1907 Netley Regatta
August 31, 1907

Motor-Boat Racing Motor Yacht Club

The annual two-days' regatta of the Motor Yacht Club was brought to a conclusion on Saturday at Netley, when a programme of a dozen events was gone through. The chief interest of the day centred in the handicap for members' motor boats, the prizes for which amounted to 72 pounds, making it one of the richest races of the season. There was naturally a good entry of all sizes and classes of boats, from the crack racer Daimler II, down to motor sea-going cruisers like Joan Pleione and Wanderer, while ordinary open river boats were also to be found competing. In all 17 boats figured on the programme for this event, and of these all but one started. it was a difficult matter to frame a handicap where 23-knot and seven-knot boats were to be brought together, but the committee proved to be fairly successful in their task, the majority of the competitors being brought close together. Mr. Oswald B. Colls Fleurette proved the winner, Mr. G. F. Knowles's Iris II taking the second prize, Mr. Fred May's Defender I, third prize, and Mr. C. C. Maudslay's Maudslay, a three-year-old boat, with a two-year-old engine, the fourth prize. A number of sailing and rowing matches lent variety to the programme. Details:--

Handicap for members' motor boats. First prize, 50 pounds; second prize, 10 pounds; third prize, 7 pounds; fourth prize, 5 pounds. Course, starting off the Enchantress, thence to the After Barn buoy, thence to Dean's Lake buoy, thence to the N.W. Netley gas buoy and back over the starting line. Four rounds, equal to 11.6 nautical miles. The entries were:--

Kismet did not start. The boats soon tailed off in the order of speed, and, except that Wanderer gave up owing to a slight accident, it was a plain sailed race. The elapsed and corrected times were:--

Open handicap for motor cruisers (exceeding five tone, T.M.). First prize, 6 pounds; second prize, 4 pounds; third prize, 2 pounds; fourth prize, 1 pound. Course, 6.2 nautical miles. Entries:--

Napier Major sailed in close company with the scratch boat from the start to the finish, and won with the bulk of her handicap in hand. The times were:--

Open Handicap for M.M.A. Class D. First prize, 10 pounds; second prize, 5 pounds; third prize, 3 pounds. Course 12.4 nautical miles. Entries:--

The handicap was based on the result of the previous race between the boats, Daimler II allowing the difference to the newer boats, which, however, did not complete the course, having trouble with her pump chain. The start was at 4 p.m., and Daimler II finished alone at 4hrs. 47min. 51sec.

Race for the club one-design motor boats. First prize, 1 pound; second prize, 10 shillings. Course, 2.9 nautical miles. Entries:--

All the boats sailed the wrong course and the race was declared void.

(Excerpts transcribed from the Times of London, Sep. 2, 1907, p. 6.)

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

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