MARINE MOTORING
MOTOR YACHT CLUB

Marine motor-boat racing was held at Ryde yesterday, under the management of the Motor Yacht Club. Two events took place. Details:--

First race.—Handicap for 12 knots and over; start 11:30 a.m. First prize, cup value £10, presented by Mr. Edgar Thornton; second and third prizes by the club. The handicap was given at the beginning, and three started. Comley gave up early in the race. The handicap worked out well, making a splendid finish, only four seconds dividing the two boats. The times were: --

Miranda III (winner 12:13:4 Lotus (second) 12:13:8

Race for motor-boats of 18 knots and over. Start 12:30 p.m. First prize, cup value £10, presented by Mr. Edgar Thornton; second and third by the club. Eight boats were entered, and four started. Lotus had great difficulty in starting, being 12 min. late. She had bad luck with her engine, and was not timed. Amazon got away 10 sec. Before her gun, but was allowed to continue, deducting the time at the finish. The result was:--

Miranda (winner) 1:57:56 Amazon (second) 1:59:3 Comely (third) 2:2:25

(Transcribed from the Times of London, Aug. 13, 1909, p. 19.)

***

MARINE MOTORING
MOTOR YACHT CLUB

The annual regatta of the Motor Yacht Club opened yesterday in ideal racing weather. The races were started from and finished off the floating club house at Netley, and there was some good sport, although the number of competitors did not come up to expectation.

The race for all comers, which was started at 2:30 p.m. produced four entries—namely Lord Howard de Walden’s Dylan, Gyrinus II and Miranda III, both the property of Mr. T. Thornycroft, and Mr. R. N. Fairbank’s Camilla II. Gyrinus II was scratch, having to allow Miranda III 7min. 33sec. Dylan was not rated, while Camilla II was a non-starter. They were sent three rounds of the Greenlands Shoal, Dean’s lake, North-West Netley Buoy course, and a good race was timed at the finish as follows:--

Miranda III (winner) 3:11:26 Gyrinus II (second) 3:13:32 Dylan (third) 3:15:41

Mr. T. Sopwith’s Marjorie Dawe, Mr. N. S. Hind’s Fawn and Mr. W. J. Fernie’s Comrade were entered for the race for auxiliary cruisers, in which the first round was made under power only, the second round under sail only, and the third round under power and sail. Comrade did not start. The other two were sent off at 11:30 a.m.. Fawn gave up, leaving Marjorie Dawe to sail over. She was stopped at the end of the second rouind, her finishing time being 3hr. 41min. 1sec.

The race for the unrestricted class of racing boats fell through, for neither the Duke of Westminster’s Ursula nor Lord Howard de Walden’s Amazon put in an appearance. The race for the 6 ½ to 8 metres class was by agreement made a handicap, in which Mr. Tom Thornycrift’s Gyrinus II and Miranda III were the only starters. At 4 p.m., they were sent two rounds of the Greenland’s Shoal, Dean’s Lake, and North-West Netley Buoy course. The handicap was given at the start, Miranda III having to allow Gyrinus II 1min. 24sec. It was a close race between the two, the hydroplane, Miranda III, just winning by half a length. The official times were:--

Miranda III (winner) 4:23:52 Gyrinus II (second) 4:23:53

Lorde Hardwicke’s Glisseuse sailed over in the race for the Motor Yacht Club’s hydroplane class.

(Transcribed from the Times of London, Aug. 14, 1909, p. 14.)

***

MARINE MOTORING
MOTOR YACHT CLUB

The annual regatta of the Motor Yacht Club was brought to a close on Saturday, when the second day’s programme was made up of six events, one of which—the race for the MYC hydroplane class—fell through. In all there were over 30 entries, and there was some very interesting racing, the club’s sytem of giving the time allowances at the start leading to one or two close finishes.

The proceedings opened with a handicap for cabin cruisers, for which there were three entries, but as Col. T. Wood’s Maga did not start, the competitors were reduced to Mr. E. H. Clift’s Roy and Mr. T. Sopwith’s Marjorie Dawe. The last-named was in receipt of an allowance of 1h. 13m., and won with a great deal in hand. The course was round the Calshot Lightship, Spit Gas float, Black Jack, and North-west Netley Gas buoys, and the start at 11:30 a.m., the finish being:--

Marjorie Dawe (winner) 1:46:16 Roy (second) 2:15:35

The handicaps for motor-boats not exceeding 15 knots attracted six entries, but Mr. E. J. Caldbeck’s Ogotua did not start. Mr. C. P. Foster’s Mynonie, the limit boat, was sent off at 2:30 p.m. Mr. F. P. Armstrong’s Solace, Mr. T. Sopwith’s Pinnace, and Mr. Gorham’s Shannon Lass at 2h. 41min. 40sec., and Mr. R. N. Fairbank’s Camilla II at 3h. 6m. 40s. Three rounds of the After Barn, Dean’s lake, and North-west Netley Gas buoys course were sailed. The scratch boat proved absolutely unable to give the big allowance she was called on to concede Mynonie, which won by over 6min. The finishing times were:--

Mynonie (winner) 3:51:45 Camilla II (second) 3:58:25 Pinnace (third) 4:3:27

Solace and Shannon Lass gave up

In the over 15-knots class, Lord Howard de Walden’s Dylan was an absentee. Mr. J. M. Gorham’s Quicksilver, which was the limit boat, was started at 3:30. Commander Mansfield Cumming’s Comely at 3:32:3, Mr. T. Thornycroft’s Gyrinus II at 3:34:58, and the same owner’s Miranda III at 3:37:40. The course was three times round the Greenland’s Shoal, Dean’s Lake and North-west Netley Gas buoys. So far as the three placed boats were concerned the handicap worked out well, but the limit boat was badly beaten. The two Thornycroft craft made a great race of it, the hydroplane passing Gyrinus II in the last round, and finishing a winner by the narrow margin of 5sec. The finishing times were:--

Miranda III (winner) 4:12:45 Gyrinus II (second) 4:12:50 Comely (third) 4:14:11 Quicksilver (fourth) 4:19:15

Lord Hardwicke’s Glisseuse and Mr. T. D. Wynn Weston’s Flying Matchbox were entered for the match for the Motor Yacht Club’s hydroplane class. The last-named was badly damaged when on a trial spin on Friday, and was unable to start, so the race was abandoned.

The great event of the day was a handicap for all comers in which the first prize was a cup valued at £30 presented by Mr. M. Grahame White. The club gave three other cash prizes. There were fourteen entries as follows:--

The course was three times round the Greenland’s Shoal, Dean’s Lake, and North-west Netley Gas buoys. Quicksilver, Glisseuse, Gogotua, Dylan and Hova did not go. Miranda III was, of course, scratch, giving time allowances to the others varying up to 74sec. 22min. Solace, Shannon Lass and Pinnace were on the limit mark, being sent off at 5:30 p.m. Roy followed at 5:37:2, Camilla II at 6:2:12, Lotus II at 6:18:8, Comely at 6:32:45, Gyrinus at 6:38:40, and Miranda III 6:44:22. The scratch boat, although traveling splendidly from start to finish, was well overweighted in the handicapping, and could get no nearer than sixth at the finish, which was timed:--

Pinnace broke her rudder and gave up.

(Transcribed from the Times of London, Aug 16, 1909, p. 15)

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

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