1938 GRAIN RACE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 98, 22 October 1938, Page 24

1938 GRAIN RACE

WON BY THE PASSAT

The Erikson barque Passat has won this year's grain race to the United Kingdom with a passage of 98 days from Port Victoria to Falmouth. Of the four vessels which have not arrived yet, none is in a position to challenge her, says an Australian exchange.

Last year the Passat shared the honour with the Pommern, each ship taking 94 days to the Channel, and in 1936 her time of 87 days was beaten by only one day by the Herzogin Cecilie. This year's time is the slowest since 1934, when the Passat took 106 days, and is 15 days slower than the 83-day passage made by the Parma in 1933, which is the fastest recorded during the past seven years.

The race this year has been marred by the anxiety felt for the HamburgAmerika Line training ship Admiral Karpfanger, which is now quoted as uninsurable, and the damage to the barque Penang in a squall off the Tasrnanian coast on June 1, when her main topmast was broken in two places. She was towed into Port Chalmers on June 14, and resumed her voyage on August 19 after repairs had been made.

Of the twelve ships in this year's race, only two, with the exception of the Admiral Karpfanger and the Penang, have not arrived. The ships still out, with their sailing dates and the number of days at sea to date, are:— Admiral Karpfanger, February 8, from Port Germein, 225 days; Archibald Russell, May 10, Port Germein, 134; Olivebank, May 10, Port Victoria, 134; Penang, May 19, Port Victoria, 125.

The corresponding details for the ships which have arrived are:—Abraham Rydberg, January 16, Wallaroo, 121; Killorank, March 8, Port Germein, 128; Lawhill, Aprilj9, Port Victoria, 130; Moshulu, April 23, Port Victoria, 121; Passat, March 4, Port Victoria, 98; Pommern, March 26, Port Germein, 122; Viking, February 15, Port Victoria, 117; and Winterhude, March 5, Port Germein, 165.

The Winterhude's is the longest voyage recorded since 1932, when the Mozart took 150 days. At one time the Winterhude was posted as overdue, reinsurance being quoted at 15 guineas per cent., but the ship was reported off St. Helena on July 11, when 128 days out.

Two workmen were trapped in a tunnel leading to the propeller when fire broke out recently in the engine room of the steamer Plawsworth in a Blyth, Northumberland, shipyard. They were J. Benns, a fitter, and T. Dodds, a labourer, both of Blyth. They escaped through a hole cut in the ship's hold by oxy-acetylene burner*.