1910 Decoration Day Races
Motor Boats to Race
Everything is in readiness for the motorboat races this afternoon under the auspices of the Portland Motorboat Club at the Oaks, for the five trophy cups donated by John F. Cordray, manager of the park.
The races will begin at 1 o’clock from the Oaks, and the course lies up the river to near Oswego and return, a distance of about eight miles for two of the races and a four-mile race in the three other events.
In the class A, which is a free-for-all event, the boats entered will undoubtedly have a keen contest. The Happy Heinie and the Wolff II, between which there is much rivalry, are capable of a speed of over 30 miles an hour, and the owner of each is anxious to win the largest of the Oaks cups, which is the trophy for this event.
In the cruiser race, the Mountain Maid, owned by Ray King, and the Kitty II will contest.
In the 28-foot class, there is much rivalry between the Red Arrow and the Happy Heinie and these two craft are looking forward to putting up a great struggle.
C. Rober, C. W. Boost and James Mackie will be judges at the finish; Dr. Ferdinand Dammasch, official starter; L. M. Myers, official timer. Mr. Myers will have a corps of assistants.
The regatta committee is composed of J. Mathiot, J. Scareth, J. F. Kable, L. M. Myers and George Kinnear. E. Ryan will be inspector of turns. The committee requests that all boats not competing keep off the course. Any boat entered in the race and not reporting for its number a half hour before the races start will not be allowed to enter. The entries are:
(Transcribed from the Morning Oregonian, May 30, 1910, p. 16)
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Power Boats Race
With nearly a score of motor craft competing, the first races under the auspices of the Portland Motor-Boat Club this season, held yesterday afternoon at the Oaks, proved a real success in every way.
The progress of the various events was watched by an enormous crowd from the Oaks park and by scores of people from the banks of the river. The river near the start and finish of the races was crowded with water craft from the large river steamers to the tiny canoes so great was the interest that a number of the smaller craft got on the course and impeded the starting of several events.
The races were run over a two-mile course, giving the spectators an excellent opportunity to view the boats a number of times in each race. The turning point was directly in front of the Oaks. The turns made by the fast Happy Heinie and Wolff II while under full speed proved a spectacular feature.
Wolff II Wins Fastest Race
The fastest race of the day’s entertainment was the class A free-for-all event in which only Johnny Wolff’s Wolff II and Otto Ranft’s Happy Heinie were entered. This race was over four laps of the course. The Happy Heinie was no match for the Wolff on the straight-away, but on the turns the smaller craft gained materially on the white flyer. The Wolff nosed the Heinie out in the last lap by a burst of speed in the last quarter mile.
The class g scratch race for the cruiser type of motor boat was a contest for blood between the Kittie II, owned by Joe Michaels, and Ray King’s Lollipop and Mountain Maid. The race between the Mountain Maid and Kittie II was the closest of the day, the Kittie beating the Mountain Maid by the narrow margin of a few feet. On the first lap of this race, which was a two-lap contest, the Mountain Maid and the Kittie ran about even, but on the turn at the Oaks the Kittie gained a few feet on Ray King’s boat. She gained still more on the last turn and held that lead until the finish.
Augusta Wins Handicap
In the third race the Augusta, Potato Bug, Red Arrow and the Happy Heinie contested. This was a handicap race. The Augusta started first with a large handicap, followed by the Red Arrow, the Potato Bug and the Happy Heinie in order. The race was over a two-lap course. The Augusta won with the Potato Bug second and the Happy Heinie third while the Red Arrow pulled in fourth. The Potato Bug beat the Happy Heinie in this race by a close margin.
The first race of the day was the event for craft of 28 feet and under. Three boats were entered but only two, the Happy Heinie and the Red Arrow, competed. The Happy Heinie won easily.
The races were for handsome silver trophy cups donated by John F. Cordray, manager of the Oaks. The next races of the Portland Motor-Boat Club will probably be held on July 4.
(Transcribed from the Morning Oregonian, May 31, 1910, p. 17.
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Races at Portland on Decoration Day
By Spark Plug
Portland motor boat enthusiasts and friends enjoyed one of the best bits of racing ever on the river Decoration Day, when the fleet gathered at the Oaks and raced for the cups given by John Cordray, manager of the Oaks. The crowd was big and the excitement warm as some of the fast and also slow ones, went in to win.
In the races there were a fine number of entries, but some of the boats failed to appear. Those that were afloat and present lost no time but kept the interest up. The following are those who entered.
The crowd which gathered along the shore and at points of vantage for viewing the race, numbered into the thousands, while the river was crowded with a fleet of launches and craft of every description. In this respect there was too much of a crowd and on several occasions the course was blocked by the small boats.
The course made a distance of two miles, with a turning point directly in front of The Oaks, this gave a fine view of the main turn and showed Wolff II off to great advantage when she came about on the return stretch.
The interesting event of the race was between Happy Heinie and Wolff II. Happy was not a match for Wolff by any means, but did make things interesting on the turns where her length and maneouvering possibilities allowed her to make quick turns. This was a four-lap race. On the last turn Wolff passed the Heinie wide open and just showed what the racer could do.
Kittie II, Skipper Joseph Michaels, and Mountain Maid was a close race and the Kitty beat by only a short distance.
In the meet between Augusta, Potato Bug, Red Arrow and Happy Heinie, Augusta won out on her handicap with Potato Bug a second.
Following are those who had the races in charge: C. W. Boost, Jas. Mackie and C. Rober, Judges. Official starter, Dr. Ferdinand Dammasch; official timer, L. M. Meyers.
The regatta committee—J. Scareth, J. F. Kable, L. M. Meyers, J. Mathiot and Geo. Kinnear.
(Transcribed from The Western Yacht and Launchman, June 15, 1910, pp. 2, 3.)
[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page --LF]
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