The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-20
BY J. N. DENsHAM.

y. Ne R5x1EAGA.
So far as the Hawaii is concerned
the race, may be summed up in u few
words. Two days of calm, nine days OF
light winds and four days of good blow
with the wind dead aft when, by all
precedent, it should have been on the
quarter.
During the first two days the Hawaii
made 125 miles, and most of that dis
lance was made during the first and
last four hours of the time. After
leaving San Pedro it was clearly shown
that she was no light-weather boat, foI
the Lurline ran rapidly through her
lee and both the Gwendolyn and Lady
Maud gained on her during the run
to the east end of Catalina Island.
Night fell with the Lady Maud well
in the lead and going strong with a
local draft off the island. The Lur-
line and Gwendolyn were beginning 10
rolling round in the doldrums
When daylight broke Sunday morn
ing none of the other yachts were
in sight and there seemed little chance
of passing San C1emente Island to
windward. This island lies about thirty
miles to the southeastward of Catalina
and forms windbreak which oftea
shuts off the westerly wind from the
channel between it and the mainland.
All day Sunday we rolled around
with only few battling puffs to give
us Roadway, and strong current was
setting us rapidly to leeward. By noon
Captain Harris gave up all hopes of
weathering Clemente Island and we saw
that we would be lucky to get from
under it's lee by nightfall. The Skid
bladnir came from the other side of the
island under power and sent boat
alongside. Captain Garbutt said that
he had left the other three yachts all
punched together about thirty miles to
windward, on the other side of the
island, and chat they had caught a
northwest breeze.
All that night we had practically no
wind and we were glad to find our
selves out of sight of Clemente Island
on Monday morning. From that time
on we were never without wind of some
kind, but it was often so light that the
Hawaii scarcely moved through the
water and the taffrail log had a
sinecure
Each day we expected the wind to
yeer to the northeast and blow freshly
over the quarter, but it refused to yeer
and blew anything but freshly. We
had one day of steady northwest wind
before we ran into the trades. That
was July 9, and, with the wind scarcely
abaft the beam, and the wind blowlLg
no more than ten or eleven mules an
hour, we logged 1870 miles on the chart.
This was distinctly encouraging. Ii
showed that the yacht was fast when
she had wind to amount to anything,
and, if she could do that much win a
light wind on the beam, she must sure
~ be very much faster with the breeze
coming over her quarter and all sails
drawing to best advantage.
We really kept up hope until July
14th. That day we ran into the true
trade winds, that is true as to direc-
ton but very much lacking In force.
With the wind dead aft, the Hawaii
made very poor time in the light breeze
and we knew that the other yachts must
be making nearly twice the speed under
the same conditions. When the trade
winds made up their minds to blow
with any vigor, it was too late and we
had no chance to make up the loss of
the first two days and the light winds
since.
Our biggest day s run was 201 miles
from noon July 10th to noon July 18th
The wind nj H. hoI
not had time to get nasty so that the
steering was comparatively easy and
she kept an even course. Our log show
ed much greater distances on the fol
lowing days but the sea was high and
she waved badly, making her cover a
much greater distance than the chart
showed
Those last few days showed one
thing very plainly and that is that the
Hawaii is wonderful sea boat. With
all the rolling and yawing there were
few times when the fddles were really
needed on the table and, sitting in the
CABIN, 1t seemed as though it were i'm
possible that we were spinning along
before a good breeze in a high sea
The ease with which the yacht was
Jlbed was a great advantage to her and |
must have made quite little difference |
# the race had been closer The wind |
while blowing dead aft, was not steady |
enough to allow US to hold true course
50 that we had to run on the port lib /
for watch half a point or so off the |
course and then make up the loss by |
lblng over and running an equal i
mount off the course on the other iibe. |
BY sailing FIVE thousand miles in !