1907 Frontenac YC Regatta
St. Lawrence River, Frontenac, Thousand Islands, NY, August 23-24, 1907

Last Motor Boat Races of the Season at Thousand Islands
by Lloyd E. Brown

The final power boat races on the upper St. Lawrence were held late in August at the Frontenac Yacht Club, at Hotel Lotus and at the Thousand Islands Yacht Club. The Frontenac events consisted of a 14-mile handicap and a 21-mile free-for-all race on Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24. A system of time handicaps based on the speed made by a racer over a measured mile with and against the current resulting in excellent sport over the fine triangular course at Island Frontenac.

These races brought out several boats not previously heard from this season, among them the Mona, owned by L. Payson Ames of New York, and the P.D.Q., owner, Miss Clover Boldt of New York, daughter of the owner of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, George C. Boldt, who also owns the finest summer home in this region, the famous Heart Island chateau, costing over two million dollars. Mona was built in 1905 by George Miller of Clayton,

N. Y., and is 30 feet long with a 4 ft. 6 in. beam. She is equipped with a Ferro engine of 15 horsepower. Miss Boldt's craft has a 48 horsepower Leighton engine, and is practically a new racer, possessing the features of a comfortable family launch. Of seven entries in the handicap race Pirate Jr., owned by Roland Peacock, of Pittsburgh, did not start, and Vingt-Trois, owned by J. P. Gillespie, of Pittsburgh, did not finish owing to her propeller becoming entangled with some fish lines of parties who were trolling on the course. P.D.Q. won the first heat covering the distance in 37 min. 48 sec.

The first heat of the 21-mile free-for-all was also run off on Aug. 23 and was won by the Pirate, owner C. N. Peacock of Pittsburgh. All statistics of these boats have previously been printed in Boating this year. Pirate covered the course in 53 min. 35 sec. trailed by P.D.Q. and Vingt-Trois.

The handicap race was finished on the second day of the series and resulted in another victory for the P.D.Q. She was followed in by Pirate Jr., So-Long II, and Damphino. The latter boat is owned by Grant Peacock, of Pittsburgh and So-Long II by G. S. Hasbrouck, of New York. In this event Vingt-Trois was an entry, but rough seas prevented her racing, and Mona was disqualified for improper starting. Another unlucky boat on this afternoon was the Pirate, which ground off her coupling.

The final heat of the handicap went to the Pirate on the second day, but a repetition of the same accident caused her to start late in the afternoon. She covered the distance in 52 min. 17 sec.

Handsome silver cups were given by the club to the owners of P.D.Q. and Pirate.

The newly organized Lotus Motor Boat Association held a series of races on August 26-7 at St. Lawrence Park over a local course. Five silver cups were presented the winning boats, which included several semi-racers, owned by summer people at the Park. The course was ten miles, or five times around, from Gibbons Point to Oswegatchie.

At Alexandria Bay on Aug. 31, occurred the final motor boat races of the year in this region, under the auspices of the Thousand Islands Yacht Club. P.D.Q. won the handicap event and Pirate defeated her old rival, the Stranger, owner, Commodore F. G. Bourne of New York, in one of the prettiest races ever witnessed at the bay, winning by only 19 seconds.

(Transcribed from Boating, Sep. 1907, p. 54)

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

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