Rintoul cuts down the time for Big Race

Editor's Note:

This Is a report of the 1951 race to Hobart as it appeared in the Advocate in Burnie Tasmania. Front Page News...

Advocate (Burnie, Tasmania: 1890 - 1954), Monday 31 December 1951, page 1

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Rintoul cuts down the time for big race

BIG RACE HOBART. - The 43-ft. Sydney yawl Margaret Rintoul, which took line honours in the Sydney-Hobart yacht race last year repeated the performance yesterday and clipped about 22 hours off the sailing time record. Another record broken this year was the number to finish on the first day. Within six and a half hours of Margaret Rintoul crossing the line, she had been followed by seven others.

Two more, including the Launceston schooner, Wanderer, Tasmania's only entry, arrived during the evening. Early this morning only one of the 14 contestants had not been sighted. One yacht was in the Derwent but had not been sighted at the judge's box. It could possibly have been the sloop Ellida. Two others were in Storm Bay, but there was no indication as to which of the remaining three they were. Those apart from Ellida still to finish were the cutter Nimbus, yawl Wayfarer and the smallest boat in the race, the 32-ft. English ketch Katwinchar. She has been sailed from England by her owner, Mr. E. J. Mossop, who intends to settle in Tasmania. The previous record for sailing time was set in 1948 by Sir Claude Plowman's 65-ft. cutter Morna, which recorded 4 days 5 hours 1 minute 25 seconds. The cutter Lass O' Luss and sloop Struen Marie, which were second and third to cross the line yesterday also covered the 680 miles in less time than Morna. On corrected times it appears certain that Struen Marie has won the event, with the Hobart-built New Guinea sloop Lahara second and Lass O' Luss third. There were several interesting -contests to the finishing line. Margaret Rintoul and Lass O' Luss were both sighted off Sandy Bay about 11 a.m., but there was practically no wind, and neither made headway. However, shortly before 1 p.m. Margaret Rintoul gained the advantage of a slight breeze and led Lass O' Luss over the line by about three-quarters of an hour. Struen Marie finished 26 minutes later. Nocturne and Fortuna finished within about 20 minutes of each other later in the afternoon and 34 seconds separated Solveig and Lahara in the early evening.  Pavana crossed 19 minutes later.  Finishing, sailing and provisional corrected times of the first 10 to finish and issued by the R.Y.C.T. last night are: 

Margaret Rintoul, 1.29.1 p.m., 4 days 2 hrs. 29 mins. 1 sec., 3 days 2 hrs.' 54 mins. 24 secs.; Lass O' Luss, 2.12.5, 4.3.12.5, 2.22.1.35; Struen Marie, 2.38.35, 4.3.38.35, 2.19. 48.26; Nocturne, 4.33.34, 4.5. 33.34, 3.2.30.51; Fortuna, 4.54.38, 4.5.54.38, 2.22.33.10; Solveig, 6.24,25, 4.7.24.25,

3.1.13.21; Lahara, 6.24.59, 4.7.24.59, 2.20.47.33; Pavana, 6 43.1, 4.7.43.1, 3.12.41.43; I-ene, 9.46.10, 4.10.46.10, 2.3.51.35; Wanderer, 9.46.35, 4.10,46.35, 3.9.59.37. Late finishers hit by gale. - Page 14.

31 Dec 1951 - MARGARET RINTOUL CUTS DOWN TIME FOR BIG RACE

Trove.nla.gov.au. (2018). 31 Dec 1951 - MARGARET RINTOUL CUTS DOWN TIME FOR BIG RACE. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article91781848.txt [Accessed 11 Sep. 2018].