RACE AGAINST TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20823, 16 March 1931, Page 10

RACE AGAINST TIME.

PREPARING THE RANGI.

WORK ON THE SLIPWAY.

ACTIVITY DURING NIGHT,

Working throughout tho night and up to the very time that she could be launched, men at the yards of W. G. Lowe and Son, Limited, did all that was humanly possible to prepare the Auckland yacht Bangi in timo to participate in the race across tho Tasman. It was a race against time, and four mcjg and four apprentices, refusing any payment for their work, accomplished their task in record time. Twenty-seven hours after she arrived at St. Mary's Bay tho Bangi was back in the water and ready for the race. Certificates have been received by tho owner of tho Bangi, Mr. W. A. E. Leonard, stating that the yacht is perfectly sound and seaworthy, from tho Commodore of the Akarana Yacht Club, Mr. F. W. Jeffers, from tho builder and from tho skipper, Lieutenant-Commander Juler.

Tho Bangi's auxiliary engine, which had broken down, was removed and her propeller unshipped. Tho removal of the engine provided greater space for the storage of provisions and water, but ballast had to be moved for the trimming of the yacht. Tho Bangi has a very large cockpit, and this was partially deckejl ip to provido locker space. The rudder stock was found to be defective and a new ono had to bo fitted. A deck rail was also fitted. When recalled from Kawau, tho Rangi had started on a cruiso. Sho had been cleaned in preparation, and tho extra work this would have involved was fortunately not necessary. Loading of Provisions.

The work to be done had provented the Rangi from being launched on the one o'clock tide on Saturday morning. No difficulty was experienced in getting the Rangi down from the slipway, and at 2.30 o'clock, just before high water, sho had been launched. Two towboat launches were used for the purpose, given free of charge by tho Auckland Launch and Towboat Company. Once clear, the Rangi was towed by a launch into tho stream, tho provisions being 1 (Jaded as she went along. Even when she was off Queen's Wharf provisions could be seen being thrown on board from an accompanying launch. These were to be stowed away after the yacht was under way. The Rangi towed a dinghy, which was later to be hauled to tho cabin top, where provision had been made for lashing it down. Navigatirg lEstruments.

It was not until the Rangi had reached North Head that tho chronometer and navigating compass were put on board. These were supplied by the yacht Heartsease, which waited at North Head to transfer them. Mr. Leonard remained on board the Rangi until she was off Dovonport. lie then boarded a launch and accompanied the yacht to within five miles of Tiritiri.

!' Given fair weather conditions, the prospects are not only bright for a speedy and comfortable passage, but they are quite good for the race," Mr. Leonard said on Saturday afternoon. "We do not want to take any risks, and everything possible has been done to the Rangi. Sho is now equipped with every means of ensuring the safety of tho crew. Tho Akarana Yacht Club has given every assistance. Wo aro very grateful to Donaghy and Company, Limited, who presented tho yacht -with every inch of cordage, and to Harringtons, N.Z., Limited, who presented a receiving set and a motion picture camera." The work of fitting out the Rangi was dono by the firm of W. G. Lowe and Son, Limited, free of charge.

Second in Command.

Mr. Eric Spraggon, Lieutenant R.N.V.R., who has sailed as second in command of the Rangi, is a cousin of the owner, whom he is representing. Mr. Spraggon was with the New Zealand Division of the Motor-boat Patrol during the war. He received his commission, and was later transferred to the destroyer service in the North Sea. He was born in Auckland and is a resident of Stanley Bay. He is an experienced yachtsman and navigator.

WIRELESS EQUIPMENT.

NO BROADCAST MESSAGES.

OIMARA WITHOUT OPERATOR.

r I here will bo no wireless communication with any of tho thrco yachts during the course of the race across tho Tasman, although both the Rangi and tho Oimara are equipped with receiving sets, which will enable them to pick up broadcast messages such as weather reports. A wireless operator had been chosen to accompany the Oimara, but at tho last minute he found that the notice given him was too short to allow him to obtain sufficient leave to mako tho trip. "We did not know until ten o'clock this morning that the wireless operator who was fo go with us would be unable to mako the trip," Mr. Bonuol'l said just beforo the race. "Ho was to have acted as a deck hand as well, so it means that we will be sailing short-handed. Rather than do this we would have taken another man had there been time. It means that wo might Jose a few hours by neglect of the sails owing to the tiredness of tho crew from tho longer shifts. Our friends in Australia are expecting messages, but there will now bo no one on board able to send them. None of us has sufficient knowledgo of morse, but in a case of extreme emergency wo may be able to broadcast a message very slowly." Tho Oimara's wireless equipment is valued at £2OO. Tho Rangi has a wireless receiving set supplied by Harringtons, N.Z. Limited, and tho same firm has presented a motion picture camera. The set has a range of 600 miles, and it will enable tho yacht to pick up weather reports.

Messages were broadcast from IYA to tho Rangi lust evening and the station asked that (lie crew should stand watcli between three and four o'clock and seven and eight o'clock daily while in communication with New Zealand. Sufficient batteries are carried by tho Rangi to maintain her sot for four or fivo weeks.