Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-05
FOUR YACHTS
ARE SPEEDING
OVER PACIFIC
LOS ANGELES BOAT IS FAR IN
THE LEAD
YACHT owENpoLYNs u PROVES
FAST CRAFT
Great Multitude on Board Excursion
Fleet Sees Ocean Racers
start for Hono-
lulu

When the starting gun was tired at
San Pedro yesterday the lour nIats n
crossed the line amid a bedlam Oh
whistling. cheering and cannonaqins
that awakened the echoes at Polnt 7 ~
min and sent them back to Deauihan .
island. and the deep sea contest JOE
The blue ribbon trophy Of the Fac'nc
was on. s +ha
The expected jockeying around the
starting line was little more than
dress narade event. The yachts moved
leisurely about the bay, the crews aierI
but not active. Every inch of stanolng
rigging was taut as fiddlestring anu
every sail that was sent aloft was ~
shape that gave evidence OF the gre4e
preparations that We're made py tiiese
Pacific coast sportsmen.
Al IL o'clock the Hawaii had her
heavy sails UP. She still lay at ancnor
off the South Coast Yacht CLUB. Ihe
Honolulu boat was dressed In gay
bunting and was the target for an
glasses. Every launch, sailing craLt
and steamer down the harbor ran an
close to have a good look at the nope
of the Honolulu people.
Crews Cheer Each Other
The Lurline got her sails up at 11;1b.
IN hoard Capt. Sinclair's big schooner
there was less excitement ana more
confidence than on any boat In tne race, =
with mainsail, foresail. No. 1 ana
jibs set the Lurline moved lelsurs,g .l
down to the end of the breakWater anu
turned about to stand inshore. Tne
Hawaii followed her and Gwendolyn L.
the beautiful little yawl from Seattle,
with the Lady Maud, the San Diego
vawl, close behind also took a trip OUT
toward the starting line. Tne poats
maneuvered about at the outer line d
few minutes and then started IN. AZ
1880 the four contestants came close
together The Lurline's crew lined up
on the port side and led by Capt. SIN
clair gave three rousing cheers for the
Hawaii. The Honolulu boys quickly
responded and. snapped out a tiger TOT
their big adversary and her gailAns
crew. The Lady Maud and Gwendoiyn
II came In for a similar exchange ,oi
ca,,rfasies. At 1880 without gun the
Wasn. Mischief and Mischief Il anc sl
the Venus crossed the line on theii
start for the race TO Avalon.
owendoIyn Takes Lead
Little attention was paid to the swift
little ones as everybody was watching
the big schooners and yawls. WneL
fha time approached the Lurline was
far inshore while the other three boats
were near the flag. The Lurline was
coming at an apparently, rapid pace
running before the wind. Within thirty
seconds of the gun the Lady Maud
crossed with the Gwendolyn Ii hfteer
seconds later, close under her weather
quarter. The former drew away rap
ifIlv at first, but as the breeze died
down the smaller yawl quickly overtooR
her. The Hawaii was too tar away
and crossed at 12:01:S0. The big
7 rrrhi0h T1lQWQ the nArt
If scratch boat, was down toward the
cI,b house. She crossed at 12:O3:OO
After the first roar of cheers for the
race and the racers had died away at
tention was called to the pretty brush
between the two yawls. The san
Diego boat crossed the line ahead, pu'
the Seattle boat was a bit to the
weather and she stole part of the
Iady's breeze In few minutes the
tapping of the larger boat showed her
little competitor was drawing from
her. The Gwendolyn II closed the gar
and forged ahead amid a din of whis-
ties and cannons.
LurIlne Far In Lead
The Gwendolyn II had UP a big bal
looner which drew we'll. She also ex
perimented with a trysail, which was
quickly taken in as. beyond presenting
a grotesque appearance, 1T was OF NJ
value The Lady Maud's crew leisurely
broke out topsail that loked like l
would be of much assistance in tn
light wind, which was then over he
starboard quarter. The sail puckered |
bit at the point near the mainsail gan
but 1t had a business look.
When the two yawls rounded tn
red flag and started for the southerl.
end of Santa Catalina island the Gwen
dolyn was In was In the lead by on
IN w rd nf Nh
Lady Maud. The Hawaii rounded next
with the Lurline rapidly overtakini
her on the port side. All four boat
were now within the space of a four
acre patch.
On the long reach. close hauled. tn
yachts soon scattered out and took tn
positions relatively that they held un
til they passed from the view of Th
Herald's fast dispatch boat, Emma r.
twenty miles at sea. The Lurline forge,
ahead and, barring accidents, the othe
Yachts will not overtake her until the,
reach Honolulu harbor. She may no
be the winner at that.
The Gwendoiyn II drew away from
the Lady Maud and worked over Il
the windward of the other boats. Th
wind was blowing about twelve knot
from a point about west by north
which made the course to the southerl.
end of Catalina an easy one for tn
crews. They simply set iii tHe clOtl
they had sticks for and lighted thei
pipes. With pull on sheets now ant
then, the readjustment of topsail o
making line taut here and there
was all there was for the crews. Tn
men made the most of the fair weather
the smiles of the fair women on the ex
cursion fleet and the cheers of the men
Starts for Honolulu
At 1922 Captain Sinclair suddenl,
recalled a dinner engagement he ha
in Honolulu July 12. He ordered tn
American ensign sent aloft, hauled Il
his niainsheet and started in earnes
for Honolulu
At 1890 the boats were headed nearl,
due south, with the wind fresheninI
to a fourteen-knot clip. The channe
was smooth ara up to this time scarce
ly wfitecap was seen on the blu
waters.
Three miles OF blue water danced Ii
the sun between the Lurline and TIL
Hawaii at / O'Clock. The <Cwendolyi
II was mile back. but steadily out
footing her nearest competitor, th
Lady Maud mile and half to tn
rear. The Hawaii was half mil
Continued ON Page sevenJ