GREAT SEA RACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19676, 30 June 1927, Page 7

GREAT SEA RACE.

OLD WINDJAMMER'S VICTORY DEVICES OF EAGER CREW. SCRAPING OFF THE BARNACLES. After a stirring sea race, which recalls the days of ths Cutty Sark and the great fleet of Indian tea' clippers/ the four-masted Finnish barque Hougetnont recently readied Falmouth. She is the second of the 13 old-time windjammers that set out from Australia to race to the United Kingdom round the Cape. First home was the Ilerzogin Cecilie, another four-masted barque that'reached Queerstown on May 4, in the fast time of 88 days. The Hougemont was 124 days at sea. "Eight days after leaving Port Lincoln," said ber skipper, Captain Hagerstrand, "we fell in with the Archibald Russell, another of the racing windjammers. My crew tried all sorts of d«v , vices to get the utmost speed out of our vessel. "Every available stitch of canvas was set, and wo even set a sail under the bowsprit. So keen were the hands that they scraped the bottom of the ship with pieces of wire to remove any barnacles or weed, even shifting some of the cargo to accomplish their purpose. The vessel's sides were also coated with varnish. "When off the Falkland Islands we sighted a number of icebergs, and just before reaching the Equator we again fell in with the Archibald Russell and kept her company for several days. We gradually lost sight of each other, and then, getting into touch again, kept each other in view for three days. "The Archibald Russell seemed the faster ship, but we were determined to get to port first. Unluckily, a good deal of head wind was encountered, and that made progress vfcry slow. We again lost touch until nearing t»e Lizard, when we saw our competitor some distance away, but on the other tack. My vessel was superior in beating up Channel, and she managed to find her way into Falmouth in spite of the east wind."