1907 Palm Beach Mid-Winter Regatta
Palm Beach, FL, Jan. 29-Feb.2, 1907

Dixie Again Leads In Palm Beach Races
Wins Two Events and Finishes Second in Free-for-All
Sparrow Makes First Start
Crack Philadelphia Boat Finishes First, but Loses Through Excess Penalty--
Planet Takes Open Race

Fast Motor Boats in Palm Beach Regatta Three Wins for Dixie in Palm Beach Races Dixie Again Leads in Palm Beach Races Dixie Heads the List in Palm Beach Races Dixie's Alleged Record The Lake Worth Carnival The Palm Beach Races The Lake Worth Carnival (The Rudder) The Lake Worth Motor Boat Races

PALM BEACH, Jan. 31.--E. J. Schroeder's champion Dixie was again the principal winner in the Lake Worth motor boat carnival to-day. She won two races and finished second in a third only 12 seconds behind the winner. She allowed Planet, the winning boat, 23 minutes 59 seconds in a four-and-a-half-mile race, and was all but lapped with her when the little Southern flier crossed the finish line. Dixie covered the four and a half miles in 9:51, which is the fastest race made during the day, averaging over 27.6 miles an hour. In the last race of the day, when Dixie was again pitted against the field, she was going well to the first buoy, when some difficulty was evidently experienced with her motor and she was withdrawn.

The winners in the two free-for-all races were Planet in the four-and-a-half-mile event, and J. T. D. Berry's Meteor in the thirteen-and-a-half-mile race. In this event Sparrow, the crack Philadelphia boat, which created such a furor last year, now owned by E. H. Godschalk, made her first appearance. She arrived this morning and was tried out for the purpose of rating, but evidently was not driven at top speed. At all events she received a ridiculously large allowance, considering her reputation. She ran over the course and finished first in spite of a five-minute delay, due to a defect in her sparking, but she was promptly re-rated on the basis of her faster performance, and was placed second to Meteor. The decision elicited a loud protest from her owner, but it did no good, since all the other owners were agreed that the restrictions against jockeying were eminently fair.

In the smaller class of boats the honors were divided between Lieut. H. L. Willoughby Sr.'s Possum, and W. V. Covar's Planet. Planet won the four-and-a-half-mile contest in the morning defeating Simplex VIII, Errand Boy, Baby Bullet, Possum and Mera. The sic boats finished in that order. The afternoon race which was won by Possum, had eight competitors. Simplex again finished second with difficulty and could not get up her speed. In consequence she finished at the tail end of the procession with Errand Boy, baby Bullet, Blanche II, Meteor, Mera and Planet followed Possum home. This also was over a four-and-a-half-mile course. The summaries:

CLASS X - Low-speed boats Course, 4 1/2 nautical miles

CLASS Y - High-speed boats Course, 4 1/2 nautical miles

CLASS Z - All classes Course, 4 1/2 nautical miles

CLASS X Course, 4 1/2 nautical miles

CLASS Y Course, 4 1/2 nautical miles

CLASS Z Course, 13 1/2 nautical miles

Sparrow's time over one round, 4 1/2 nautical miles, was 19:40, and she requested that she be allowed to race in Class Z, handicapped on that time. On one lap of that race she exceeded that time by 9.4 per cent, covering the distance in 17:49. Five per cent excess was sufficient for disqualification. She further disqualified herself by carrying no racing number. Meteor was also protested for carrying no reverse gear, but decision was reserved.

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

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