Our Sailing History

The research of the clubs history is based on articles written in either the Wanganui Chronicle or the Wanganui Herald's early newspapers from 1888 to 1909. There is a double up of articles throughout this research book and that is because sometimes the newspaper articles in one paper are more comprehensively covered than the other. I make no apologies for this as we are looking at as much history of the club's existence and activities as possible.

I have found records of sailing races as early as 1874 and these races would include boats from other centres and according to Harold Kidd (NZ Yachting Federation Historian) these boats migrated around NZ. It was easy to put them on a coaster as deck cargo and there was money to be made in challenge races.

There is a record of a yacht called the 'Mabel' owned by Capt Farquhar sailing on the river in 1881. This intimates that sailing was well under the way prior to 1888. It was not until 1888 that an official sailing club in Wanganui became established.

On the evening of January 16 1888 a meeting was held at (Fosters) Steam Packet Hotel to form a sailing club (see photo 00). Those present were Messrs Stewart (Chairman), Drew, Ward, Clapham, Mosely, Neill and Low. The new club was formed and was to be called the 'WANGANUI SAILING CLUB'. The annual subscription was fixed at 5 shillings. Mr Stewart was appointed President and Messrs Thain and Dymock Vice Presidents. Mr Low was elected Commodore and Mr Ward secretary and treasurer. Messrs Butler, Hodges, McLaren, Clapham and Batt the working committee. And so was born the WANGANUI SAILING CLUB.

On January 19 1888 entries were received for a sailing race to take place on the Monday next under the auspices of the new yacht club. The meeting for this race of those interested was held in the Anchor Hotel in January 20th 1888. The Anchor Hotel was rebuilt after a fire in 1886 and was renamed the Commercial Hotel (see photo 01).

The first race on February 4th 1888 under the auspices of the new club was to be a sweepstake race with an entry fees of 5 shillings (approx $1.00) which in those days was quite a large sum of money. The number of entries for this race was eight and entries had to be lodged at the Harbour Board Office. The course and rules to be decided by the Harbourmaster. The prizes were: 1st silver cup presented by Mr Drew and 2 pounds; 2nd 1 pound; 3rd 10 shillings; 4th 5 shillings.

During this season another silver cup was presented by the club president Mr Stewart on March 24th 1888 and the winner of the cup will be awarded by a count of points over the sailing season.

During the season 1888-89 separate races were held for various length of boats, 16 feet and under and for boats 21 feet and under. Racing for yachts was based on a handicap system.

Racing varied between the town wharf and at Castlecliff.

The yachts were stored or moored beside and around the Wanganui Rowing Club and Union Boat Clubs as shown in the early photo of 1888 (refer photo 02).

Sailing continued through to the early 1890's until the flood on February 13th 1891, which saw Mr. Mailman's boat, the 'Paragon' washed out to sea and ended up on Nukumaru Beach and had to be bought back by train from Waitotara. The damage was substantial and all her stem sheets and sailing gear had been swept away.

After this sailing was spasmodic with only one or two races taking place within the season up until when the club reformed by requesting interested members to attend a meeting in the Metropolitan Hotel ( comer St Hill St. & Taupo Quay and is still there but not as a hotel, refer photo 05) on Thursday January 7th 1904. Between forty and fifty gentlemen assembled at this meeting inaugurating a yacht club, called the 'Wanganui Sailing Club'.

Mr. Alf Mitchell presented a gold trophy for a free-for-all race at the inaugural meeting as a stimulant to the formation of the club. Forty five promptly put down their names as members. Mr Yarrow also expressed his intention of presenting a silver cup to be sailed for by the club. On January 15th 1904 the New Zealand Times also offered a gold medal to be sailed for during the season. Another medal was also presented to the club by Mr. J.G. Swan.

On March 12 1904 the first race for the Watson Cup presented to the club by Watson's Whisky Coy.

On Easter Saturday in March of 1904 Mr. B. T. Bennett presented four gold medals to be given to the winning crew for the race that day.

Other prizes given to the club during the course of the 1904 season were; J.E. Gilby; J. Hodson and Weightman (Feilding).

1904-05 saw additional trophies presented to the club by Messrs. G. D. Jones; Co.s trophy and the Hatrick trophy.

On Monday November 28 1904 the Wanganui Sailing Club received the challenge cup presented by Mr. J. F. Studholme of Christchurch. This is the only cup that remains within the club from those early years (refer photo 06). To date I can find no information on how this cup came about and was donated to the club.

In the 1904--05 season further trophies were given to the club and raced for that of Mr. J. Coleman's trophy; Mr. A.D. Willis's trophy; Licenced Vituallers' Cup; Mr C.F. Brodies trophy; Messrs Hodder and Harford trophies.

In the 1905-06 season further trophies were given to the club by Mr. J.B. Murray ( a barometer); Chronicle Company's Cuckoo Clock.

On Tuesday 6th November 1906 permission was given from the Harbour Board granting a site next to the Wanganui Rowing Club's shed for a clubhouse. It was proposed to build a shed 60 x 50 feet (18m x 15m) which would house all the yachts in the off season. The cost being 160 pound for material, the club members undertaking the building. Whether this shed was built is not known as I can find no record of what date it was built in the newspapers.

The 1906-07 season a trophy was presented by Mr. J. T. Stewart ( an oil painting) for a race to be sailed in the sea reach, between the Bluff (Imlay) and Castlecliff (heads). The Mayor Mr. C. E. MacKay (Commodore) also presented a trophy.

During the period from 1904 through to 1909 various firms donated money as prizes for the minor placings which were gladly accepted by the club.

In November of 1908 the meetings of the club were moved to, and held in, the Newmarket Hotel, see photo. Later years it became the Imperial Hotel, now demolished.

The 1907-08 season saw other trophies presented to the club, the Cosmopolitan Club, a barometer.

The 1908-09 season trophies presented to the club were: Mr . Kemohan's trophy; Mr. Ralph O'Hara's trophy; Mr. M. Spurdles trophy; Mr. G. Ambrose's trophy and Grove Bros' trophy.

It was at the end of the 1908-09 season in March 15th that the number of boats competing in the final race of the season had dropped to two. A comment made by the newspaper in November 25th 1909 that "it may be remarked that the interest, which obtained two or three years back in regard to yachting appears to have almost died out. It seems a pity that such a fine sport cannot be revived into something resembling activity". (My comment here also is that this is where the last of the newspapers on-line from the National Library (1909) occurs so research for the period 1909 through to 1933 needs to be done for the continuation of the clubs history and will form Part 2. After this the club has kept good minute book records of events up until the current date.)

On December 18th 1909 saw the start of the season for the newly formed Wanganui Motor Boat Club. It was after this that the two clubs combined and became the "Wanganui Motor Boat and Sailing Club". This remained as such until the clubs separated in 1933 and reverted back to the Wanganui Sailing Club.

Acknowledgement: I would like to thank Dave Nicholson whom started all this off by saying that the club is older than 75 years and to prove it he produced a newspaper article recording a race in 1905. So it was then that I decided to investigate into the clubs history as I knew that there had been sailing on the river prior to the early l 900's and this is the result for the period from 1888 to 1909.

Terry Coles.
January 2008.