1908 APBA Gold Cup
Chippewa Bay, Alexandria Bay NY, August 20, 1908

Famous Dixie II Beats the Chip III Motorboat Dixie Again Leads the Way Dixie II Captures Gold Challenge Cup The Gold Challenge Cup Races Dixie II Wins the Gold Challenge Cup Gold Challenge Cup Races Dixie II Wins the Gold Challenge Cup at Chippewa Bay

Four straight wins is the record of the Chippewa Bay Y.C, in the Gold Challenge Cup races of the American Power Boat Association, and as usual the contest was a one-sided affair; but for the first time in those same four years the shoe, literally, was on the other foot. No set of men, perhaps, in the world have gone into the defense of a power-boat trophy as thoroughly and as well equipped for the task as the Chippewa Bay Y.C.; to beat this combination at their own game is a success of which Mr. Schroeder and the designers and builders of his boat and engine may well be proud.

The race this year, by special arrangement, was of the "free-for-all" kind, instead of under the handicap rule of the Association, with practically the same conditions as the race for the British International Trophy, and most of the boats entered were built to conform to these requirements. Eight boats in all were entered and the fleet undoubtedly was the best assortment of high-speed craft raced in one class in this country. Dixie II and U.S.A. are known from their previous races; Chip III, the defending boat, was especially built from designs of H. J. Leighton, who also designed and built her two six-cylinder, two- stroke engines of 200 h.p.; Pawnee and Stranger are both equipped with 75-h.p. Simplex engines; Pirate, a last year's boat, has 150-h.p. Trebert; Duquesne has a 200-h.p. Jencick and Jan has 100-h.p. Haynes engine.

Up to date the Gold Challenge Cup has been won by Standard, representing the Columbia Y.C.; and by Vingt-et-Un, Chip, and Chip II twice representing the Chippewa Bay Y.C.; and as commonly known, may be challenged for by any club enrolled in the American Power Boat Association and any yacht club of good standing in any other country.

Eliminating the possibility of accident, always so prominent in this game, the initiated knew the answer one minute after the starting gun was fired, and the contesting fleet automatically divided itself into three distinct sections--Dixie II, alone in her class; Chip III a most wonderful craft if Dixie II had not been around, and the balance of the crowd somewhere in the rear. Licked from the start, the defender put up one of the most stubborn contests imaginable, and although actually play with by Dixie she was dangerous to the last second, and after the final race went home growling savagely, looking for all the world like some powerful brute mechanism capable of crushing her opponents, could she but get at them. A most spectacular outfit is Chip III, her appearance underway being well nigh beyond description.

Early in the series she was dubbed "the organ," which is an apt nickname, as her portrait will prove. She appeared to go very much faster than Dixie--when Dixie wasn't around; and the noise--well, one couldn't hear the balance of the fleet or anything else when she went by with her pipe organ thundering out "Old Hundred"; but as one sad-faced young man remarked, she only got up to "ninety."

The races this year took place over the same well-known Chippewa Bay Y.C. course, with the exception that the start and finish of the races took off a public property instead of a private Summer home, where everybody without an invitation felt unhappy--the start being simply shifted back about three-quarters of a mile, which brought the judges' float off the State Park on Cedar Island and allowed everybody interested to get a fine view. The visiting fleet being one of the largest, if not the largest, ever gotten together for a similar event on the river.

The races for the trophy are held on the point system, and on three consecutive days, one point being awarded for entering and one point for each boat defeated, with the provision that a boat dropping out is considered as defeated on the following days.

The line-up on the first day showed eight fine high-speed craft, the favorite, naturally, being Chip III, which was accredited with marvelous speed by the local experts; but those who had seen Dixie II run and had noticed the easy manner in which she negotiated speeds heretofore considered little short of marvelous, felt that if Chip III did prove the faster the contest would eclipse the British International Trophy Race.

The races were scheduled to start at 3 p.m. on August 20th and promptly on time all the eight entries appeared prepared to start. At the gun all hands dashed over the line practically together and almost instantly Dixie took charge, with Chip second, and the balance nowhere. Shortly after the start a rain-squall did much to calm the excited spectators and drench the race officials. Just about as the rain ceased a cry went up from the lower end of the spectators' fleet and then Dixie came into view, going apparently quite slowly with Chip roaring after her in fine style. As soon as the defender had rounded the last buoy on the first led and was straightened out for the judges' mark Dixie opened up and the way she ran away from Chip III must have been painful in the extreme to her supporters and admirers.

On this round, which practically decided the merits of the different boats, Dixie II beat Chip III just 45 seconds. The balance of the fleet came in minutes behind, having a good race but quite outclassed by the leaders. The second and final round was a repetition of the first. Dixie simply romped home a winner by 19 seconds, having completed the course of 30 statute miles in 1h. 1m. 37s.

The weather on the second day proved to be a bit rambunctious at three o'clock, the time scheduled to start, and the commit- tee postponed the race until 4 p.m. at which time the sea had moderated somewhat but was still very lumpy. Promptly on time they were sent off for a beautiful start, the whole bunch, with the exception of U.S.A. being nearly abreast of one another. Dixie was behind Chip but passed her within 100 yards and ran down the course followed by the bunch. On the first round the leaders were only 8 seconds apart and on the final round but 6 seconds separated them, but the difference in time amounted to nothing as a comparison of speed, as the crew of Dixie had been instructed to stay just a short distance ahead.

The third and last day turned out to be a raw, chilly day, with a fresh breeze and brisk sea, necessitating the postponement of the race until 5 p.m.; and in this race occurred the most exciting incident of the meet. Duquesne and U.S.A. having been withdrawn, only six boats appeared at the line. Shortly after the preparatory dun Dixie stopped while maneuvering about, but was gotten going in time to make a fairly good start. A couple of hundred yards down the course and when in a tight position between two of the contestants, her clutch slipped and her engine, which was practically wide open, roared like an angry Gatling gun. The excitement was great, for here lay the World's Champion, unable to move, while the fleet sailed away down the course with Chip for the first time well in the lead. Pandemonium reigned and even casual observers, unfamiliar with and scantily interested in the race or sport in general, yelled and screamed advice, suggestions and well-wishes to the crew as they frantically endeavored to get in the clutch. Slowly the seconds went by, then a minute, two minutes, and then after muttering a few preliminary grunts, she hit up the usual buzz and away she tore after the flying Chip, now almost out of sight.

It was afterward learned that Chip was overtaken and passed well before she got to the first turn, six and one-half miles from the start. At this point Dixie resumed her position in the lead and finished the first round of 15 miles, 23½ seconds ahead of Chip, in 29m. 23s., after lying 2m. 5s. with clutch trouble and having been slowed down after passing Chip. The final round was run within a half second of the same time, and the mug was lost.

In the race Dixie II represented the Thousand Islands Y.C., the representative club of the river, which organization has been one of the finest locations for a club of this sort in the world, being situated on an island off Alexandria Bay, in the heart of the Thousand Islands, and whose youthful commodore is never too tired or busy to come over from his island and say "Hello!" to the visiting yachtsman.

The races next year will be held over a course laid out in the vicinity of Alexandria Bay, in a district very much more conveniently located than the course of the Chippewa Bay Y.C., which, while perfect, as a course, is more or less inaccessible.

In closing, a word about the results of this race. Not a fight nor protest, nor anything of an exciting though regrettable nature--why? Because all hands met and raced on an equal basis, and the fastest boat won. Races emblematic of the Championship should e boat-for-boat races--no rule is good enough.

Gold Challenge Cup Races Of The American Power Boat Association, Held Under The Auspices Of The Chippewa Bay Yacht Club, August 20, 21, 22, 1908

(Transcribed from The Rudder, September, 1908, pp.156-161.)

*** *** ***

Probably the fastest craft in existence driven by internal combustion engines of the two-stroke type is Chip III, the 40-

footer built this spring to defend the Gold Challenge Cup of the American Power Boat Assn. Coming out the same season as the wonderful Dixie II, she has been more or less blanketed by the performances of her speedy rival, and although no match for Dixie, she is an extremely fast craft.

The two engines are a combination of the two and three port systems of 6-in. base and 5-in. stroke, driving twin screws having reversible blades at a maximum speed of 1,100 r.p.m. The engines, complete, each weigh 900 lbs.

Each cylinder is equipped with its own carbureter, and while each engine is equipped with an exhaust manifold, this piece was not used during the cup race, each cylinder having an individual stack some six feet high, giving the craft a most unique appearance. Finishing second each day to Dixie, with the balance of the fleet far behind, Chip earned the admiration of all by her game performance

Though thoroughly aware of the fact that nothing short of a complete breakdown could change the final result of the series, after Dixie had completed the first round on the opening day, Leighton and his men stuck to the task gamely and each day put up a most spectacular race which will long be remembered by those fortunate enough to have witnessed the series.

(Transcribed from The Rudder, December, 1908, p. 328.)

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

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