THE GRAIN RACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22257, 9 May 1934, Page 14

THE GRAIN RACE

SAILING SHIP COMPETITION OVER TWENTY THIS YEAR SOME FAST PASSAGES RECALLED Two recent events have drawn attention to the annual grain race, in which the fastest and largest sailing vessels ■of .the world compete. . On Monday: night last the Monowai arrived in Wellington with a sick man from the Finnish; 'barque Favell. which had sent out a radio call for help in mid-Tasman, and later in the week a British Official- Wireless message was received from Rugby, stating that the Abraham Rydberg had arrived at Falmouth after a. voyage of 408 days from Wallaroo. /Both these shi>s took_wheat cargoes' fromVAustralia for the English or Continental' market; and the Abrabam Rydberg is the first of the windjammers to arrive at Falmouth—the recognised finishing place for the races—this season. The Favell, beset by south-easterly gales, has already lost much time on her voyage Home, and she will probably take well over 10Q days to reach, the English Channel. ■ - ..'•■.•■' . ■■'■ '.... - , The Abraham Rydberg was. the .first ship to leave South Australia with.wheat, while the Favell—the smallest of the competitors— was the last. The, Abraham Itvdberg has a gross measurement of .2345 tons, and the Favell is of 1334-tone.- . FASTEST PASSAGES. Although a certain amount. of. glamour attaches to being the first gram to reach-England, the leal honours; (says the Evening Post) "belong to the ship which makes the fastest passage for the vear. -It is unlikely that any definite indication as to which ship will gam this season's laurels will come to hand tor another month or so yet. : i. : The wonderful record of the . Fluuist four-masted barque Herzpgin Cecilie-is shown by the following list of'the wmners of the grain races itt : the past seven years:— '. ■ ;.■,.■■ '-'.■.■-■ ..■,■_„.■..■•••■--■■•. ..- - , ' .■; -.-.- Voyage:.- . . -": ■•- .'• ~.■•--. . ; "•; ; " ■ ; , Days.',' '■ V. i92.7- : ■'.. Herbogin- Cecilie,. 88;-'' 1928 a.. Herzogin Cecilie, -.., 96 , - 1929 :.." Archibald Russell : 9-> 1930 .. Pommern ' ~ 10 j?" 1931 -..Herzogin Cecilie S2 1932 .. Herzogin Cecihe 106 1933 -'.-.' Parma; •> .•." 5 3 .;. > :'Last year the Herzogin.Cecilie took 115 days to reach Great Britain, . being placed tenth in the list, of competitors. The Parma's time of 83 .days, last - year, was the fastest voyage that,had been made, between Australia' and the United Kingdom in 12 years,. ' • . t , ~..„„. The German four-masted' auxiliary barque Magdalenef Vinneri occupies, a rather anomalous position,.for,-during the last; three years she has ]P ut ' up the fastest time to the Channel from the Commonwealth. Her time in. 1931 was 89 days, in 1932 101 days, and,-ast year 76 days. She .can, however, be ruled out of- the race.as not conforming with the requirements for - entrants, because she has auxiliary engines-which.arei occasionally brought into use. and because she takes a grain cargo for Gernmny out calling at an English or Irish port. MORE SHIPS RUNNING. Including the .Magdalene 'Vinneiv g sailing ships carried grain A 'i6tr a lia. to Great Britain or the Continent .this year. The field for eachjear since 1927 U. been-—1927, 17; 1928, 9; 1929, ,14; 1930^1931,''12;'1932, te&V&m 1934 22. It can be seen that the day Pt the sailing ship is not7 et ' » aet ; a °% ji anything, they are tending to-be- ca ed x ? nto service more. Tbs value of .the sailer depends upon whether the consignee can afford to wait for his goods';te-,be delivered. There is certainly: a. saving in the cost of transport: by making use of sailing vessels, 1 and their only drawback is the uncertainty of the time they will occupy on the trip. There have been no serious mishaps to tbe grain-racers m.recent years. A great deal depends on the ship and her master and crew as to what Bort of a journey is made, but gales and calms and the delays they cause are beyond human control. The uncertainty of the race ir not its least attraction.

■; ! - OUTWARD JOURNEYS,: When the ships come put to Australia to-load wheat they leave'different port* around the English Channel and sometimes 'call'at intermediate ports. Hie following lable shows the times occupied by competitors this year and last ln.coming to Australia:— - ■ ;.-■ .;.''. Days. Days.

The Magdalene Vinnen called at Au'ck: land to discharge overseas cargo before she proceeded to Australia, and the time occupied by the Lawhill has not cohie to hand. -■ ;- ' • '., '■"N v: ;- . Below are given the ports from whieb the ships sailed arid the dates of their departure -iff.the present grain race:— Abraham Rydberg (Wallaroo), January 10; Archibald Russell (Port Victoria), February 16; C. B. Pedersen (Port Victoria), March 8; Favell (Port Germein), April 16; Grace Harwar (Wallaroo), March 9;. Herzogin Cecilie (Wallaroo), April 6; Killoran (Port Victoria), February S; Mozart (Port Germein), March U 4; Magdalene Vinnen (Port Victoria), April 12; L'Avenir (Port Pirie), February 8; Lawhill (Adelaide), April 5; Olive, bank (Port Lincoln), March. 1; Padua (Port Victoria), March 1; Pamir (Sydney), March 17; Parma (Wallaroo), February 8: Penang (Port Broughton), February 22; Ponape (Wallaroo),, February 16; : Passat (Wailaroo), February 19; Pommern (Port Victoria), January 21; Priwa|l (Port Victoria), February 15; Viking (Port Victoria), February 5; WintcrhudV (Port Germein), February 22. Last year the Magdalene Vinnen loaded wheat at Sydney, and this year the Pamir was the only ship to call at that port. In both cases the topmasts of the ships had', to be lowered to pass under the Sydney bridge. , . r : '"

,1933. am Abraham Kydberg.. .-- 108 101 Archibald Kussdl . . 92/ '94; C. JB. Pedersen . ....(?)• 99 Favell v. .... • .: 87 ',(?■). Grace Harwar . (?) .102 (?) Herzogin Cecilie .. ; • 84•'•'. Killoran '• • ;>'■ ; . •" . ; 96 99 Mozart ......... . .' .87'. 94 L'Avenir ,,'■..• .. • . 82.93 Olivcbank •• •• • . 93 ■'■111 Padua... v.--:Vi.■'■•'. .. '(?)- 66* . 77 82 Parma .. • .. . . 97. 93 . .75*. 103 . (?) : 89 Passat "' .....■;,. . (?) 86 Pomm era'•■'#'. -'" ■ • .' 76 96 Prnvall ........"•. ••:••; . 138) 66* Viking .. .. .... . . 84.' ..'• .96 Winterhude .... (?)• 95 ' -■'■* Fastest trips.