TRAGEDY OF THE SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20990, 29 September 1931, Page 6

TRAGEDY OF THE SEA.

iYACHT RACE MARRED.

COMPETITOR IN A GALE. DROWNING OF PART-OWNER. One of the greatest British yacht races Jound the Fastnet Rock was marred by the tragic loss of Colonel Hudson, partOwner of the yacht Maitenes 11., which met bad weather off the Lizard on Sunday, August 16. The yacht had been seen by the skipper of the trawler Dunraven Castle in a state of distress. All her sails had been blown away, and Commander Luard, the other part-owner, told the skipper that one of his amateur crew had been lost overboard. ' The skipper of the trawler took the •Maitenes in ,tow. First he took the amateur crew off the yacht and the one paid hand, who was the cook, and substituted some of his own men. He stood by until the weather, which was exceedingly bad, had moderated sufficiently to enable him to take the yacht in tow. Then he ma'de for Swansea, his home port. Thrilling and tragic stories were told by the captain and eight surviving members of the crew of the yacht -When they arrived at Swansea on August 17. The Maitenes 11. was damaged at the bows, some of her spars were broken, and her icanvas had been torn away. In an interview, the skipper, Lieuten-ant-Commander W. B. Luard, R.N., retired, the other part-owner, said they started the race in fairly good weather on Tuesday, but ran into a gale on Thursday evening, off Land's End. Continuing, he said: — " "We ran alongside the coast to St. Ives for shelter, getting under way again on Friday morning. We rounded the f&Fastnet on Saturday morning at nine o'clock, but before that we had torn our mainsail and the rock was rounded nnder trysail with the weather steadily getting jworse. Terrific Squalls. "We succeeded in making an offing before having to heave to under reefed trysails and storm trysails. We hove to three hours, rounded the rocks, and remained hove to all that day and all that night, with the weather still getting jrorse. " About 11 o'clock on Saturday morning the ship was overpowered by terrific squalls, and occasionally heavy seas swept the deck. At 11.45 we lowered all sails, streamed a sea anchor and oilbags astern, and ran before the gale under bare poles. Colonel Hudson, who was working aft, was at this stage lost overboard. Tre- , mendous seas were then running. We had no canvas on, and it was impossible to do anything to save him. At 2.45 we sighted the Dunraven Castle and asked her by semaphore to stand by until the weather' moderated. " The yacht was then occasionally being pooped. At 3.45 the sea was becoming very much worse and breaking heavily and everybody on board was exhausted. The-* ship appeared to be in danger of sinking and in danger of being pooped several times, and it was decided to abandon her." ' Lieutenant-Commander Luard added that the manoeuvring of the Dunraven Castle was one of the finest pieces of seamanship hfi had seen. All hands were taken aboard the trawler, and subsequently four of the trawler's crew were put aboard the yacht. How Colonel Hudson Died. Wing-Commander D. Graham, R.A.F., a member of the crew, said: —"We lost Colonel Hudson on Sunday afternoon about one o'clock. It was in paying out the sea anchor that Colonel Hudson went overboard. The yacht gave a big roll and went right over on one side. It was impossible for us to do anything to save him, because we did not have any sail t out, and it was blowing a full gale." Wing-Commander Graham added that When the trawler's boat with four men aboard went to put a line on the yacht they were capsized, but the four men managed to scramble to safety. A member of the trawler's crew said they had great difficulty in getting a rope aboard and had to make several attempts. "Very good seamanship was shown on the part of Boatswain Burgess and third hand Reynolds, who went out in the trawler's boat. The survivors bore traces of the ordeal through which they had passed, and although they had been able to rest on the trawler, were still worn out.