The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-29


stay there. Last advices from Koko
Head tell that our own little schooner
had nosed past the swift to- windward
boxes, was flirting her tail and telling
everybody "Goodbye.,t'
The Lurline has done what she was
expected to do on the way. over here,
broken her foretopmast and is hitting
the CLOSE side of the wind for Hilo
with no outer forestry and no for ard
kites TO pull her along.
The Gwendolyn and Kamehameha
are having little love passes and split
ting tacks to show which has the
smartest crew. The Lady Maud is
wallowing along with fifteen feet of
free board showing to windward and
the Gladys is doing her best and pillow
ing over the rollers holding a good
luff and keeping steadily on.
That is if the wind has held out all
night. There is no reason to believe
that the wind has not held out, at the
time of going to press and we may feel
fairly well assured that the Hawaii is
eating up the wind ahead of the rest
of the yachts.
Unfortunately there are chances that
the yachts will run into calm. The
weather has been threatening no wind
for some days and the first signs of
fat weather showed at the start. II
the trades refuse to blow on the wealth
er side of the islands, it win be all off
with the Hawaii and the smaller boats
will slip by her in the light airs. 1t
is possible that the Lurline has her
jury mast rugged and could carry sail
before sunset, but it is a hard matter
to hound a topmast on a small schooner
at sea and bOwse down the forestry,
so that Captain Sinclair may have let
this go until he reaches Hilo. Without
this addition to her foremost it is very
doubtful if the Lurline can keep up
with the Hawaii on the wind.
c. T. Wilder, aboard the Mauna Kea,
will keep a bright look out for the
yachts and, if he should sight them
wireless will come from Lahaina
telling the position of the racers. Tt
is also possible that the Claudine, due
here tomorrow, may sight the yachts.
START OF THE RACE
The start was one of the prettiest
sights ever seen on this bay. Five of
the yachts, listing gently to the light
breeze, swan past the stake-boat like
graceful and INDECENT swans. In the
lee distance the Lurline LACED slowly
towards the bell buoy with an air of
calm Indifference as though she were
so sure of victory that she could well
afford to give the others plentiful
start.
Bob Scott, at the stick of the Ka-
nehameha. showed Solent class when
he brought his dainty sloop up to the
H. 1srrH.A
and the current was setting well in
towards the harbor Scott judged his
distance to a nicely and, when the
starting gun fired, he had the Kan s
bowsprit impinging on the line. The
wind fell and the current carried him
back for few seconds, then she gath
cred way and passed across the line
Just one minute after the gun fired.
Had the wind been steady the Kamc-
hameha 5 mast would have shut out
the bell buoy about two seconds after
the gun fired. 1t was a clever piece
of work and aroused enthusiastic
cheers from the people aboard the
judges boat.
The Gladys followed the Kamehame,
Ia and then came the Hawaii. Every
inch of her she looked a yacht, a dam
ty. saucy creature with her sweetly
swell. There was life in her every
movement and she was a different crea,
ture from the Clay bones'' that
Ragged away from San Pedro harpor.
After the Hawaii came the Lady !
Maud and the boat with the iron-arm |
ored bulwarks was not making her
much Wanted light weather speed. This !
light air work of hers is evidently done !
only before the wind. for she was be- |!
ing rapidly~ left behind before the
yachts reached Diamond Head.
just nineteen minutes and thirty |;
seconds after the gun fred. the Lur /
line crossed the starting line. Then /
the judge 5 boat put back for Young /
landing The judges and newspaper |
men had just left the launch to step I
onto the wharf when somebody raised :
a cry. "The Lurline has lost her top,
mast, - and there was the transpacific /
winner with cloud of bellying topsaif |
hanging around the fore rigging and /
the broken spar banging crafty |
against the canvas of the foresail.
The crew went quickly to work and /
soon had the wreckage cleared away
and the yacht kept on her course At i
the time of the accident she was about |
half way between the Moana Hotel
and the end of Diamond Head. It is,
of course. impossible to say how the
accident happened, but it is known
that the Lurline' s topmasts were cut
down to fit into the hounds and that
Captain Sinclair would have replaced |
them had he had time to do so before
the race started from San Pedro.
THE HAWAII GAINS STEADILY.
Before the yachts were level with
Diamond Head it could be seen
that the Hawaii was hard after the /
Gwendolyn and would pass her after |
the latter had put about and made
half of her first tack to windward.
The crowds along the sea wall at |
the mouth of the harbor, on the tops |
of the buildings in town and at Wal |