The First Ocean Race in the Southern Hemisphere?
THISTLE
In the two years that SWS has existed, we have never (until now) republished an article from our archives. On Tuesday evening, about 72 hours before the scheduled start of Australia’s oldest ocean race, the event was cancelled.
Yes, the forecast is bad, and here at SWS we are big believers in safety. But we wonder how sailors are meant to learn to handle bad weather if they are never given the opportunity to experience it while racing. Whatever your feelings about the pros and cons of abandoning an ocean race, the admiration for the crews who took part in the historic first race can only be enhanced by such a decision.
The Meteye forecast for when most of the fleet was due to be in the middle of Bass Strait
THURSDAY 27th DECEMBER 1907- Turned out at 4.30am.
All on board alive with excitement to get started for the big race, being the first of Its kind in these waters. Breakfast was the first important item, orders being given by the cook to take as much inside as possible, not knowing when the next hot meal would be served. Needless to say the crew took the hint…
Passing the pier, which was crowded with visitors and yachtsmen, who sent us away with hearty cheers, we set jib-headed topsail, jib topsail and ballon fore sail while underway. …The boys felt somewhat thirsty after the bustle of getting under way and setting sails; the pot of coffee that was left hurriedly at breakfast was brought on deck and served out and soon cleared. The cook’s mate was below making up a hamper for use during the day.
“RAMBLER snapshots”
This week I was kindly sent a very special book from Phil Edwards (Gemfish C266) It’s more than 100 years old and is called:
Across Bass Strait-
A Souvenir of Ocean Yacht Race from Queencliff Victoria to Low Head Tasmania, December 27th 1907
SHAMROCK
The book documents the story of the first race for the Rudder Cup and is about 9” wide x 11” high and is 60 pages long. The photographic plates are spectacular and embellished perhaps by hand. The words are authentic and enlightening, and give a genuine flavour of this ground breaking event. It tells of the origins of the Rudder Cup and the stories of the boats taking part. (There were only four, The THISTLE, the SHAMROCK, the ELLIDA and largest of the all the RAMBLER) There are “Conditions” (an early version of Notice of Race) and also some advice which could only be described nowadays as “sailing Instructions.”
FINISHING LINE-The Tamar Yacht Club, with the co-operation of the Harbourmaster and Lighthouse Keeper at Tamar Heads have undertaken to take the times.
DAY TIME-A line between the Tamar Head Lighthouse and the Hebe Reef Buoy with leading marks in one.
NIGHT TIME- Cross the red sector of light that shines from Tamar head light house onto the Hebe Reef Buoy with leading lights in one.
There is the log of the THISTLE, the log of the SHAMROCK, a piece about ELLIDA and RAMBLER and extracts from the Launceston and Melbourne Newspapers.
ELLIDA
From the Launceston Courier.
The first Race for the “Rudder” Cup will long be remembered by Australian yachtsmen. There were only four starters for the imposing voyage across Bass Strait, and the size of the task was calculated to interest even longshoremen. But another element. added to the excitement. While the yachts were out in the “shifty” waters between Queenscliff and the Tamar Heads, a storm broke over all Australia, and everybody, city man and mariner alike, felt a shade of anxiety as to what would befall the brave little craft that had essayed so considerable an effort.
To read about the storm and the eventual outcome you can download a high resolution version of the complete book HERE
And also, if you have any ideas as to whether of not this was the first ever Southern Hemisphere Ocean Yacht Race and what happened to these four brave yachts, then LET US KNOW!