CRITICAL MOMENT IN THE OCEAN YACHT RACE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7784, 1 July 1887, Page 3

CRITICAL MOMENT IN THE OCEAN YACHT RACE.

A correspondent of the New York Herald, who was on board the Coronet, gives an interesting account of a perilous moment when it became necessary to

lieave-to in the fate of a tremendous gale. He says : — The veering and hauling or the wind and the barometer's fluctuations left no donbt that we were approaching the centre of a revolving cyclone, so sail was reduced to foie storm trysail and reefed fore staysail. Under these the schooner scudded the waves, which, without exaggeration, began to run so high that one was almost afraid to look astern and see the mountains of water that seemed at every moment as if they would engulph our tiny craft'; at times the ocean seemed to open, and the yacht reeled about as if snared in a whirlpool, while the whole surface of the sea looked like an immense snowdrift. Under the force of the wind the water would be snapped up from the surface in spoondrito and be driven in clouds of smoke over the vessel and crew, cutting like a knife everything it came in contact with. We were moving through the water with such velocity that our little vessel seemed scarcelyto touch the surface, and it was impossible to form an idea how long the gale would continue ; darkness, too, was coming on, and we were being driven up into the region of icebergs and fie.ld ice. Having run so long before the wind, to round-to in a sea as high as that then running ,5s an evolution that has eansed many large ships either to be swamped or to have their sides stove in ; but, as we had the chance either of being driven among the icebergs in the darkness or of heaving-to until the blow subsided, the latter alternative was chosen. Preparations were made. Extra sheets were secured to the fore storm trysail, the fore staysail was hauled down, and the main storm trysail bent, so that it might be "ready in case the fore was blown away. Perforated canvas bags filled with oil were also put over both bows and quarters. The captain and mate took their places at the helm, und the boatswain thundered throughout the length of the vessel, " Look out, everybody ; now, hang on for your lives!" Hard down went the helm, and, as the

trembling boat came up, we stood with bated breath awaiting the dreadful moment when she must pass through the trough of the sea. It was an anxious moment, for we did not know whether it would roll completely over us or if we would ride upon the crest. As she came up she paused a moment in the trough, and then with the wind well on the weather bow, passed the circle and rode each wave like a seabird. We lay all night drifting about at the mercy of the winds and waves, everything is the cabin a confused mass, the sea pouring through the skylight, and iires aud lights out. Ever and anon huge seas beat against our -weather bow with the force of a battering ram. At midnight the wind moderatod sufficiently for us to continue on our course.