Aquatics. [By Neptune.]

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 128, 26 November 1898, Page 3 (Supplement)

Aquatics. [By Neptune.]

, PORT NICHOLSON YACHT CLUB. My congratulations to the owners of the Mawhiti op the successful launch of their smart-looking cutter. At the same time I have to express very much regret at the accident to Mr. Penty, whioh will bar him from enjoying the first spins in the boat that has cost her owners such a great amount of work, but it is work that they have enjoyed, and may realisation come up to anticipation. The men who own Mawhiti are young and eager, so that we can look for good sport in the second class as far as they a*-e concerned, though Kotiri and Atalanta won't let her have her own way. Several boats changed hands during th"c winter, and a feAv have been pulled about a bit to suit the various owners. For instance, Messrs. Penty and Co. bought Ariel from Messrs. Shennan and Co. for the sake of the lead keel. They sold the hull io Mr. Freyberg, while the sails went to someone else. Mr. Freyberg must get some lead for the keel, so he in turn purchased the Haeata, dismantled her, and shifted the lead on to f;he Ariel. Haeata has since been sold, and no doubt the new owner is looking for lead for her keel in his turn. The latter boat is ocular demonstration of how our fleet is gradually improving. There was a time when her locker almost invariably carried home the prize in her class, and now she is nowhere in the race when sailing Under rating handioap. At the meeting of the Yacht Club an enthusiastic member made a short speech, congratulating tho officers that they had healed the breach that had occurred, and he hoped members would set to work io bring in new members to make the club the premier club of the colony as to numbers. The Port Nicholson is the only club in, the colony flying the blue ensign, and io is only right that a big membership should keep pace with the distinction. The Commodore also spoke in a happy way, but we want more owners, he said. If we get boats to make up good entries, and so make the races exciting, membership is sure to keep up. Now, our club wants a good stir up this season after the lethargy of the recent year or so, and I would suggest as a very probable means of getting one oi two new boats in our harbour that the committee increase the second-class prize very considerably, and so induce outsiders to bring their uoats to sail for it. Of course, they would have to collect from outsiders, but it would be to a very small extent in comparison to former years. There ought to be very little difficulty in presenting say £540 to the class. The third - class is a useful - sized boat, and ought to be encouraged, too, but if both cannot be the second is the healthier and should be considered first. This is how we got at least two good boats, Atalanta and Mapu. These two won theiv races when brought here, so the owners got satisfactory prices, besides the prize money — or, rather, Atalanta's owners threw the prize away by breaking the club's rules, but she won her race, and has kept on winning very consistently eve" since. The club course for first-class boats is to be altered for Anniversary Day, and last year's programme will undergo slight alteration. First and second class boats are to have two races, one each under rating and general handicap, the bigger boats to sail from the wharf round the Black Rock at the Heads and back. This is not a iorward step, I think, as it takes the boats out of sight of the spectators for the whoJe race except a few minutes at the start and finish. I hope the committee will make the allowance at the start of the handicap races, and so have it that the first boat home Avins. Handicaps could be made say an hour before starting time, giving ample time for crews to have their boats ready.