The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-01
CAPT. HANK HAFF DEAD.
Skipper d Cup Dtgendefs .voiunt@er and
D~efcgtler, and Other Yachts,

Skipper q Cup DegenaeFs .voiuntesr n
Defegiler, and Other Yachts,
IslIP, L. l., Juno so.-Capt. Hank Han,
Tho veteran skipper, died at his homo here
at midnight tonight. Capt. Harry Han,
who had been recalled from New London,
Conn.,. and the aged shippers other sons,
were at his bedside.
Capt. Hank Half was the most popular
yacht skipper In this country. He was
a. well known as the Puritan, Volunteer
or any other Of the big cup defenders and
when In his prime no one could sail against
the skipper with much hope OF success.
He had q faculty Of making slow boats
fast and fast boats still faster, 90 that he
yacht race TO be sailed.
He was q Long Islander and was born
sixty-eight years ago. For the first seven,
teen years Of his lie be lived and worked
on q farm at Islip, L. l., which was his home
all his life. he was @ son OF q seafaring
suit him and he tried ra~ilroading, but al
though he became q section boss ON the
Long Island road he gave. that up and in
1857 started claiming and fishing on the
orsss South Bay n the sumner time a iha
winter. In .l8el-62 he wa mate on the
wreoking schooner John 8. Roche. John
9. Roche and he went In that vessel on the
Burnside expedition to Newbern, N. G.
he began yachting in 1877 on b sl9Sp
mort season he was engaged by the Olympic
Club to sail the sloop T, B. Asten, and for
seven years he had charge Of that yacht.
Then he wen back to coasthg for q short
time but wa. soon Yachting again n the
ftoUp SGT Of Albany HS q . In o issa he took
charge OF the famous sloop Fanny, owned
by Prince and Whitley, and he still had
charge. Of the Fanny when that yacht be-
cam tho property OF William r. fravers.
ra1 In i iss the be % %msri 81: i1 esp sP eps ssiisd Il the q
sloop Mayhower successfully against the
Galatea. The mex year he had charge OF
the Volunteer In the races against the
Thistle. The Titania, owned by. G.. Oliver
Ieelin, was another famous yacht he had
charge Of. and he JAILED the Volunteer for
In 1888 four yachts we're built to defend
the Americas Cup against the Valkyrie H.,
and Capt. HsH sailed the Colonia, which
bald EHs G Rogers ~ IL Visilsnt vas selected IL to
defend the cup. Two years later, when the
Defender was built for cup defence. Capt.
Han was her skipper, and In 1901 he was
chosen by Thomas W.. Lawson 70 san the
Independence.
He had charge Of the De fender when that
yacht was fouled by the Yalkyrie and after
ward disqualified for the foul. Although
tho topmast was badly sprung, Capt. Han
succeeded in nursing the yacht around the
course and came very nearly winning with
her. After ward he was q wit meas at the
investigation Of the charges made by Lord
Dunraven against G.. Oliver Iselin, which
resulted in Lord Dunraven being expelled
from the New York Yacht Club.
Capt. Haff has two SOM who are yacht,
sdppers, Harry, who sails the Weetamoe,
owned by II. F. Lippitt,. and Clayton. who
for some years was the skipper Of Cornelius
Vanderbiit's yachts. Since retiring from
yachting Capt. Half has lived at Isip. He
was elected a village trustee a few years
ago. He was very much interested in trot-
ting horses and took special delight In CIV
ing any visitor q drive behind q colt OF his
own raising and showing what an old skip
per could do on the turf.
About a year ago he and his wife were
very Ill at the same time. Mrs. Half died,
and tho health Of the veteran skipper has
not been good since then. He had q slight
operation early in the winter for some
intestinal trouble, but although he was
able to be about again, he never fully re-
GAINED his health.