ORDEAL ON YACHT

Hokitika Guardian, 16 October 1931, Page 8

ORDEAL ON YACHT

FASTNET RACE TRAGEDY, DECK. SWEPT BY HIGH SEAS. LONDON, August 18. The yacht Maitenes 11., which, wh'le competing in tile Fastnet race, met with bad weather and had to be aban doned by her crew, arrived at Swansea Docks last night with the trawler Dun raven Castle. During the gale on Sunday Colonel C'. Hudson, of Hull, was lost overboard from the yacht, which was later taken in tow by the Dunraven Castle.

Some time before the vessels were expected hundreds of people lined (he pier and kept a look-out, and as the trawler came up the bay Major Donald, of Consolidated Fisheries, Swansea, her owners, met her. Maitenes was slightly damaged at the bows, and one yarnarm was broken.

1 The crew of Maitenes, in addition vo Colonel Hudson, consisted of Lieutenant Luard, R.N., retired, of Falmouth ; Wing Commander J. B. Graham, of Tangmere; Messrs Schell and Bailey '(two Americans), who' crossed the Atlantic in Maitenes ■ Mr J, Hitchings, of Falmouth ; and R.A.F. officer named Wingate; and one paid hand belonging to Falmouth.

Lieutenant Luard, interviewed by a reporter on coming ashore at Swansea last night, said ; “We started on August 11 in fairly good weather, but ran into a gale on Friday afternoon off Land’s End and we put into St Ives for shelter. We were under weigh again on Friday at five o’clock and rounded Fastnet at nino o’clock Saturday morning with the weather steadily getting worce. “We hove to and remained so until the next morning, Sunday, the weathoi in the meantime still getting worse. About 11 a.m. the ship was being overpowered by terrific squalls and we shipped heavy seas which occasionally swept the deck. At 11.45 a.m. we lowered all sails and ran before the gale with bare poles. At twelve o’clock Colonel Hudson, who was working aft, was lost overboard. Tremendous seas were .running, and it was impossible to do anything. At 2.45 p.m. we sighted the Dunraven Castle, and signalled her bv semaphore, asking her to stand by until the weather moderated. Our ship was riding the seas well. “The seas were getting very much worse and breaking • heavily, and e\< -ry body on board was exhausted after having been on duty for so many hours continuously. The ship appeared to be in danger of sinking, and it was decided to abandon her. * 1 The manoeuvring of the Dumaven Cast re was one of the finest feats of seamanship 11 have ever seen,’and all hands "ere eventually taken off and the yacht taken in tow on Monday morning. One of the trawler’s boats making the journey between the yacht and the trawler capsized, bill the men were saved.”

Lieutenant Luard is joint-owner of the yacht.

Wing Commander J. B. Graham, who .looked very bronzed and fit, said: •V. I'ier passing the Fastnet the seas were mountainous. When Colonel Hudson was swept- overboard absolutely nothing could be done to save him.”