1908 BMBC Burnham Regatta [Pt.2]

1908 BMBC Burnham Regatta [Pt. 1 1908 BMBC Burnham Regatta [Pt. 2 1908 BMBC Burnham Regatta - Marine Motoring

The second day's racing of the British Motor Boat Club at Burnham, yesterday, was quite as great a success as that of the opening day. The weather was at its best, and with a perfectly smooth sea the conditions for motor-boat racing were ideal. The programme arranged was a light one, as compared with that of Thursday, and also that fixed for to-day, but it was nevertheless decidedly interesting. Three events were listed, all being run under handicap conditions. In all, the entries numbered 37, and nearly the whole of the boats were on the station, although several were unable to start owing to minor mishaps. In the first race, a handicap for boats exceeding 10 knots, Blake Q, an amateur-built boat, designed and constructed by her owner, and fitted with a 6-h.p. motor of his own design, was given a handicap of 61 min. 44sec., and won by about 13min. from the high-powered 40-footer Daimler II, which was scratch boat. Mr. Warwick Wright's Sea Dog beat Mr. R. N. Fairbanks's Camilla by 19sec. for second prize, while Mr. J. Dawson Paul's Dollydo was but six seconds behind Camilla on corrected time--altogether a very fair handicap. The second race also produced a good finish, another low-powered craft, in Mr. W. S. H. Smith's Gipsy Girl, winning by over 12min., while Mr. F. May's Dorothy--a motor dinghy--an Mr. W. H. MacClean's Cheripika dead-heated for second place. The cabin cruisers also ran a close race, less than seven minutes covering the five boats, which were timed at the finish. Mr. R. B. Robinson, secretary, acted as officer of the day. Details:--

First Race, handicap for motor-boats exceeding 10 knots. Course starting from an imaginary line drawn between two mark beacons on the Mussel bank (north shore), below the Eastern Yacht Club at Burnham, thence down the Crouch to a mark boat, moored off the north shore below the mouth of the Reach, and back to the starting line. Four times round, rounding the lower mark boat and the one on the line to starboard, 16 sea miles.

Daimler II was scratch, and allowed Brooke II 5min. 8sec., Defender 9min. 8sec., Dylan 12min. 20sec., Gyrinus 13min. 56sec., Fleurette II 19min. 48sec., Sea Dog 20min. 8sec., Irish Adamate 20min. 36sec., Arab 22min. 28sec., Spitfire 26min. 28sec., Camilla 33min. 8sec., Fleurette 37min., Ravissante 39min. 56sec., Dollydo 43min. 16sec., Takumono 53min. 28sec., Blake Q 61min. 44sec. The non-starters were Brooke II, Defender and Hole I. The start took place at 11 a.m., all getting well away together, with the exception of Fleurette. They soon tailed out in the order of their handicap, the finish being officially times as follows.

Second Race, handicap for motor-boats not exceeding 10 knots. Course as in first race, two rounds, eight sea miles.

Norvic was scratch, and allowed Louise 13min. 52sec., Advance (Mr. W. V. Sharp, 6-h.p.) 24min. 20sec., Davis 29min. 30sec., Dion Bouton 32min. 30sec., Ju Ju (Mr. Douglas Stone jr., 4-h.p.) 34min. 20sec., Pirate (Mr. J. B. Cole, 5-h.p.) 36min. 30sec., Cheripika 48min. 10sec., Dorothy 59min. 4sec., Gipsy Girl 67min. 20sec. Louise and Advance were non-starters. The finish was:--

Third Place, handicap for cabin cruisers. Course, starting from an imaginary line drawn between two mark beacons on the Mussel Bank (north shore), below the Eastern Yacht Club at Burnham, thence down the Crouch to the West Buxey Buoy, leaving same on the starboard hand, and finishing on the staring line, 14.6 sea miles. Entries:--

Melita was scratch, and allowed Flonora 7min. 15sec., Napier Major 9min. 43sec., Allegro 12min. 47sec., Halcyon 16min. 55sec., My Lady Ada 32min. 37sec., Cruiser 36min. 15sec., and Moira 37min. 27sec. My Lady Ada, Lethe and Halcyon did not start. They got off well together at 11:15 a.m., and a good race was timed at the finish as follows:--

(Transcribed from the Times of London, Sep. 12, 1908, p.7.)

[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page —LF]

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