GRAIN SHIPS’ RACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23796, 1 May 1939, Page 13

GRAIN SHIPS’ RACE

FLEET OF TWELVE NOW AT SEA ALL SAIL WITHIN SIX WEEKS (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Apl. 21, Twelve of the 14 ships which will take part in the Grain Race this year are on their way to Channel ports for orders. The other two have not yet reached South Australian outports to load. A striking feature of this year’s race is that the first 12 ships sailed within six weeks. Usually four months is necessary for so many sailings. The 12 windjammers now at sea are carrying about 600,000 bags of wheat, or approximately 50,000 tons. First to sail this year was the Viking, which left Port Victoria on February 16. Two days later the Abraham Rydberg sailed from Port Germein. Second to Passat in last year’s race, the Abraham Rydberg was the first vessel to get a grain charter this year, after waiting for some weeks. She is carrying 3260 tons, and the Viking 4101 tons. Next away was the Passat, the greyhound of the fleet. She won the race last year, with a voyage of 97 days, tied with the Pommern in 1937 with 94 days, and won it in 1936 with an exceptionally fast passage of 85 days from Port Victoria to Queenstown. This year the Passat sailed from Port’ Lincoln on March 6. Two days later the Pamir, reappearing in the race this year sailed from Port Victoria, and on March 11 the big Moshulu left the same port. The Lawhill. sixth away, left Port Lincoln on March 15 with 4602 tons, and on March 20 two more of Captain Gustaf Erikson’s big four-masted barques, the Olivebank and the Pommern. left Port Victoria on the same tide. One of the oldest of the deepwatermen. the Winterhude, left the little outport of Port Germein on March 22. Last year, storm-tossed, she took 164 days, a voyage exceeded in length only by the Penang’s 210 days, though the latter was dismasted and lost time in repairs in New Zealand. Having discharged a load of guano in New Zealand, the German trading ship Koomodore Johnsen crossed to Port Lincoln, where she loaded wheat. As she is fitted with an auxiliary motor, the German ship cannot strictly be termed an entrant in the race. She left Port Lincoln on March 26. On March 28 another German-owned square-rigger, the famous Padua, sailed from the same port. Last or the 12 to leave was the Archibald Russell. She got away from Port Germein on April 3. The Erikson barque Killoran is now at Auckland, urtloading a cargo of guano from Astove Island, in the Seychelles Group. She is chartered to load wheat in South Australia late next, month. Still on her outward voyage from England, the Penang has not yet been chartered, but seems almost certain to pick up a cargo.