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

What promised to be a gentle Lizzie
breeze at White Bear yesterday afternoon
developed into a terrific wind and rain
storm, driving the boats of the White
Bear Yacht club to see immediate shel-
ter and capSiZing the half-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:S0,
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 pleasure yachts FASTENED
to a friendly moOring 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 vas no longer possible to
AltdhO d LdtiNilt5s anu ll4C OAlAS AiOPC neAS
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.
-. 49,
judges launch and rescued the wet tars
who were none the worse for their ex-
perienee.
Wandensr Goes Ashore
On the east side OF the dock, Wanderer
was becoming unmanageable, and before
her sails could bt entirely lowered had
drffted ashore. She was also Stewed 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.
Damfino Capt. Owens was the first to
drop sails ana came to port with only the
glib flying. The Circe, Wrath. Rambler,
FlycamaFoo and Nicola dropped their sails
while fairly we'll 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
rounded center buoy for the last time and
was q mile out in the lake when the
storm struck. Her performance was
thrilling, to say the least. The heavy
rain and mist, and the driven spray i'm
Inedfately shut off all view of the racers
from the club house 1913 4afls1
While interest was centered in the work
OF FeSculng the sailors from the Robin
Hood, Seeress was seen to emerge through
the mist and flying spray like phantom
snip, her sails stretching and her Spars
ana rigging groan1ng under the heavy
pressure. She was fairly leaping over the
tumbiing seas as she stood for the finish
ing mark. All through the blow she stood
up, without lowering a sail, breaking a
haIyard or shattefing a spar. Her main
san was Wei out to port, and strange to
say the boat was listing to starbOard
NoW ana then her sails would be seen
to double up and it looked as though she
would surely go over
Seeress Defies Storm
=, The crowd at the club house watched
tne performance intently and held it's
breath as Seeress was seen to heave in
and finally reached the finishing line
which was crossed in 1:03:28 thus com
pietlng one. of the most extraordinary
pieces of sailing ever witnessed on White
Bear lake. Seeress' crew was eonposed
OF capt. Evan Rees, r. K Armstrong
Villa Rees and Roger Shepard.
"AciANl VI ll6 new = class. sailed 1ny
MeSSTS. Wann and Reid, stole a march on
the other boats by completing the course
aItef the storm had spent itself Wrath
neId tne second last position for most of
Tue course and when she lowered her sails
was about in the middle of the bav- This
Ieit her IN good position to continue tho
course, which she did in 1:32:46 Although
uaShlhe alone, this will entitIe Wrath
10 the pennant and one leg on the cham
Plo1ship series which began with yes
terdays events 80
Il, ola
SLOW, Seeress crossing about ten seconds
after the gun, being nearly three boat
!engths ahead of the Fry boat, which has
been named MoccaSin SeeresS ir11,,aI7j
ately pulled away from her only cnnnnati-
Tor ana reached the first mark nearly two
minutes In the lead. Down to Wiidwood
thls was increased considerably, and com
ing pack to center there seemed to be
nothing to 1t but the Rees boat Moe
casn, which won the Decoration day
event, was dull of speed and Fry seemed
AT the time of the storm Seeress had
increased her lead to fully FIVE minutes
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 r old
Pluto, Nicola and Spindrift Pluto got
over the line right after the gun and
opened a safe1ead on 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
debut into the club as a sailor, trailed the
leaders all the way. The positions were
never changed. Pluto increasing her lead
between each buoy and would have won
handily had she been able to finish the
course.
Eight Boats Start
M, In the new B class eight boats started
Wanderer, Capt Sam Ordway, was over
the line first by a boat length with
Rambler, Flycamaroo, Damfino. Robin
Hood, Young America and Wrath follow
ing closely punched. The boats went off
on port tack and stuck well together
FOR half q leg, when they began to stretch
out and change positions frequently
Wanderer and Flycamaroo We're still in
the lead. sailing a nip and tuck race
with Rambler and Young America hard
by. Then came Damf1no, Robin Hood.
back stay which caused her to law TO
for moment In the open lake the boats
We're stretching further apart although
the two leaders were having a battle
royal. Positions had been changed fire.
quently on this leg by Ordway and Tay-
!or, and on the way back to center, Wan
deIer was showing some daylight
Nearing the buoy at the third mile
Iaylor came down , on her fast. and
aIter rounding the buoy passed Wanderer
opening up a lead of several boat lengths
When ne was obliged to yield to the eIe-
mehts. Rambler came next followed
closely by Robin Hood Damfno and
Wralth We're some distance back. Circe
and You're America had ouif the co11rse
and mai hg for the club dock in the hone
OF reaching IL before the storm Wra III,
developed happy thought through the
genla capt. Wann and finished the race