AQUATIC NOTES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 228, 24 January 1885, Page 6

AQUATIC NOTES.

By ; - Mrn-IIooK

Tips for tlic regatta,, by " Mudhook," will apper in Wednesday's Trli-p/ioitt . Tko Ely is up on the logs in Freeman's Bay getting done up for the regatta. Tom Boyd is making the sails for The Poet. If lie makes as good a job of them as he did of the Voilet's, they'll about do. Bailey has the Malua, Sybil, and T.-iumre on his slip for preparation for the Regatta, the former is to have a lead keel affixed." Mr J. B. Morpeth lias been elected a member of the Regatta Committee, rice Mr C. J. Hutehinsou, resigned through illness. Ponsonby junior whaleboat crew at the Regatta will be as follows : — McKay (stroke), Webster, Graham, Smith, Dixon, Sid. Scott (steei--oar). The ram-bowed yacht which Ilcwson. and Melville have built is for Mr Percy Dufaur. She will be launched this -week. I like her model very much, and she should sail well. She will not be raced. West End Rowing Club are keeping very dark, but I hope to see them pull off a race or two at the two regattas. They have a popular captain in Mr Cooke, and have no internal dissensions as yet. Clare had to put a keel on the whaleboat he built for the Ponsonby crew, to the order of Mr Morpeth. lie had made her roundbottomed, but the Waitemata Club kicked up a bobbery, and the keel had to be added. There is a great demand for lead for ballast in town just now. None of the wholesale houses have any pigs in stock, the nearest being on board the Vanduara, and that is a long way down as yet, and unlikely to sec daylight before the 29th. The Ika, Mr C. Bailey's well-known open boat, has been slightly alfceredby her "shoulders" being narrowed so as to make her a bit leaner. The improvement is apparent at once, and she should sail much, faster. Mr Bailey will sail her himself in the Regatta. Laing's new 20-footer, built by Rutledge, has been knocking about during the week. I don't like her much, as she appears too full affc and does not " tuck " well. In this respect she is unlike The Poet, which goes along as clean as a knife blade and makes no fuss. The Violet was tried on Sunday last and on Monday and Tuesday evenings, and though rigged with a 20-footer's mast and boom, which were too heavy for her, she showed great abilities, and should make a good show in the Regatta. She will be sailed by G. Petley. The following are the likely entries for the 20-foot Open Boat Eace : Dream, Poet, Ika, Laing's new one, Matthew's ditto, Mascotte, Leon, Bay of Islands boat, Imp, and possibly Madge. The 16-foot Eace will include the Ely, Violet, Vie, Lad, Perrott's, and others.

The Olivette, or Vie, as she was called originally, is up at Bailey's for preparation for the 16-foot open boat race. Young C. Bailey is just finishing his new 10-footer for the same race. She is to be called the Lad, and being a pretty model, with nice easy lines, should be heard from.

I hear that Mr Street has decided to send his yacht, the Muritai, for the big race. This is as it should be, as Mr Street was the first proposer of the rule he since objected to — that all yachts should be sailed by amateurs. She will be opposed by the Rita, Tawera, and Arawa. The iirst two have been up alongside the Wynyard Tier getting some attention preparatory to the race.

Hewson and Melville launched their new 20-footer, which has been named The Poet, on Monday last. ,She was out for a spin each evening since, and though rather roughly rigged and sparred, and carrying an old "suit of sails belonging to the old Transit, she sailed like a witch ; and with Sain Dove at the tiller on Regatta Day, l fancy she will give any of her opponents a doing. Any amount of pots coming- in for prizes. Messrs J\ I layman and Co., Lewisson (as usual), Oxley, Ivohn, Union S.S. Co., and J. Marshall are to the fore in this respect, and move are expected. The Committee might with a good grace add a decent cup to the wretched prig's of £10 and £8 respectively oilVivd for (.lie 20 and io'-footopen boat races.

C. Bailey has re-launched the Waitemata R.C.V, whale-boat, She is really a lovely model, and is well within rule measurements ; her beam i.-, -Ift. lin., and length 34ft. 4in. Her bottom is compose of only one plank 24 inches a-side, running- the whole length, and having 2 strakes on top. Her crew will be as follows:— Kecfe (stroke). H. Moore (4), 11. Sladc (;i), Pritehard (2), Cook (bow), and H. Moore (steer-oar). Bailey expects by next mail from Tonga, the final orders for a schooner yacht for Wellington, Crown Prince of Tonga. Her model, which Mr Bailey has made and shewn to me, is as near perfection as possible. She possesses beautiful lines, but yet will have great beam (Hi feet) for her length (07 feet). Her name is to be Toafa-o-ilaamea. Mr Bailey was the highest tenderer, bub his model so pleased the Prince that he gave Mr Bailey the order.

The Pon.sonby Rowing Club is justly acknowledged to be the premier club of the Xorrh Island, and (hey are indebted for that title mainly on account of the esprit dv corps of tiie members with the determination of carrying- out the old song-, '-Pull, pull together, boys,"' and to the popular and deservedly respected cn.]> tain, .]. B. Morpetb, Esq., who has always been foremost in assisting to carry everything- and anything conducive to the interest of the club and its members. It now possesses a capital boat house situated on the Shelly Beach, fitted up with lookers for the use of members, freshwater shower baths and every requisite necessary to enhance the charms and pleasures of boating. The Club hay( j now three splendid whaleboats. three well-built gig-s, one pleasure boat, a test gig built by the well-known builders, Cummings and Co.. of Sydney, and the Club is now having built at Clare's a grand whaleboat for the Regatta, which will be manned by a crew, consisting of lleavn (the Champion of N.Z.), Smith, MeGrath, Tyson, and Brown, and there is every hope of their rendering a good ar-ount of the new boat. The crew are in active training. .Stanford's Pousonby Club Hotel is their head-quarters, Host Stanford making everything very comfortable for them. The Club now numbers something like 100 members, and in February it is proposed to have trial fives, when about twenty-five crews will, compete. The Club is now in splendid form, and with the complete unanimity of good feeling that exists between the members, the captain, and the general public, a good future is before it : and I heartily wish success to the Fonsonby Rowing Club.