AN OCEAN RACE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 11591, 1 February 1909, Page 3

AN OCEAN RACE.

Press Association).

(Per

AUCKLAND, Last night. ! What is consklered locally to be the | longest motor-boat race yet held in | Australasia wa« contested yesterday and to-dav between Mr H. H. Adams' Eliza and Mr J. Reid s Seabird. The eourse was from Auckland to RusseU and back, a "distance .of 240 knots. J he bouts l^ft Auckland at 7.50 yesterday morning in cairn weather. Outside the harbor a Ikinpy sea was met, the wind being east-north-east. Eliza, which led throughout, passed the halfwaymark at Russell at 10.50 yesterday eveni-ng, having taken exactlv lohr (an averagc of S knots) to Jo the 120 knots. The wind held in the same quarter. and the sea increased : greatlv on the run home, the boats 1 taking a lot of water aboard and the crews being drenched. Auckland harbor was reached at 2.25 this afternoon by Eliza. The whole journey occupied 30hr 35min, the average running timo being approximately 8 knots. Seabird roun-ded the nmrk at Russell 48min after Eliza. Captain McLeod, oi the Northern Steamship Companv's Clansman, who navigated F.liza, sairl that at one time ; he felt like stopping for shelter. He j considered the boat a wonder to get through on the return journey, the sea being so nasty. Eliza is fitted with a locally desigsied and manufactured enginc. * The race arose rut of the Rudder Cup contest (105 knots), in which Seabird made the fastest time, Eliza being one of tho defeated competitors.