1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Regatta
Lake Washington, Seattle, WA, July 3-10, 1909

A.-Y.-P. Exposition Speed Boat Regatta Fast Speed-boats Will Start on the Lake Tomorrow Motor-boats to Speed Up Today Wolff II Fast in Speed-boat Race Captain Spencer Talks About Wonderful Run of Wolff II Wolff II and Pacer Win Races Wolff II Again Defeats Pacer Portland Motor Boat is Sure-Enough Flyer Thirty-Two-Foot Class Motor Boats Race Today Wolff II Wins in Final Heat Wolff II of Portland Again Defeats Pacer Endurance Motor Boat Race Today Fast Motor Boat Breaks Propeller Pacer Breaks Propeller and has to Quit Race Exposition Races at Seattle Regatta of the Northwestern International Yacht Racing Association on Puget Sound Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Speed Boat Regatta

Seattle, Wash.—The Exposition races on Lake Washington, under the auspices of the Seattle Motor Boat Club, proved successful beyond anticipation, in point of speed, close finishes, etc. On the first day, July 3, the first event was the free-for-all for boats of twelve meters and under, and there were four starters, as follows: Wolff II, owned by E. W. Spencer and J. E. Wolff, a 40x5-foot boat, with 110-hp Smalley engine; Pacer, owned by Robert F. Cox, of Portland, a 32-footer, with a 120-hp Leighton engine; Seattle Spirit, of Settle, owned by Charles Binkley and Emerson Reed, and fitted with a 100-hp Scripps engine; Lawana, owned by J. F. Brown, of New York; her engine is a 40-hp Roberts. The distance was thirty miles, and the first boat to finish was Wolff II, in the remarkably good time of 56 minutes 25 1-5 seconds, or at the rate of about 32 miles an hour. Pacer finished second, and Lawana third. The twenty-mile event for ten-meter craft was won by Pacer, time 42 minutes 4 4-5 seconds, with Lawana less than a minute behind. Seattle Spirit was third, and Aries did not finish. The twenty-mile race for boats 26 feet and under brought out only one starter, Lady Jane Grey, who went over the course in 1 hour, 15 minutes, 46 1-5 seconds. In the ten-mile event for 22-foot boats, Pokey, the only starter, covered the distance in 39 minutes 42 2-5 seconds. Ayacanora won the ten-mile race for boats 18 feet or under in 51 minutes, 55 1-5 seconds, having no competitors.

The second day’s racing, July 6, was also interesting, although the times were not as good as on the Saturday previous, due largely to a choppy sea and heavy wind. The first race, the thirty-mile, was again won by Wolff II in 1 hour, 1 minute, 7 4-5 seconds, beating Pacer by 4 minutes 37 2-5 seconds. Pacer again won the twenty-mile race for ten-meter boats in 58 minutes, 13 1-5 seconds. Seattle Spirit started in this race but did not finish.

(Transcribed from MotorBoat, July 25, 1909, p. 36.)

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

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