The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-05
STORM SWOOPS ON
WHITE BEAR YACHTS
SeereSS Refuses to Seek Shelter
and Finishes Course De.
spite Elements

breeze at White Bear yesterday afternoon
developed into terrific wind and rain
storm, driving the boats of the White
Bear Yacht club to see immediate shell
ter, and capsiZing the haf-rater Robin
Hood, Capt Murray. on the fourth leg OF
the short course.
The storm which was gathering in the
west swept down on the lake about 4;3o,
breaking with all its fury and lashing the
waves into an angry sea. Thirteen boats
had entered the three events, and all
were sailing the course when the storm
broke Various pleaSu yachts fastened
to a friendly moOrng before the storm
struck. The class A boats were far out
into the lake, while the two B classes
were nearing the Dellwood mark the first
time into the bay.
Black heavy clouds, accompanied by
quick flashes of lightning, warned the ra-
GERS OF the trouble ahead The judges and
press launch just landed in time to es-.
cape a drenching. The scene about the
club house was all excitement. AS the
force of the wind acted on the sails the
boats Increased their speed and fairly
leaped through the white caps which now
studded the lake. The pressure was be-
coming more intense each moment and
captains were shouting their orders to
lower sails. II was no longer possible to
make a landing. and the only hope was
to house the sails and wait for the blow
. to pass ove!.
One unusually heavy gust caught the
Robin Hood as she was squaring away
for the dock and sent her keeling, She
did not turn turtle, however, and her
crew scrambled for the high side. Capt.
Murray was in charge, accompanied by
his father on the main sheet and his two
younger brothers. Ex-Commodore L. P.
Ordway Immediately set out with the
judges launch and rescued the wet tars
-IRo ,aiyr
perienee.
Wandener Goes Ashore
On the east side of the dock Wanderer
was becoming unmanageable, and before
her sails could be entirely lowered had
drifted ashore. She was also 'tewed in
by the judges launch. On the west side
of the club dock Young America was also
in trouble and with difficulty reached the
Ordway dock after running ashore Pluto
drffted to the same dock after her sails
had been lowered.
Damffno. Capt. Owens, was the first to
drop sails ana came TO port with only the
glib flying. The Circe, Wrath. Rambler,
FlycamaFeo and Nicola dropped their sails
while fairly well out and drifted home.
There was one boat, however. which
stuck through the terrific storm and
braved every element without a CULVER
That was Seeress, Capt Evan Rees which
was q mile out in the lake when the
stolm struck. Her performance was
thrilling, to say the least. The heavy
rain and mist, and the driven spray i'm
nedlately shut of all view of the racers
from the club house. 21t 7.ita'a
While interest was eentered in the work
OF FeScu1ng the sailors from the Robin
Hood, Seeress was seen to emerge through
the mist and flying spray like phantom
ship, her sails stretching and her Spars
and rigging greaning under the heavy
PIessgIs. ,Sti Sne e. was fairly leaping over the
tumbilng seas as she stood for the finish
ing mark. All through the blow she stood
up without lowering a sail, breaking a
halyaTd or shattering a spar Her main
sail was well out to port and strange to
say the boat was listing to starboard
now and then her sails would be seen
10 double up and it looked as though she
would surely go over.
Seeress Defies storm
The crowd at the club house watched
the performance intently and held its
breath as Seeress was seen to heave in
and aTe hf1sK fi1ai, sea, But she rode it safely
which was crossed in 1:03:28, thus com
pietlng one of the most extraordinary
scar lake: Seeress' crew was composed
OF capt. Evan Rees, R. K. Armstrong
WIIIia-1 kees and Roger Shepard
wrath. of the new B class sailed bv
Messrs. Wann and Reid, stole march on
the other boats by completing the course
aIter the storm had spent itself Wrath
A.SAO tAlG SGCO4lQ ldSC DOSltlOn for of
the course and when she lowered her sails
was about in the middle of the bay. This
IeLt her IN good position to continue the
course, which she did in 1:32:46. Altho11pT1
nnlshing alone, this will entitle Wrsifh
70 the pennant and one leg on the cham
taOds!1ip Pl0d9snip series which began with yes
The start in class A was somewhat
SLOW, Seeress crossing about ten seconds
4Itef the gun, being nearly three boat
lengths ahead of the Fry boat which bac
been named MoccaSin Seeress irnroaf7f-
ateIy pulled away from her only competf
Tor ana reached the first mark nearly two
this was increased considerably. and COM
ing BACK to center there seemed to he
nothing to it but the Rees boat. Moe
casn, which won the Decoration dav
event was dull of speed and Fry seemed
10 pinch too sharply on windward work
AT the time of the storm Seeress had
and rode out the race to the finish. Moe
casin ran into the island and remained
there until the sky cleared
Three boats entered in class p old
Pluto, Nicola and Spindrift. Pluto got
over the line right after the gun and
opened a safe1ead the other two boats.
Nicola. which beat the fleet last Monday
was never able to reach the last years
champion, and Spindrift. sailed by Capt
Leslie Gedney who yesterday made his
debut into the club as sailor. traiIed the
leaders all the way The positions were
never changed. Pluto increasing her lead
between each buoy and would have won
handlly had she been able to finish the
course.
Eight Boats Start
In the new class eight boats started.
Wanderer. Capt. Sam Ordway, was over
the line first by boat length with
Rambler, FIycamaroo, Damfino, Robin
Hood, Young America and Wrath follow
ing closely punched. The boats went off
on a port tack. and stuck well together
for half a leg. when they began to stretch
out and change positions frequently
Wanderer and Flycamaroo were stiI in
the lead sailing a nip and tuck race.
with Rambler and Young America hard
by. Then came DamfinO, Robin Hood.
Wrath and Circe. Robin Hood eIrn q
back stay which caused her tt
for moment. In the open lake s
were stretching further apart. III
the two leaders were having fle
royal Positions had been CT re-
quently on this leg by Ordwa hy-
Tor, and on the way back to r IAN
derer was showing some da
Nearing the buoy at tn mile
1aytor came down +. on her and
after rounding the buoy passed Wanderer.
opening up a lead of several boat lengths
when he was obliged to yield to the eIe-
ments. Rambler came next followed
closely by Robin Hood Damfno and
Wrath were some distance back C1irca
and Young America had uuit tbe co11rse
and making for the club dock in fbe hons
Of reaching it before the storm Wrni HI
developed happy thought through tha
genial Capt. Wann and finished the race
IN 1:32:46. e ia0c
The races YESTERDAY wera for ,,a,,r.,..