OCEAN RACE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 94, 15 January 1940, Page 9

OCEAN RACE

11 Yachts Set Off From Lyttelton

ROUGH WEATHER MET By Telegraph.—Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, January 14. The start of the'ocean yacht race attracted the largest gathering of small craft ever assembled off Lyttelton Heads, there being between 50 and 60, including competing yachts. Early on Saturday afternoon the vachts arrived at Little Port Cooper, where their engines were sealed. The lucaiia was tne only competitor without an. engine.

From Little Port Cooper most of the vachts were towed up to the starting line bv launches. The race was timed to stare at 3.30 p.m.. but it was 4.18 p.m. before the yachts were sent away, drifting with very little wind from the north-north-east. Then came a light to fresh south-westerly, and the yachts were soon running before it. The wind changed to westerly for a time, but backed again to south-west. At 7.30 p.m. the Adderley Head signal station reported that the yachts were about 20 miles off and the keelers appeared to be leading. During Saturday night and today a strong southwesterly blew on the coast, accompanied by heavy rain. This _ would give the yachts a following Wind and sea and should make for a fast race. Such weather, it was thought, would favour the heavier cruft such as the Southern Light, Te Hongi. Mandalay and Arawa. ’ A report from Kaikoura this evening stated that very rough weather had been experienced by the yachts from Lyttelton to Kaikoura. The Tucana broke her main boom when off the Conway River when holding a fivemiles lead from the Mandalay. 'Jibe Tucana met with this mishap through a gusty wind, but was able to proceed to Kaikoura under jib, arriving there between 4.30 and 5 a.m.. today. It was reported that the skipper of the 'Tucana intended to effect some repair and to continue to Wellington when Lite weather calmed, but the boat was still at Kaikoura at 6 p.m. Members of the Tucana’s crew reported a very strong south-westerly wind and said that the yacht had at times been making 14 knots. They said some trouble had been encountered in keeping the bow from going under because the wind was so strong and gusty and the sea so choppy. By dark, when the Mandalay was seen about half an hour (five miles) behind, only one other yacht, which was not identified, was in sight. The time taken for the Tucana to reach a point off the Conway River was about seven hours. Eleven Competitors, Shortly before the boats left the inner harbour for the heads on Saturday messages received from the south indicated that a southerly was coming up, and if this weather continues the fastest boats may make the trip in about 24 hours. There was only a light breeze from the north-east, when the Senorita with the windward position led the others across the line at. 4.20 p.m. The other local boat, Tucana, attractive with her fine racing lines, was in the lea'd on the first board when all were safely on their way. The sea was calm, and the people on small craft at the heads gave the deepwater men a rousing send-off. The starters in the race were Mandalay, Royal Fort Nicholson Yacht Club, 35ft. waterline, twomasted ketch, skipper, Dr. Montgomery Spencer, set.; Tawhiri, Aurora Sailing Chib, Nelson, 29ft. din. Bermuda sloop, skipper, N. Brown, 21ir. 33min.; Tucana, Banks Peninsula Cruising Club. 29ft. sloop, skipper. B. S. Geissler, 31ir. 24miu.; Te Hongi, Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club. 36 ft. Sin. schooner, skipper, 11. F. Lamb, 3hr. 53-min.; Rauka.wii, Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, 34ft. Marconi ketch, skipper, C. A. Livingstone, 71nr. 3min.; Arawa, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Nelson. 31ft. cutter, skipper, J. Glasgow. 9h'r. lOmin.; Southern Light. Bluff Yacht Club, ketch, ■skipper, J. Wilson, 9hr. 29min.; Gypsy, Bluff Yacht. Club. 20ift. cutter, skipper, G. O. Dickson. llhr. 37inin.; Maputu, Evans Bay Yaeht Club, 26ft. 3in. schooner, skipper, E. .Stallard, 15hr. 52min.; Senorita, Banks Peninsula Cruising Club, 19ft. Marconi sloop, skipper, IV. H. Browne. 19br. lfinrin.; Nanette, Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, 26ft sloop, skipper, ,T. C. Maddcver (handicap not yet worked out). Yvonne, of the Canterbury Yacht and Motor Boat Club, was not a starter. Progress Reports. 'The first, boat, passed Cape Campbel! at 12.45 p.m. today. From the description Canterbury yachtsmen identify her as probably tlie Mandalay. The second yacht, thought to bo either the Tawhiri or the Gypsy, passed at 1.15 p.m.

Two passed at 5 p.m., hull down in the fresh west-north-west breeze. One more was sighted at. 7.15 p.m. and another at 8.15 p.m. and another at 8.45 p.m. The last sighted was thought to be the Southern Light. Senorita turned back and anchored

at Kaikoura at 7 p.in. It was reported that a strong north-westerly was now blowing in Cook Strait.

TAWHIRI FIRST TO FINISH

31 Hours 26 Minutes To Make Trip Making a fast, trip of 31 hours 26 minutes 5 3-5 seconds the Bermuda sloop Tawhiri (Nelson) was the first yacht to cross the finishing line,in the ocean race.from Lyttelton to Wellington. The race started at. 4.20 p.m. on Saturday and Tawhiri finished at 11.46 last night. For most of the journey the yacht experienced heavy weather, and when off the Clarence River three reefs were put. in the mainsail, but were shaken out. later. A strong northerly in the strait forced the crew to reef the mainsail right down again. In spite of the heavy weather the yacht shipped practically no water, only spray coming aboard.

At the start of the race conditions were excellent, the wind being from the south-west. Kaikoura was reached at 5.30 a.m. yesterday and the Clarence River at 10 a.m. The wind swung round to north west at the Clarence, and continued to blow from that direction till Cape Campbell was reached. ’ where it changed to a northerly. From there Tawhiri made a long board till close to Wellington, where it had to go about to make the heads. The Tawhiri was sighted about 20 miles from the heads at 4.15 p.m., when she was moving fast through the water. At 9.45 p.m. she was inside the heads and nt 10.30 p.m. was off Worsen Bay. • “The hardiest, piece of the whole trip was beating up Wellington harbour,” said lan Treleaven, a ipember of the crew when interviewed! ‘‘lt was a good trip, though hard work.”

At the start of the race Tucana went ahead of the rest of the competitors, anfl Tawhiri was In second place. Off Motunau Mandalay passed Tawhiri, and the two boats were together again off Wellington heads. When some miles away from the harbour entrance, however, Mandalay apparently struck trouble, as she lowered her mainsail, and under mizzen and Jib slipped liway to leeward.

The express steamer Rangatira passed some of the competitors at 11 p.m. on Saturday night, when they were reported to lie making about, nine knots, running before the Wind with spinnakers set. The Wahlne also passed some Of the yachts on her daylight trip from Lyttelton to Wellington yesterday. At 2.15 p.m. she jinssed Southern Light about 52 miles from Wellington under mainsail only. Thirty-five liiinutes later Te Hongi was passed 42 miles from Wellington. Apparently tile wind was too strong for Te Hongi, as a passenger on the steamer said she was under bare poles.

Though Ttlwhiri was first across the line it is possible she will not. win tlie race, in spite of her good time, as htliidictlps fire adjusted at the end of the race.

The Tawhiri’s crew was Noel Brown (skipper), I. Treleaven, Evans (2) and Nalder.