Motor Yacht Club

Beautiful weather favoured The Motor Yacht Club's first day of their Whitsuntide regatta on Saturday. The results of the various events were as follows:--

First race, 6 1/2 to 8 metre class, Gyrinus VI, (Captain Field Richards and Mr. Bernard Redwood) walked over.

Second race, a handicap for motor-boats under 15 knots. Handicap at start. Terra Nova (Captain Burke Davis), started 3 15 p.m., finished 3hrs. 6min. 50sec., first; Kip (Mr. E. R. Webb), started 3hrs. 28min. 16sec., finished 4hrs. 10min. 30sec., second; Ogotna (Mr. E. J. Caldbeck), started 3hrs. 16min. 40sec., finished 4hrs. 17min. 18sec.; Solace (Mr. F. P. Armstrong) and Hova (Baron von Erstig) did not start.

Third race, a handicap for motor-boats over 15 knots. Handicap at start. The times of finishing were:-- Squirt III (Mr. A. WE. Nicholson) 4hrs. 14min. 45sec., first; Gyrinus II (Capt. Field Richards and Mr. B. Redwood) 4hrs. 16min. 16sec., second; Lotus (Mr. H. W. Hutchinson) 4hrs. 16min. 16 2-5sec., third; Euphrates (Mr. T. Lupwith) gave up.

***

British Motor Boat Club

Beautiful weather favoured the British Motor Boat Club's programme at Lowescroft on Saturday, when three races were decided. The sea was quite smooth.

A feature of the day's programme was a race for hydroplanes of the British Motor Boat 4in. class. This, the first race of its kind in England brought out a couple of these boats--namely, Mr. Mawdsley Brooke's Baby Hydro and Dollydo II, owned by Messsers. J. J. Dawson Paul, jun., and G. E. Fiske. They were sent two rounds of just over five sea miles. Both had two-cylinder engines, but Baby Hydro had greater power than her rival and finished the first round 5min. 3sec. ahead. The pace was all but kept up in the second round in spite of the strengthening ebb tide. Baby Hydro took the winning gun at 4hrs. 55min. 24sec., the other being timed at 5hrs. 6min. 51sec. Mr. Selwyn Humphery, who steered Baby Hydro, thus had the distinction of winning the first hydroplane race in England.

A race for boats exceeding 12 knots under M.M.A. rating and time score, brought out Secret (Mr. L. M. Waterhouse), 26-h.p., Defender II (Mr. F. May), 7-h.p., and Tyreless (Mr. F. Gordon Pratt), 40-h.p. Tyreless was scratch; Secret was allowed 8min. 10sec.; and Defender II 24min. 46sec. The course marked out was compassed five times for 13 sea miles. The finish was:--

Defender II thus took the first prize on time allowance. The speed of Tyreless worked out at 18.4 knots, of Secret 15.9 knots, and of Defender II 13 knots.

A sweepstake for boats not exceeding 12 knots was contested for by Mr. W. H. Smith's Gispy Girl, a 6-h.p. boat, and Mr. Mawdsley Brooke's Babs of 4-h.p.. The three rounds of the course gave just under eight miles. Gipsy Girl finished at 4hrs. 16min. 10sec., with Babs coming in at 4hrs. 20min. 41sec.. Babs received 5min. 15sec. start, and was the winner on time allowance. The starting and timing were carried out from the south pier.

(Transcribed from the Times of London, May 31, 1909, p. 13. )

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MARINE MOTORING

British Motor Boat Club

The races in the British Motor Boat Club's Whitsuntide programme were continued at Lowescroft yesterday. The weather was again delightfully fine, but, owing to a fresh wind there was a nasty choppy sea, and as a result the race for boats exceeding 12 knots saw only three starters:--Secret (Mr. L. M. Waterhouse), 26-h.p.; Tyreless (Mr. Gordon Pratt), 40-h.p.; and Mayfly (Mr. J. E. Dewhurst), 16-h.p. The course was three times round for seven to eight sea miles. The first prize was a cup presented by the Commodore of the R.N.S.Y.C., and the second prize was £2.

The starting gun was at 11:45 and Secret crossed first. Mayfly was next, 18sec. after. Tyreless did not cross till 34sec. after the signal. This delay, as it turned out, lost her the race. In the third round Mayfly gave up, the final times of the others being:--

Tyreless 12 11 1 | Secret 12 14 56

Tyreless was allowed 1min. 30sec. and Secret 1min. 48sec. Secret thus took first prize on time allowance.

In the afternoon, owing to wind and sea conditions, two races were brought off in the inner harbour, the course being from inside the piers to above Carolton Swing Bridge and back, twice for eight miles. The best of the two races was for a handicap for motor-boats not exceeding 12 knots and was won on time allowance by Mr. Mawdsley Brooke's Babs, with Mr. Dewhurst's Mayfly second, and Mr. S. Walton's Petrel third.

In the four-inch or hydroplane class Dollydo II (Messers. Dawson Paul and Fiske) won from Mr. M. Brooke's Baby Hydro, which travelled comparatively slowly, owing to engine trouble.

(Transcribed from the Times of London, June 1, 1909, p. 12, 13.)

***

MARINE MOTORING

British Motor-Boat Club

The final day's races in the British Motor-Boat Club's Whitsuntide programme were brought off at Oulton Broad yesterday in fine weather.

The event for boats over 12 knots brought out Secret (Mr. L. M. Waterhouse), 26 h.p.; Defender II (Mr. F. May), 7 h.p.; and Tyreless (Mr. F. Gordon Pratt), 40 h.p. Defender got off first, when the gun fired at 2 o'clock, but failed shortly after owing to the failure of a sparking plug and was towed in. Secret was followed by Tyreless, which travelled well, but could not save her handicap of 4min. 5sec., the corrected times of the finish being:--

Secret 2 19 16 | Tyreless 2 21 4

Secret took the Brooke Challenge trophy and silver medal. The course was one of six rounds for six and a half sea miles.

In the race for hydroplanes Dollydo II (Messrs. Dawson Paul jun., and G. Fiske) and Baby Hydro again tried conclusions. Dollydo was in trouble soon after the start and this lost her the race, Baby Hydro taking the club's silver cup.

Defender, Tyreless and Secret came out to contest for the Oulton Regatta Cup. The handicap was taken off at the start, which was as follows:--Defender, 4 hours 5min.; Secret, 4 hours 10min. 40sec.; and Tyreless 4 hours 14min. 14sec. It was a good race between Mr. May and Mr. Waterhouse, which the former won, the finishing times being:-

Defender 4 32 45 | Tyreless 4 35 49

Secret 4 33 59

A handicap sweepstake for motor-boats, not exceeding 12 knots, was won on time allowance by Mr. J. E. Dewhurst's Mayfly with Dr. Gordon Smart's Nancy second and Mr. S. Walton's Petrel third.

(Transcribed from the Times of London, June 2, 1909, p. 18 )

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

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