1906 Palm Beach Regatta
Close Races At Palm Beach
Mercedes Makes Fine Showing In Motor Boat Contests
PALM BEACH, Jan. 31.--The seconds day's motor boat races, held here to-day, resulted in another victory for Tyler Morse's Allon in the Class C race over a 10.35-mile course, and in a victory for H. L. Bowden's Mercedes in the Class A race, a contest over 15.52 miles. In a second contest for the Class C boats, with the larger craft on a handicap scale, James K. Clarke's Carita reversed the order and defeated Allon by 11 seconds.
The contests in point of interesting finishes far outclassed those of yesterday. In the Class C contests seconds separated the first and second and third and fourth racers, but Mira, the third boat, was disqualified for not rounding the proper stake boat. In the general handicap class the first five boats crossed the line almost together.
The Dixie again failed to appear, much to the general disappointment. She was mislaid in transit at Jacksonville, but is expected to be on hand to-morrow. Should she fail to be in shape to-morrow she may go Friday, as the carnival will be prolonged another day to provide the re-racing of the last event of yesterday, which was declared no contest, as the distance was found to be incorrect.
Mercedes made a fine showing in the big racer's class. There were six boats to start, but she overhauled all her competitors and left them far behind. Her engines, which had failed her yesterday, appeared to be in perfect working order. She crossed the line nearly five minutes ahead of George Gingras's "23," the winner of yesterday. The order of the finish was: Mercedes, 50:52; "23," 55:23; Possum, 56:48; Twentieth Century, 56:59; Blanche, 60:28. The Westfall, Limit, and Comet did not finish. Possum, Twentieth Century, Blanche, and Limit are Class B boats, but started over the same course.
In the handicap free-for-all the order of the finish was Tyler Morse's Allon, 38:07 actual time; the Carita, owned by James K. Clarke, 45:12; the Twenty Three, owned by George Gingras, 33:16; the Possum, owned by H. L. Willoughby, 36:12; the Twentieth Century, owned by L. T. Pettie, 37:37; the Blanche, owned by C. S. Coggin, 40:18; the Mercedes, owned by H. L. Bowden, 36:55; the Dorothy, owned by F. M. Sperry, 48:10; the Limit, owned by H. C. Thompson, 38:43; the Coo, owned by F. M. Rice, 1:10:59.
The time of the five Class C boats in their race was: Carita, 57:56; Allon, 58:07; Myra, 63:27; Coo, 69:39; Dorothy, 71:11. The Mira was disqualified.
The Regatta Committee disqualified A. D. Proctor Smith's Simplex III, yesterday's winner, for leaving the stakeboat on the wrong side, and gave the race to John C. King's Topsy.
The five-knot event was declared no event and ordered to be run over again next Friday because the course was shorter than this distance, and the boats were for this reason improperly handicapped.
(Transcribed from the New York Times, Feb. 1, 1906, p. 6.)
[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page]
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