_Loch Torridon_ was held up by fog and calm at the entrance to the Bay and did not arrive until six hours later. The previous best passage was 32 days, which had been made two years before. Many bets had been made on this race, as both ships were noted in the Colonies for their sailing qualities. _Wendur_, indeed, was one of the finest ships in the British Mercantile Marine, and under Captain Frank Whiston had made many a splendid passage and, curiously enough, had once before shown _Loch Torridon_ the road by running from Frederickstadt to Melbourne in 81 days, before which _Loch Torridon’s_ run had been considered the record. [Illustration: “LOCH TORRIDON.” _Photo lent by late Captain Pattman._] In the run to Valparaiso _Wendur’s_ best day’s work was 330 miles with a moderate N.W. wind and heavy southerly swell in 54° S., 128° W. The next day she ran 310 miles, and three days later 320 miles, the wind strong at N.W. with heavy sea; her log remarks that she lost her boats, pigstye, goats, etc., on this day, so Captain Whiston was driving her. _Loch Torridon_ loaded at Tocopilla for Hamburg, and was 93 days coming home, a poor passage, her bottom was probably foul. On 6th July her decks were badly swept off the Horn and she had a big repair bill when she arrived in Glasgow from Hamburg. In 1896-7 she went out to Adelaide from Glasgow in 71 days and then crossed from Newcastle, N.S.W., to Frisco in 46 days. She left Newcastle on 15th April in company with the four-mast ship _Thistle_ and the Norwegian ship _Hiawatha_. Both these vessels were dropped hull down to leeward on the first day out. Going through the Islands continuous bad weather was met with; Captain Pattman never had his yards off the backstays until 35° N. and had difficulty in weathering Fiji; nevertheless on 31st May _Loch Torridon_ came flying through the Golden Gate in front of a N.Wly. gale, and anchored in the Bay at 10 p.m. _Hiawatha_ took 62 days, _Thistle_ 79 days, and two other ships, the American barque _Topgallant_ 100 days and the _Cressington_ 106 days. Besides beating these, _Loch Torridon_ passed no less than ten vessels which had sailed from Newcastle before her. Loading grain at Port Costa, _Loch Torridon_ sailed on 23rd July, and arrived at Falmouth on 13th November, 1897, 113 days out. Captain Pattman stated that owing to the foulness of her bottom his ship was not sailing her best and he was disappointed with his passage. Other passages home from Frisco that year were:— _Musselcrag_ arrived Queenstown 110 days out. _Lord Templeton_ arrived Queenstown 111 days out. _Sierra Cadena_ arrived Queenstown 114 days out. _Andelana_ arrived Queenstown 114 days out. _Dominion_ arrived Queenstown 117 days out. _Gifford_ arrived Liverpool 118 days out. _Crown of Denmark_ arrived Queenstown 128 days out. _Caradoc_ arrived Queenstown 134 days out.