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A
YACHTING WONDER.
SUDDEN DEVELOPMENT OF THE FASTEST CRAFT IN THE WORLD.
THE
REVEILLE, SUSIE B., AMARYLLIS AND VICTORIA WIN THE SECOND
CENTENNIAL REGATTA.
The
second of the series of Centennial regattas was sailed yesterday,
and was a perfect and entire success. The entries were restricted
to yachts of fifteen tons and under, and if the weather had been
made on purpose for a regatta of yachts of this size it could not
have been improved in any one respect. There was just wind enough
to develop all the best sailing qualities of the yachts, and not
too much to permit of their carrying full sail. The wind blew steadily
from one quarter all through the race, and the water was smooth.
The entries were perhaps not as numerous as had been expected by
some, but they included all the most famous flyers known to these
waters, and the victors can truly claim to be the fastest vessels
of their respective classes in the world. The nondescript, half-Catamaran
[sic], half-Balsa and wholly life-raft constructed by Mr. Herreshoff,
of Providence, whether ruled out by the judges or counted in, can
justly claim to be the fastest thing of her inches under canvas
that floats, and it is doubtful if there are any steamers of her
size that could out-speed her in a straight reach with the wind
abeam. Whether she is ruled out of this race or not need make but
little difference to her owner, as he can justly lay claim to a
medal and diploma of the Exposition as presenting the fastest sailing
craft in the world: That she is this every one of the many thousand
that witnessed her performance yesterday will admit.
From
an early hour yesterday morning the little vessels that were to
compete for the honors of the day began to arrive at the rendezvous,
near the New York Yacht Club House on Staten Island, and each
ferry-boat that arrived brought large numbers of people from the
city to witness the race, which evidently attracted quite as much,
if not more, interest than the one of the previous day between
the large vessels. The gentlemen who comprise the sub-committee,
and who have arranged all the details of this very successful
affair, were early in attendance at the club-house. They are John
M. Sawyer, Brooklyn Yacht Club, Chairman; O. E. Cromwell and M.
Roosevelt Schuyler, Seawanhaka Yacht Club, and Sidney W. Knowles,
Atlantic Yacht Club.
The bay in front of the club-house was all alive with craft of
every description, and them all none attracted more attention
than the schooner-yacht Magic, the winner of more annual regattas
than any other schooner of the New York Yacht Club. She has been
restored as near as possible to her old appearance when she raced
for the Queen's Cup, in 1871, and has been put in perfect order.
It is said that should the owner of the Comet desire a match with
the Magic he can be
accommodated at any time and for any amount he may desire. Next
to the Magic, the yacht Playful was the most noticed. She has
been altered to a schooner, and looks as if she might be a most
comfortable yacht to cruise in. As the time drew near for the
start of the yachts several excursion steamers arrived from the
city literally packed with passengers to witness the race. A small
stake-boat was anchored just off from the club-house, and it was
arranged that the start should be from a line drawn between this
boat and the club house. Outside of this stake-boat was the yacht
of Vice Commodore Kane, of the New York Yacht Club, dressed off
with long lines of bunting, extending from trucks to sails, and
here the starting gun was fired.
THE
COURSE.
From
this starting line the course was to and around a buoy off Coney
Island point; thence to a stake-boat off Bay Ridge Dock; thence
to a stake-boat off Robbin's Reef Light house and back to place
of departure; this course to be sailed over twice, a distance
of about twenty miles. There were in all thirty-five entries,
and of these thirty-two were prompt at the starting line as follows:
FIRST
CLASS.
No. Name. Length. Owner. Club.
Ft..in.
46. Reveille 30.07 Frank Bates Long Island
50. Favorita 33.09 B. Brandt Williamsburg
SECOND
CLASS
12. Cricket 27.10 Doyle & Cullen Williamsburg
13. Leroy 27.10 W. Leroy Gen. Hudson
16. Susie S. 27.03 E. P. Miller Brooklyn
17. W. R. Brown 27.04 C. Brown Gen. Hudson
18. Greenpoint 28.00 P. O. Snow Williamsburg
19. Journeyman 28.06 R. M. McWhinney Columbia
21. Kate 28.00 G. Crolius Long Island
23. W. T. Lee 27.06 C. H. Cheever Brooklyn
THIRD
CLASS
25. Sophia Emma 21.10 J. Varian Manhattan
26. H. H. Holmes 22.08 Pavonia
27. Au Revoir 22.08 G. Heass Columbia
28. Tough 15.07 B. Carr Hud. River
29. Mary Emma 25.00 C. O. Iselin Seawanhaka
30. Almira 22.02 E. Alaire Bayonne
31. Clara S. 24.01 J. Stigler HUD River
33. Amaryllis 24.10 N. Herrshoff [sic]
Providence
34. Addie Taylor 21.09 W. Taylor Pavonia
35. Pluck and Luck 24.08 J. Schmidt Williamsburg
36. Inspector 24.00 A. Brush Williamsburg
FOURTH
CLASS
20. H. W. Beecher -..- - Mohegan
37. Maud 18.00 F. M. Scott Perth Amboy
38. Vinita 21.00 Farrington Atlantic
39. Florence 27.07 I. C. Fisher Red Bank
41. Foulton 26.07 - Pavonia
42. Frou-Frou 26.09 - Pavonia
43. Victoria 27.05 Thos. Fry Brooklyn
44. Fidget 27.11 J. Grinnell Gen. Hudson
45. Cynthia 29.00 E. P. Miller Brooklyn
48. Rebecca 34.00 J. C. Peabody Jersey City
22. Knight Templar 30 00 R. Donshea Jersey City
The allowance of time for all classes was 2m. to the foot of length.
THE
START.
All
things being in readiness at 12h. 12m. the gun was fired for the
vessels to prepare, and 5m. later a second gun gave the first
and fourth classes permission to start, and after another interval
of 5m. The third gun sent off the other classes. There was no
maneuvering [sic] for position, as in the start of the previous
day, but each got over the line as soon as possible and began
the race. The Cynthia was the first off, followed by the Maud,
H. W. Beecher, Florence, Fidget, Foulton, Mary Emma, Reveille,
Favorita, Nanita, Victoria, Knight Templar, Pluck and Luck, H.
H. Holmes, Clara S. Victoria went to the wrong side of the stake-boat
and had to make another crossing as also did the Knight Templar.
Then came the Au Revoir, Susie S., Inspector with a reef in her
mainsail and an apology for a jib; after he came the Tough, Addie
Taylor, Cricket, Sophia Emma, William T. Lee, Leroy, Greenpoint,
Amaryllis (the life-raft), Almira, and the Journeyman brought
up the rear.
THE
RACE.
The
wind was a whole-sail breeze from west, the tide first quarter
ebb, and off they all flew with sheets well off. The Nondescript
gave the spectators a slight taste of her speed in a wonderful
burst just as she crossed the line and then up to the time of
passing the forts she took things easily, apparently losing the
wind, and she, with the Journeyman, Almira, Greenpoint, Tough,
Cricket and Leroy were all bunched together close under the bluff
and almost becalmed. As the
others went racing off toward the mark they made a picture which
had never been excelled for beauty in any previous race in New
York Bay. That of the start for the Queen's Cup may have equaled
it, but nothing could exceed it. A flock of scared birds just
rising to their wings would come neared to it in appearance. They
were all so bunched together that it was impossible to rate them
accurately, but the fast ones, the Susie S., the Pluck and Luck,
the Cynthia, the W. R. Brown, and others of that class, began
at once to press towards the head of the line. Below the Narrows
the wind slackened, and the progress of the fleet was comparatively
slow. The cluster that had been becalmed under the forts drifted
out with the tide and went on after the rest, but with a long
space between them. The life raft appeared to be doing about as
well as the others, but was not as yet doing anything very wonderful
in the way of speed. This rear clustering of boats, however, caught
the freshening breeze first, and at the first mark had closed
up so much that the whole fleet turned with but small intervals
of time between them. The following are the times of turning which
will show the relative position of the fleet:
CONEY
ISLAND BUOY.
Name. H M. S.
H. W. Beecher 12:50:0
Cynthia 12:51:0
Pluck and Luck 12:53:0
Susie S. 12:54:0
Favorita 12:55:15
Victoria 12:55:17
Fidget 12:55:18
W. R. Brown 12:56:0
Clara S. 12:57:0
Rebecca 12:57:1
Toulton 12:57:30
R. H. Holmes 12:58:0
Wm. T. Lee 12:58:5
Mary Emma 12:58:10
Kate 12:58:15
Leroy 12:58:45
Addie Taylor 12:59:5
Journeyman 1:0:0
Cricket 1:0:0
Almira 1:0:30
Au Revoir 1:0:36
Amaryllis
1:0:45
Greenpoint 1:0:50
Inspector 1:1:0
Tough 1:2:30
The
others were not timed at this point. The fleet now had the wind
about abeam, and the line began to draw out as the boats took
position according to speed. The Susie S. hauled up out of the
ruck and kept farther off shore than the rest, which gave her
stronger tide to overcome, but as the leaders drew up toward the
Fort the wind headed them and then the weatherly position of the
Susie more than compensated for all she had lost by the head tide,
and she went through between Fort Lafayette and the shore heading
the fleet. The Cynthia came next, the H. W. Beecher third. The
Pluck and Luck went outside of the fort. The Catamaran had been
gradually working up
through the fleet but failed to weather the Fort Hamilton dock
and had to tack. At about 1.45 o'clock the wind breezed and the
little yachts, overpowered by their racing canvas, had to beg
along, requiring constant care to prevent them from capsizing.
Just here the Amaryllis began to develop the wonderful
speed that she possesses, and she fairly flew along the Long Island
shore, passing yacht after yacht as if they were anchored, so
that at the next mark, off Bay Ridge, only eleven of the fleet
were ahead of her. These were:
BAY
RIDGE STAKE-BOAT.
Name. H M. S.
Susie S. 1:43:00
Cynthia 1:44:30
Pluck and Luck 1:45:00
W. R. Brown 1:46:00
Wm. T. Lee 1:46:30
H. W. Beecher 1:46:35
Victoria 1:50:00
Leroy 1:50:40
Kt. Templar 1:51:05
Cricket 1:51:36
Reveille 1:52:04
Amaryllis 1:53:30
The
course of the yachts was now sharp upon a wind over to the stake-boat
off Robbin's Reef, and they had wind enough and some to spare,
the only one that went along at all comfortably being the cigar
boat. She, with a crew of only two men and no sand bags to take
care of, went over easily under small suit of sails, disposing
off three more of the fleet as she went across. The following
are the positions of the fleet at this buoy:
ROBBIN'S
REEF BUOY.
Name. H M. S.
Susie S. 1:58:00
Cynthia 1:59:20
Pluck and Luck 1:59:50
W. R. Brown 2:00:30
Wm. T. Lee 2:01:30
H. W. Beecher 2:02:00
Victoria 2:05:00
Greenpoint 2:06:00
Amaryllis 2:06:40
Cricket 2:08:30
Knight Templar 2:08:35
Reveille 2:09:00
Leroy 2:10:00
Florence 2:10:20
Journeyman 2:10:42
Favorita 2:11:03
It
will be observed that as the wind freshened the big ones began
to come to the front. The Reveille, admirably handled by Frank
Bates, had been quietly disposing of the little ones ahead of
her, and at this mark looked the sure winner of her class. Perhaps
the most amusing incident of the race was to see the Nondescript
attempt to get by the Greenpoint off the old Quarantine dock.
Three times she tried to go by to windward, but the boat could
lie nearer the wind than she could, and would force her up in
the wind and shake her sails, and she would drop astern. Baffled
in the attempt to go by on this side, at last, as a dernier resort,
she kept off to go through his lee. No one who saw the attempt
believed she would succeed, but just at this time there came a
sharp flaw, too much for the Greenpoint, and with the surplus,
the cigar-boat came two or three of her porpoise-like jumps, and
was off after the yacht ahead, going through the lee of the Greenpoint
as if the latter had been at anchor, and when she arrived at the
home line on the first round she had but seven yachts of the whole
fleet ahead of her. The following are the times of turning this
mark:
TIME
ON THE FIRST ROUND.
Name. H M. S.
Susie S. 2:13:45
Cynthia 2:14:40
Pluck and Luck 2:15:00
W. R. Brown 2:15:15
Wm. T. Lee 2:16:10
H. W. Beecher 2:17:01
Victoria 2:19:50
Amaryllis 2:20:10
Greenpoint 2:20:15
Cricket 2:23:15
Knight Templar 2:24:05
Reveille 2:24:44
Leroy 2:24:50
Journeyman 2:25:45
Florence 2:25:46
Favorita 2:27:10
Clara S. 2:27:45
Mary Emma 2:27:59
Rebecca 2:28:18
H. H. Holmes 2:29:52
Addie Taylor 2:31:28
Fidget 2:32:15
Almira 2:32:20
Foulton 2:34:10
Sophia Emma 2:34:45
Au Revoir 2:35:02
On
this round the boats had all that they could stagger under, and
some few of them met with slight accident in the way of parting
halliards, splitting sails, &c., but, to the surprise of every
one, there were no capsizes as they sped across the bay, half
buried in foam. The Catamaran kept jumping along, her motion resembling
that of a porpoise when frightened more than anything else, and
by the time she reached the next buoy there were only four yachts
ahead of her. The turning of this mark in the stiff breeze was
a very difficult affair, and the Greenpoint had to make three
separate attempts before she got her boom over. She finally accomplished
it in safety, but the Victoria, which was under working sails,
managed here to get by here and turn first. The following times
were taken at this mark:
CONEY
ISLAND MARK - SECOND ROUND.
Name. H M. S.
Susie S. 2:35:30
Cynthia 2:38:10
W. R. Brown 2:39:30
Pluck and Luck 2:39:45
Amaryllis 2:40:00
Wm. T. Lee 2:40:15
H. W. Beecher 2:41:00
Victoria 2:43:30
Greenpoint 2:44:45
By
the time the Catamaran got up abreast of Fort Hamilton dock she
had only one yacht, the Susie S., ahead of her. She does not lie
very close to the wind, and had to tack three times ere she could
clear the dock, the Susie meanwhile, going all the way without
tacking. Notwithstanding these tacks in the ebb tide she was gaining
all the time on the boat ahead of her and about half-way between
the fort and Owl's Head she went for the Susie in earnest, and
in an incredibly short space of time she went by her. Her great
speed here was near bringing her to grief, for she ran her nose
under, and was near pitchpoling over. For a half minute she stood
right on end, all the forward part of her submerged, and the Susie
got by her again, but she slowly righted, and again starting off
she soon put the Susie behind her, and became the head boat in
the fleet. The Pluck and Luck on this reach broke her gaff, but
pluckily kept on to the end of the race. The two leaders turned
the Robbins Reef mark as follows:
ROBBINS
REEF.
Name. H M. S.
Amaryllis 3:34:30
Susie S. 3:36:40
After
this buoy was turned the sloop-yacht Annie, one of the fastest
in the previous day's race, thought that she would give this monstrosity
a turn. The wind was abeam, and just as much as the yacht wanted.
The Captain of the Amaryllis had evidently only been playing with
the small fry; he now went for the big yacht with a will, and
in a few minutes the big yacht was left hopelessly behind, Captain
Joe Ellsworth, who was at the wheel of the yacht, shouting frantically
to the sea monster to "Hold up and give me a line."
As the new experiment dashed over the line a winner she was saluted
by guns from the yachts that were lying at anchor, and the excursion
steamers screeched their loudest in honor of her victory. The
following table gives the result of the races by classes. The
fourth class carried nothing but working sails, and, as will be
seen from the record, made most excellent time. The contest between
the Victoria and the Cynthia in this class was very close, the
former only winning by eight seconds, and next to these the H.
W. Beecher did the best of any.
FIRST
CLASS.
Elapsed Corrected
Name. Start. Finish. time. time.
H. M. S. H. M. S. H. M. S. H. M. S.
Reveille 12:21:13 4:09:40 3:48:27 3:42:07
Favorita 12:21:29 4:15:28 3:54:08 3:54:08
SECOND
CLASS
Cricket 12:26:02 4:05:32 3:39:30 3:38:10
Leroy 12:26:55 4:04:40 3:37:45 3:36:25
Susie S. 12:24:55 3:51:39 3:26:41 3:24:14
W. R. Brown 12:25:30 3:55:30 3:30:00 3:27:40
Greenpoint 12:27:12 3:58:40 3:31:28 3:30:28
Journeyman 12:27:59 4:05:00 3:37:01 3:37:01
Kate 12:26:02 Not timed.
Wm. T. Lee 12:26:28 3:56:52 3:30:31 3:28:24
THIRD
CLASS
Sophia Emma 12:26:08 4:28:08 4:02:00 3:56:00
H. H. Holmes 12:24:20 4:16:08 3:51:48 3:47:28
Au Revoir 12:24:43 Not timed.
Tough 12:25:38 Not timed.
Mary Emma 12:25:49 4:11:59 3:46:10 3:44:30
Almira 12:27:59 4:22:40 3:54:41 3:49:21
Clara S. 12:24:33 4:11:42 3:47:09 3:45:39
Amaryllis 12:27:18 3:46:50 3:19:32 3:19:32
Addie Taylor 12:25:29 4:19:42 3:54:13 3:48:03
Pluck and Luck 12:23:28 4:03:22 3:39:54 3:39:34
Inspector 12:25:15 Not timed.
FOURTH
CLASS
H. W. Beecher 12:19:38 3:56:20 3:36:42 3:28:00
Maud 12:19:05 Not timed.
Vinita 12:21:38 Not timed.
Florence 12:20:33 4:11:06: 3:50:33 3:37:43
Rebecca 12:20:05 Not timed.
Foulton 12:20:55 4:22:55 4:02:00 3:47:30
Victoria 12:23:33 4:03:45 3:40:12 3:27:02
Fidget 12:20:41 4:19:22 3:58:41 3:46:31
Cynthia 12:18:40 3:55:50 3:37:10 3:27:10
Kt. Templar 12:25:00 4:06:49 3:41:49 3:33:49
Thus
it will be seen that in the first class the Reveille wins, beating
the Favorita 12 minutes and 1 second. In the second class the
Susie S. is ahead, beating the W. R. Brown 3 minutes and 26 seconds.
In the third class Mr. Herishoff's [sic] experiment is ahead,
beating the Pluck and Luck 20 minutes and 2 seconds. In the fourth
class the Victoria leads the Cynthia 8 seconds.
After
the race was over, the captain of the Clara S. protested against
the Amaryllis, on the ground that she is neither a yacht
nor a boat; but it was the general opinion that the protest came
too late, and should have been made before the start. Had it been,
there is little doubt that the judges would have barred her out.
If she is ruled out, the prize comes to the Puck and Luck.
Source:
Anon. (R. F. Coffin?). "A Yachting Wonder. Sudden Development
of the Fastest Craft in the World. The Reveille, Susie B., Amaryllis
and Victoria Win the Second Centennial Regatta." The World,
June 24, 1876, p. 2.
A
REVOLUTIONARY YACHT.
The
defeated yachtsmen in yesterday's race are entitled to sincere
commiseration. It is a well-established fact among Americans of
a yachting turn of mind, that the American yacht embodies in her
model all the fairy tales of science and the long results of time.
It is supposed to be almost the perfect model for speed under
canvas, and it is supposed that any improvement on it will be
merely an extension of it. Yet yesterday all the yachts of this
approved model were beaten ridiculously by a vessel of outlandish
model and rig. She is literally 'outlandish,' for according to
the description of her the nearest approach to her afloat is the
famous 'flying proa' of the Ladrone Islands, of the speed of which
wonderful stories are told. Nobody protested against entering
her for the race yesterday, for the reason probably that everybody
expected to beat her, but everybody seems to have objected to
being beaten by her. Next time we advise our yachtsmen to ponder
the words of MILTON, And think twice ere they venture to "Sport
with Amaryllis in the shade."
In
form the entry seems to have been perfectly fair, since the yachts
were taxed only according to length, and were permitted as much
extension in all other directions as their owners chose. But in
fact, it is clearly unfair to race boats of radically different
models, and built for entirely different purposes, against each
other. The model of the Amaryllis evidently would not do for a
sea going vessel, and nothing in the way of the practical 'improvement
of naval architecture ' which yachts and yacht clubs are supposed
to promote, can come out of a flying proa. But on the other hand,
none of the boats engaged in the race with her are supposed to
be good for much except to engage in such races. The tendency
of yacht-racing is everywhere to-produce 'racing machines;' in
ENGLAND by narrowing, deepening and ballasting yachts out of all
reason, and here by making broad and shallow 'skimming-dishes.'
In either case the result is not a good type of sea-going vessel.
So the owners of racing-machines have really no reason to complain
that somebody should invent a racing-machine to beat them. This
the inventor of the Amaryllis has done. It behooves the owners
of the large schooners, however, to take counsel together lest
somebody should build an Amaryllis a hundred feet long and convert
their crafts into useless lumber. It is a matter quite as important
as keeping the America's Cup, and may demand quite as ingenious
and elaborate devices as were put in force against Mr. ASHBURY.
Source:
Anon. (Editorial). "A Revolutionary Yacht." The World,
June 24, 1876, p. 4.
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