ANNUAL GRAIN “RACE”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23511, 27 May 1938, Page 10

ANNUAL GRAIN “RACE”

FIRST WINDJAMMER HOME ABRAHAM RYDBERG ARRIVES LONDON, May 18. The Swedish four-masted barque Abraham Rydberg, which arrived to-day, is the first of the sailing vessels engaged in this year’s gram race from South Australia to reach a United Kingdom port. Her passage from Wallaroo took 121 days, which is not by any means a good voyage. The Abraham Rydberg, which is used as a training ship for the Swedish mercantile marine, left Wallaroo on January 16, almost a month ahead of any other competing vessel. The Finnish four-masted barque Passat, bound for England with a cargo of South Australian wheat, was sighted on May 12 in mid-At-lantic, about midway beween Pernambuco and the Cape Verde Islands. Of the other competitors in the grain race, two, the Swedish fourmaster Archibald Russell and the Finnish full-rigged ship Penang, have still to leave ports. The Viking (Finnish) left on February 15, 17 days before the Passat. The Passat followed on March 4, with the three-masters Winterlude and Killoran following next day. The Pommern left on March 26; the Lawhill on April 9, the Penang on April 20; the Moshulu on April 24; and the Olivebank on May 10. , A withdrawal from this year s race was the Pamir,’ which secured a lucrative nickel ore charter from Noumea to Germany, while the German training ship Admiral Karpfanger, owned by the HamburgAmerika Line, which took part last year as L*Avenir, cannot be treated as a competitor because she carries an auxiliary engine. She left Port Germein on February 8, 24 days ahead of the Passat.