OCEAN YACHT RACE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 73, 27 March 1931, Page 9

OCEAN YACHT RACE

ACROSS THE TASMAN

OIMARA REACHES SYDNEY

SOME ROUGH WEATHER

Dnited Press Association—By Electric Teiograph—Copyright. SYDNEY, 2(sth March. The yacht. Oimara, from Auckland, entered the Heads at 10.40 this morning. There is no sign of the others. Tho crew of the Oimara told a graphic story of their trip across the Tasman, in which nearly twelve days were spent at sea. Mr. F. J. Bennell (captain), Captain 11. J. Symonds (navigator), Mr. A. B. Monks (wireless operator), and Mr. F. Bcnnoll comprised the crew of the Oimara. During a cyclone Mr. Frank Bennell received a fractured nose. ■On tho first night out, the Oimara had a narrow escape from being run down by a sailing vessel which ignored the yacht's flares. A week later- she encountered rough weather. Her big jib was blown away, and next day the yacht struck "merry Hell." The mainsail gaff was smashed, and the topsail jib and all lighter sails were blown to ribbons. The following day's log says: "Heavy seas. Frank was at the wheel when a sea, caught him, smashed his faco against tho mizzen mast, and broke his nose." Occasionally throughout the night the Oimara was hove-to to give tho crew a rest. A new gaff was made out of old parts despite the big seas. The Oimara will leave for Mclbourno within a couple of days. Tho throe yachts taking part in tho ocean raco left Auckland on Saturday, 14th March, the Oimara and Teddy at 2 p.m., and tho Bangi 40 minutes later. At 11.15 o'clock next morning the Oimara was reported to have passed Capo Brett, but the Teddy and Eangi did not pass until four hours later. Light winds continued on tho coast, and it was thought that the three boats would round Capo Maria van Diemon on the evening of Monday, 16th March. However, they were not sighted by the lighthouse-keeper at Capo Maria, and the steamer Maunganui, which passed the capo in the afternoon, en route from Sydney to Auckland, did not see the yachts. The Oimara was sighted by the steamer Marrnnn on Saturday, 21st Mnroh, about' 400 miles east of Sydney Heads. Her average speed during that .period would work out at 5.4 knots.