1907 Harmsworth Trophy
Southampton Water, August 3, 1907
British International Motor-Boat Cup
Mr. E. J. Schroeder's challenger, Dixie, representing the Motor Boat Club of America, yesterday won the British International Cup, beating Lord Howard de Walden's Daimler II, by 1min. 41 3-5sec. over a course of 35 nautical miles. This distance, which was run five times around a course of seven nautical miles laid in Southampton Water, was covered by the winning boat in 1hr. 15min. 44sec.--that is to say, at a speed of 27.6 knots. Daimler II, obviously suffered from want of time to tune up its motors, which were only installed a fortnight or so ago, but nevertheless accomplished a speed of 27.1 knots, the race consequently being the fastest ever run in European waters.
The race started at 5 p.m. from a line between the Motor Yacht Club ship Enchantress and a mark-boat moored a cable's length to the westward, and was excellently timed by the helmsman of the American boat, which led across at gunfire, some 10sec. ahead of Daimler I, also owned by Lord Howard de Walden, and fully 25sec. ahead of his newer and faster boat, Daimler II, which, designed and built by Mr. S. Saunders, of Cowes, is universally admitted to be the finest model of racing motor-boat ever seen on this side of the Atlantic. The last-named boat however, soon got into its best speed, and overhauled Daimler I within the first half-mile. Nevertheless it never succeeded in getting upon anything like level terms with the American boat, which increased its lead about 25sec. upon every round, and eventually won without effort. The times for each lap were:
| First Round | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Total | |
| Dixie | 15:20 | 15:02 1-5 | 15:06 1-5 | 15:05 4-5 | 15:11 | 1:15:44 |
| Daimler II | 15:44 2-5 | 16:16 3-5 | 15:13 | 15:25 | 15:45 2-5 | 77:25 2-5 |
| Daimler I | 20:45 | 17:08 2-5 | 18:16 3-5 | 17:10 3-5 |
Daimler I gave up on the fifth round, but its regularity of running, and the even greater regularity of the winning boat, Dixie, as compared with Daimler II, were very noticeable; indeed, the newer boat's time was slower on each round after the third. This circumstance was significant of the lack of time for tuning up, but it is doubtful whether it could have beaten the American boat in any event.
(Transcribed from The Times of London, Aug. 3, 1907, p. 7.)
[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page --LF]
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