Yachting Volume I Part 23

Late in the season--in the series of matches, 'ladies up,' between 'Cosette' and 'Queen Mab'--the Earl got two 'daughters of the sea' to help him, and Miss Harvey steered the 'Queen' for Mr. West.

It really looked as if ladies were about to take an active part in Solent racing; but next year, although races for ladies were specially provided in the programme of the Castle Club, some owners objected, and this form of sport received a somewhat rude and unexpected check from which it has never quite recovered.

Two sailing clubs were started on the Solent in 1889--the Island Sailing Club at West Cowes, and a branch of the Minima Sailing Club at Hamble. The former club arose during the winter of 1888, and Mr.

Barrow, its present hon. secretary, states that it was 'the outcome of much boat-sailing talk in Cowes and in the "Field" ... on the superior charms and advantages of open-boat sailing'; but, 'like many season fas.h.i.+ons, open boating soon found its level, and the I.S.C. has had an uphill fight to get open boats together for racing.'... 'The influence of small raters seems to have been too much for the open craft, and though the club has offered very good prizes and a 20-guinea challenge cup, ... yet the open-boat racing has been so poorly supported that most probably next year' (1893) 'the racing will be entirely confined to small raters, which have given much sport during the past season'

(1892). The first 'Commodore, the late General Baring, taking much interest in the club, bought land adjoining the Customs watch, and built thereon the present small but very convenient club house, with its slipway, &c., where it has since pa.s.sed a ... busy existence, holding in the season its fortnightly races, which have been well supported by 2-1/2-, 1-, and 1/2-raters.'[8]

[Footnote 8: The above was penned at the end of 1892, and applies to that year. In 1893 the programme was enlarged by including races on alternating days for the 5-raters and for handicaps with boats up to 19-rating, not being cla.s.s racers. A few races were given in 1891 to 2-1/8-raters.--[Greek: theta].]

The Minima Sailing Club was established in the same year, 1889:

1st. To encourage the building, improvement, and sailing of small boats, and to promote seamans.h.i.+p and sport amongst amateur boat-sailers.

2nd. To arrange cruises and races both on the coast and inland waters.

3rd. To give to members who may wish to visit a coast, river, or lake which is new to them, facilities for obtaining information as to harbourage, boatmen, housing of boats, carriage of boats, and other local matters.

4th. To form branches or out-stations, and to affiliate local clubs as such, or otherwise.

This club has adopted the motto 'Per Mare per Terram,' very appropriate for an inst.i.tution which encourages the transport of boats by rail.

Commodore Hallowes is an Admiral, and settles disputes admirably. To him and to Mr. Herbert Ridsdale, the hon. secretary for the Solent, the success of the club in these waters is princ.i.p.ally due.

Unfortunately for the Solent, Mr. Ridsdale departed for fresh seas and outlets new in 1892.

A little club-house was erected in 1891 on the Hamble river-bank, opposite Warsash village, and the races now start and finish at this point, everything being done by miniature flags, &c., in strict accord with the Y.R.A. rules--altogether a nice little club, well managed, and possessing an excellent general programme which deserves to succeed.

The Castle Club also jumped ahead with a fair breeze in 1889, and a convenient house was built close to Calshot Castle, permission having been obtained from the Admiralty and War Office after much negotiation.

Ladies are encouraged to join the club. A room is set apart for them, and the near relatives of members can join on specially easy terms.

This, a somewhat novel experiment, has succeeded admirably, and many ladies now attend the races and take a lively interest in the club.

Tea at the club-house has become an afternoon function on race-days.

Intoxicating liquors are not sold, but the housekeeper can generally put a square meal before a hungry mariner. The race officers have a tower-room to themselves. The starting gun--a heavy double-barrelled 4-bore--gives as excellent a report in its way as Mr. Parsons, the courteous correspondent for the 'Field'--sharp, clear, distinct, and never a hang fire or a doubtful meaning.

* * * * *

We now pa.s.s to another year, but adhere to our present subject, because in 1890 the Bembridge Sailing Club first attracted notice by its energy under the diligent direction of its hon. secretary, Mr.

Blair Onslow Cochrane, to whom we are indebted for the following characteristic account, which begins by claiming that--

... The Bembridge Sailing Club was started in 1886 under the name of the Isle of Wight Corinthian Sailing Club, changed in 1890 to the present name in order to avoid confusion with the Isle of Wight Corinthian Yacht Club (Ryde) since defunct.... Many men of moderate means, but fond of boat-racing, thought a club whose leading features were:--

1st. Racing in boats of uniform pattern.

2nd. Racing in boats of small Y.R.A. rating (2 and under) ... would be a success, and in order to keep down expense and to suit the harbour, draught was limited to 3 feet.

The first feature, which consisted of club boats, sloop-rigged, with rolling jibs and mainsails so as to reef easily, has been very popular; races in this cla.s.s, both single-handed and otherwise, taking place almost daily. The subscription to these boats being only 1_l._, a member is enabled to have a summer's racing and cruising for this small sum, and can, if he be a fair hand in a boat, win good prizes. The boats are as nearly as possible equal, and, lots being drawn for them before racing, the best man wins as a rule. These boats are moored just under the club-house, and amusing incidents frequently occur.

A well-known man from the Emerald Isle, who is a keen and successful yacht-sailer, was the cause of a hearty laugh.

Getting into a club boat, he set the mainsail, and, after letting go the moorings, he jumped aft to the helm, but unfortunately for him the hook of the mooring chain caught in the bobstay and held the boat fast. Advice was freely showered upon him from the club-house. 'Haul your port jib sheet aft.' 'Push the boom over.' 'Roll up the jib.' 'Steady your helm.' 'Get your hair cut,' &c., &c., amid roars of laughter; but it was a good ten minutes before he found out what was wrong, the boat sheering wildly all the time!

Races are also held in which each helmsman has to set sail, pick up moorings, &c. &c.

The cla.s.ses under Y.R.A., 1-raters and 1/2-raters, also afford great sport, but resulted in the development of a very expensive type of boat, the natural consequence of the ascendency of the 'almighty dollar'; but these boats are exceedingly capable and safe. In 1891 the racing was only stopped one day on account of weather, and that summer was peculiarly stormy.

These small yachts afford an admirable school ... which will do more for the real sport of yacht-racing than anything else. A man who can sail a 1- or a 1/2-rater will never be out of place in a larger s.h.i.+p, or become a mere pa.s.senger, for he won't race a small boat unless he loves the sport.

At Bembridge the club has a slipway and cradle, and members can haul up their boats at any time, either for repairs or drying, at no cost. This is a great boon to a small boat-owner.

There are generally about forty races each season, of from 5 to 10 knot course. The starting is by semaph.o.r.e, and recalls are effected by blowing a fog-horn to attract attention and then exposing the boat's racing flag painted on zinc ...

thus doing away with cards and enabling post entries.

The harbour, capable of much improvement, is in the hands of a ... company....

There are two good boat-builders, a good sail-maker, and a s.h.i.+p-chandler.

Tides run very slack, and the railway station, telegraph office, steamboat pier, and first-cla.s.s hotel are all within fifty yards.

Cla.s.ses for 2-1/2-raters and deep draught 1-raters have now (1892) been started, and will race outside....

Further details concerning this excellent and flouris.h.i.+ng Club will be found in table on p. 286.

CLa.s.s RACING, 1890

may be described in the words fives and two-point fives. 'Dis' and 'Decima' were sold and went away, the 10-R. cla.s.s collapsed, and the ones and halves were only talked about, not built. The 5-rating cla.s.s was thoroughly started this year, and a boat which devoured the cakes for two seasons was launched in the 2-1/2-rating cla.s.s.

_Racing Records, 1890._

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Prizes | Figure | | 1890 | Starts |-------+-------+-------| of | | | | First | Other | Total | merit | |-------------------------+--------+-------+-------+-------+--------| | _5-Rating Cla.s.s_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Glycera | 43 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 37 | |Alwida | 40 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 29 | |Archee | 14 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 20 | |Valentine | 26 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 15 | |Quinque | 39 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 4 | |Fair Geraldine | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | |_2-1/2-Rating Cla.s.s_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | |The Babe | 27 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 44 | |Humming Bird | 33 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 29 | |Dolphin | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 21 | |c.o.c.k-a-Whoop | 33 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 10 | |Thala.s.sa | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |Mliss | 34 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 5 | |Troublesome | 22 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Lord Dunraven became Commodore of the Castle Club in the spring. He was already an avowed champion for and a generous supporter of small yacht racing, and during the winter--to be precise, on November 23, 1889--he wrote an epoch-marking letter to the 'Field' which produced good fruit. In it he said:--

May I add a word about the small cla.s.ses on the Solent? Your remarks in your issue of the 9th inst. were, I think, rather unfair upon the 5's. Roughly speaking, I suppose the cost of a 20 is about three-fifths more than the cost of a 10; a 10 costs nearly two-thirds more than a 5, and a 5 would come to about double the expense of a 2-1/2. The proportional initial expense diminishes according to size; but the converse is the case in respect of working expenses.

The crew of a 2-1/2 can sail a 5, but double the crew of a 5 will be found in a 10, and a 20 will require another couple of hands and a pilot in addition to the crew of a 10.

The 5's and 20's appear to be the cheapest cla.s.ses. Nothing can be more delightful than a 2-1/2. It is the perfection of racing of its kind; but the absence of any accommodation below is a serious drawback under certain circ.u.mstances, especially to persons living at a distance.

In a 5 you can change clothes, boil a kettle, and, on a pinch, sleep.

_The 5-Raters, 1890._

Lord Dunraven's boat 'Alwida' and Mr. P. Perceval's boat 'Glycera'

were designed by Payne and built at Southampton; Col. Bucknill's 'Quinque' was designed by her owner and built at Hamble in a very substantial manner by Luke & Co.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Quinque,' 5-rater.

(Lt.-Col. Bucknill, R.E.).]