YACHTS IN A GALE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 699, 27 December 1909, Page 6

YACHTS IN A GALE.

hSCATTEMO AT THE START OF WSf OCEAN RACE, , DISMASTED CKAFT DRIVEN M» . NIGHT. ■ (By Tolceraph.—Prc6s Association.) Dunedin, December Sw A terrific south-westerly equall burst nif tho 6tart of tho ocean yacht raco lor the Kudder Cup on Friday evening. Tho Pera, on board which woro; Messrs, Hanlon (2), Mason, and Anthony, was dfe. masted. Tho Yvonne (Professor Scott; of Chrisbchnrch) was tossed over the mol/> by a (huge sea, and bumped, bat' not sovoroly. The Carina and Eona both ' came to grief aloft, and ran in, under Taiaroa Heads for anchorage. Tho squall happened just as the starting-gun was fired, and tho nine yuchte: competing wcro carrying ■ ovory inch of canvas. Tho dismasted Pora appeared _to b» • riding to her anchor all the- easier for being rid of her top hamper, so Commo- ■ doro Hanlon, in his motor', yacht— tb* only sizablo craft present—went to. the rescue of tho Rona, which was in a perilous position close to tho rocks at Harrington Point. Her storn was within a fathom of the breakers when she was taken ia tow by the.motor vacht, cleared, and taken to the comparafive, shelter of Maori Kaik. Night-Scarch for the Pera. Tho commodore then returned at £uU speed to Port Chalmers, to secure the assistance' of the i Lady Roberts, tho Do- ( feuco Departments vessel, which left for ■ tho scene at 0.30 p.m. By tho time sho reached tho Heads, it being dart, the . dismasted Pera had disappeared, and a heavy south-wostorly gale was raging. AUa-m.on Christmas Day, tho raoinc _ cotter Aorangi put out and searched pfcrthward along tho coast, and saw a ■ vessel which sho took to bo the Pera in , Waiko'ualti Bay. Meanwhile tho Lady I Eoborts had mado another fruitless search for the Pera, but'learning what tho Aorangi had sighted, she put to sea again at 2.30 p.m. on Christmas Day. Daring ♦ho day, news came through tfcpt tho dismasted yacht was off Danger Beef, Mooraki, with two soa anchors out A launch was sont out from' the Lady Boborts, and tho Pera was towed insido, , after having been driven by _ tho gal* thirty miles during the previous night, Thc- : Fora's hull is not damaged, and all on board aro safe and sound. Other Yachts' Experiences. Tho Yvonne (which had been tossed over tho mole) after jumping the mole • luffed, and at the first lull sho ran for joa-room. She boat in and up tito ba> hour against tho galo on Friday! night. Hot sails aro badly torn. The dam ago to canvas _and cordage among the yachts is considerable, and several of the hulls must bo badly '■ strained. All tho yachts; abandoned the raco owing to tho heavy weather. Then wore au astonishing number of hanv ■ breadth escapes, but the display of seamanship was excellent. \ . Tho ocean launch race, which was to have started from Dunedin at 7 o'clock . . on Christmas morning, was postponed/ owing to tho heavy 6oa on tho bar.