy. Miss Hamilton, following up. cleared the mark wide and at a good speed, but on coming round she found herself “between two fires.” She was confronted with the alternatives of crashing into the stationary Humbug or leaping over a canoe hurdle. She had rounded the mark too widely to allow of steering clear of 1 both obstacles. Miss Hamilton favoured a sporting shot at the hurdle in preference to a certain collision with the other craft. She cleared the wood in line style, and although she broke her fin, carried on and finished the race. Tho New Zealand Power-boat Associtaion is lielding a cruising picnic to Islington Bay on Saturday, March 29. The outboard division of the association will stage a marathon outboard race that day, starting off King’s Wharf and finisihng at the same destination. It is possible that the outboard runabout championship will be decided at the bay on the same day. ♦ * * The E class keeler May Belle. Mr. E. B. Webster, returned on Sunday irom a week’s cruise on the Coromancel Coast. He was accompanied by Mrs. Webster and Mr. and Mrs. M. Hill. MODEL YACHT NOTES The Orakci Basin Model Y’acht Chib held two boys’ races on Saturday last. Weather conditions were ideal, but a considerable amount of water had been let out of the basin, which left it in a rather nasty state. Results of the two events are: First Race.—Silver Mist (lm 10s), 1; Bunzo (30s), 2; lona (scr), 3. Second Race. —Silver Mist (30s), 1; Mercury (lim), 2; lona (scr), 3.

ON THE MANUKAU

A sight well worth seeing was provided in the start of the Manukau Cruising Club’s race on Saturday when 10 yachts crossed the line, so bunched that it was impossible to pick the order of crossing. On the result of this race depended the holding of the Briscoe Points Cup for the year and with only seven points difference between nine boats it was a keen race. The winner turned up in the Champagne ably handled by Mr. Geo. Dunning, who, by winning the race, also annexed the Points Cup. It is pleasing to note that this boat has broken her three years’ sequence of seconds. The Sea Gnome, winner of the cup two seasons ago, again made a strong bid for it, the Champagne only beating her by ss. Last year’s winner, Sea Horse, did not find the day to her liking. Had it been a whole-sait breeze she would have had a big say in tho decision. The unlucky boat of tho race appeared to be the Sylvia. She was well ahead about a quarter of a mile from the%finish, but the wind was getting llukey and the tide just on the turn slowed her up and allowed the Champagne, which held the breeze to the finish, to pass her. The Miss Mac, a 20ft flattie, which was fourth, was unlucky in striking the tide, which, when she got near the finish, was flowing fairly strongly. Had she made a faster trip before the tide caught her she would have been hard to beat. The weather on the occasion of each cruising race this year has been exceptional and has not given the bigger boats a chance. The launch race proved an easy win for the popular club captain, Mr. E. Jones, with his small boat the Grace. This proved a very popular win. In the Jordan Points Cup, presented by Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P., the Cremorne, which was second by 235, gained this trophy. The Cremorne and Regal dead-heated for this cup last season and Mr. Claydon, of the Cremorne, was unlucky to lose the toss. He has made up for it this year. It was not a fishing tide, but many of the boatmen made up for that fact by loading up with scallops, a delicious shell fish, found on the banks at low water spring tides. A social evening was spent at Cornwallis after the race, Mr. P. C. Inglis, a life member of the Cruising Club, kindly placing his house at the disposal of the members. Several toasts were honoured and interesting accounts of earlier races and incidents thereto made an enjoyable evening. It is worthy of note that on the four occasions on which the Cruising Club has raced to Cornwallis this season the residents of the bay have congratulated them on the fine behaviour of the members during the week-end. This is indeed gratifying and speaks well for the future of the club. A cricket match was held on the beach during tho week-end. The sand did not have the spring of a good pitch and the bowlers had a day out. OUTBOARD RACING EVENTS ON \YHAU The Outboard Division of the New Zealand Power Boat Association will hold its Cup Day on the Whau River next Saturday. Seven races will be staged, the first to start at 2.10 p.m. A cup will be awarded to the winning boat in each event. Following are details of the races: 1. Handicap for D class and over for cup presented by the “New Zealand Herald.” 2. Handicap for C class. Cup from John Burns and Co. 3. Challenge race between Marquette, Pug and Humbug. 4. Handicap for B class for the Tisdall Cup. 5. Open handicap for all classes. The Goldsbro Memorial Cup. 6*. Combined C and D class handicap for the Laidlaw Cup. 7. B class challenge race. Cup presented by the Farmers’ Trading Company. to be awarded on points. Points will be given the winning boat for its win, and points will also be given for the most consistent lapping.