Auniversary Day at Wellington.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4932, 23 January 1895, Page 3

Auniversary Day at Wellington.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Wkllixrtox, Tuesday, It is curious how comparatively little public interest is taken in tho annual regatta held on Anniversary Day. A small baud of euthusiastß with the assistance of the shopkeepers and the merchants who are bled for subscriptions keep the whole thing going, but the great bulk of the people evince little or no enthusiasm i for what one would have thought would be in a seaport town with a magnificent harbour, a sort of annual acquatie /fife. There is no doubt that this is so as the paltry attendance on the wharves and ■ breastwork on Regatta days oloqueutly testifies. The fact is that Anniversary Day Regattas consist almost entirely of sailing races and beyond the start and the finish the public see absolutely nothing of the yachting from the wharves. The Regatta this year, promises to be of more than usual interest from the larsje number of outside yachts engaged, who have been attracted by the substantial prize of LIOO offered fur tho first class race. The new addition to Wellington's yachting fleet the Wnitaugi—one of Logan's latest Auckland built boats, is attracting mncli attention, more from her extraordinary shape than the fact that she may provo a winner to-morrow. The " Wnitaugi "is quite an up-to-date boat built on the model of Lord Dunraven's famous clipper" The Valkyrie." As she sits in the water she presents a fairly graceful appearance, but high and dry tho Wnitaugi more resembles a cocked hat in shape than anything else. One misses the shapely stern swelling counter, tapering bow, and i graceful lines of the old time yachts but the present day boats are built more for speed thin for anything else. In concluding these remarks it would be ungraceful on my part to forget to mention that yachting in Wellington owes almost its very existence to the keen interest which Mr E, W. Mills has always taken in it, Mr Mills is the Commodore of the local club and his support and assistance is valuable in the extreme. It will be remembered that Mr Mills was the owner of the erstwhile famous clipper, the Xariffa, which at one time carried all before her on the wators of Port Nicholson, I The Waitangi proved the winner, " -En, W.D.T.J