1906 Harmsworth Trophy

Motor-Yacht Club Eliminating Trials

The eliminating trials for the British International Cup were held yesterday, in magnificent weather, under the burgee of the Motor-Yacht Club, the course being laid from the club ship, Enchantress, at Netley, to and around the Baldhead, Calshot Castle, and Owers Lake buoys, thence around three mark-boats moored to the north of the Enchantress, and back to the line, five rounds, 32 nautical miles. Six boats had been entered---namely, Lord Howard de Walden's Daimler I, and Rose-en-Soleil (steam), Mr. S. F. Edge's Napier III, Lord Montagu and Mr. Lionel Rothschild's Yarrow Napier, and Mr. Mawdsley Brooke's Brooke I. Of these, however, only Brooke I, Yarrow Napier, Rose-en-Soleil, and Daimler I were present when the "prepare" flag was hoisted at 10hr. 15min. a.m. As Lord Howard de Walden's new 180 h.p. Saunders boat, Daimler II, had started from Cowes, and been delayed still further by avoiding the 52-footers starting in the squadron matches, she was even too late for the start at 10hr. 30min, and the Napier III was an absentee. Just before the start some part of Brooke's mechanism went amiss, but the trouble was partially remedied in time to enable her to lead out from the line at gunfire. Yarrow Napier, nevertheless, hauled into the lead before the flagship was fairly cleared, and, increasing her lead from the rest on every mile run, was over half an hour ahead at the nish. Her nearest rival was Rose-en-Soleil, but the latter, though splendidly handled by Mr.. A. G. Fentiman, never had sufficient speed, and owing to the water-feed pump going temporarily wrong on the fourth round, was actually lapped by Yarrow Napier, whose total time — 1hr. 29min. 37sec. — was nevertheless only equal to a 22.9 knot speed. The times of all were:

Brooke was thus over 1hr. 12min. behind Yarrow Napier.

The team chosen to defend the cup against the American challenger Dixie are Yarrow Napier, Rose-en-Soleil, and Daimler I.

After the trials were well under way a race for boats under 250 M.M.A. rating, with M.M.A. time scale allowances, was held over a short club course. Five boats started at 10hr. 45min. These were Mr. O. B. Colls's Fleurette, Captain R. T. Dixon's Hebe, Messrs. G. Dickson and E. H. Halliday's Albatross, Mr. A. C. G. Knowles's Iris, and Mr. J. P. Dean's Scout II. They started and finished in the order named, their times at the finish being:---

(Transcribed from the (London) Times, Aug. 9, 1906, p. 10)

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Motor Yacht Club British International Cup

The principal event on the Motor Yacht Club's programme yesterday was the race for the possession of the British International Cup. Actually the competitors were confined to the three boats which made the best showing in the eliminating trials on Wednesday, as the American Challenger Dixie was not sent over. The result was that Lord Montagu and Mr. L. Rothschild's Yarrow Napier, last year's winner and the winner of the trial on Wednesday, won again, and becomes the holder of the trophy for the second year in succession. The course was laid from the club's house-ship Enchantress, southward to and round the Baldhead buoy, then past two mark-boats moored in a line with the northern end of the chain of boom defense vessels, and thence southwards again to the starting line. This course was run five times round, making 32 miles in all. Five seconds after gunfire Yarrow Napier, steered by Lord Montagu, dashed over the line, followed three seconds later by Lord Howard de Walden's Simpson-Strickland steam racer Rose-en-Soleil, which was again steered by Mr. A. G. Fentiman, with Lord Howard de Walden's Daimler I (ex-Napier) just astern, steered by her owner. On the run out to the Baldhead Lord Montagu's boat, running at a good 21 1/2 knots speed, simply lost her two opponents, and continued to run round after round with her usual regularity, won by nearly half an hour from Rose-en-Soleil in 1h. 30min. 8sec. The latter, however, shipped several very heavy seas in the broken water at the southern end of the course, and was delayed thereby even more than by her pump troubles on the [previous day, so much so that on the northward turn she was overhauled and passed by Daimler I . However, by the time she neared the first of the northern mark-boats she had been pumped clear and immediately afterwards, thanks to Mr. Fentiman's clever handling, she cut out Daimler I at the turn and once more hauled ahead. These positions were maintained to the finish. Daimler I, which, it will be remembered, was built by Saunders last year, was by all odds the prettiest and cleanest traveling model of the three, and although lapped nearly a couple of rounds by the winner, made quite as good a showing in proportion to her power. Her total elapsed time was 2h. 7min. 25sec., and that of Rose-en-Soleil 2h. 0min. 7 sec. The times for each successive round were as follows:---

Of the three events on the programme to be decided earlier in the day only the first one obtained any entries. This, however, was of a most interesting and, considering the trend of motor-boat construction, valuable character, and it was a handicap for auxiliaries, the first half of the course being run under motor power alone, and the rest under sail power only. It was a pity therefore that of seven boats entered only four started. These were Lord Ailsa's Red Riding Hood and Captain R. T. Dixon's Morween (scratch), Mr. T. Thornycroft's Nautilus (5 min.), and Mr. Linton Hope's Louise (13min.). The course lay from the line at the Enchantress to the After Barn buoy, thence to the Dean's Lake buoy, and back to the starting line. Lord Ailsa's boat led out from Morween, Louise and Nautilus, and kept her lead to the end of three rounds under motor power, where the order for the others was Nautilus, Louise and Morween. Then the breeze strengthened, and although the last-named boat did the best under the canvas, Louise won on her time from Nautilus and Red Riding Hood. The times were:---

(Transcribed from the (London) Times, Aug. 10, 1906, p. 10 )

[More will be added to this page in the next few days. --LF]

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

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