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


Fast Speed-Boats Will Start in Races on the Lake Tomorrow

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

Arrangements were made yesterday for the first race for speed boats on Lake Washington of the series that will start tomorrow and continue until July 10. The first race will be the ten-meter world’s championship contest, in which some of the fastest motor boats in the country will enter. It will start at 2:30 o’clock tomorrow, from the exposition pier in Union bay. The course is ten miles in length. From the pier the boats go to Madison park, thence down to Leschi park, thence across to medina, on the east shore, and thence to the start. The race is thirty miles in length, and the boats must complete three laps.

The officials named are: Judges, E. Forrst Mitchell, of Sacramento; Stuart Laughlin, of Los Angeles; Charles W. Saunders, of Seattle; Maj. William M. Inglis, Seattle, and M. Robert Guggenheim, Seattle; referee, C. E. Plimpton, Seattle; clerk of course, H. Cole Estep, Seattle; timers, Mark Odell, Marc Buanell, and F. M. Foulser, Seattle; starter, C. H. Jones, Seattle.

It is also possible that the world’s championship twelve-meter race will be held tomorrow.

Wolf II, the speed boat which will represent Portland in the races on Lake Washington, arrived at Madison park yesterday afternoon, moving under her own power. She is now tied up at Paul W. Howard’s ship yard just north of the Eagle boat house, and will be touched up today as final to the clash with the other fast ones.

The Wolff was built by Portland’s most famous boat racing man, Capt. Wolff, who was in charge of the engine when the white phantom suddenly loomed up off the park yesterday, and after making a fast run slowed down in front of the houseboat row. Not ten minutes before the arrival of the Wolff, the Pacer, owned by Louis Roesch, was out on a trial trip.

The Wolff is 39 feet 9 inches long, and gets her power from a six-cylinder Smalley engine. She was brought to Seattle on a freight car, taken to Lakeside, put in the water, and when Capt. Wolff and Capt. Spencer got everything in working order, she came gliding along to Madison park. If she does not develop high speed in the big race, her action yesterday gave a false impression.

(Transcribed from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 2, 1909, p. 10.)

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


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