Yachting Volume Ii Part 15

[Footnote 19: _Star_, August 15, 1797.]

The year 1800 was again kept as a septennial one, or, as the papers prefer to call it, a 'Jubilee,' and there is in existence a print of the 'c.u.mberland,' Captain Byrne, winning the cup. Mr. E. Smith, owner of the 'Atalanta,' which won the Vauxhall Cup in 1801, presented the same year a cup to be raced for, and it was won by the 'Mercury,'

Captain Astley. Another septennial (or Jubilee) cup was given by the proprietors of Vauxhall Gardens in 1807, and this fell to the 'Bellissima,' owned by Captain Farebrother. This year the contractors for the State Lottery gave a cup to be raced for on the Thames, and all the boats entered for it belonged to the c.u.mberland Fleet. A new public Garden was started in 1809, called the Minor Vauxhall, and Mr.

Sheppard, its proprietor, gave a silver cup to be sailed for on the river. The first two attempts failed to come off, but at the third and final one the 'St. George,' Captain Gunston, won the prize. The last cup given by the proprietors of Vauxhall Gardens, in 1810, was won by the 'St. George,' and the same year Mr. Sheppard (who had changed the name of his Gardens to 'The New Ranelagh') again gave a cup, which was won by the 'Sally,' belonging to Captain Hammond. The proprietor of the New Ranelagh Gardens also gave cups in the years 1811 and 1812, and although the club is not mentioned in connection with them, none but vessels belonging to the c.u.mberland Fleet were entered. On July 16, 1812, the club gave two cups, by subscription, to be raced for from Blackwall to Gravesend and back, which were won respectively by the 'Mercury' and the 'Vixen.' As the years roll on the newspapers get rather confused about the sailing matches, and the name of the old club very rarely occurs, although we have seen an account book where the subscription of one guinea is mentioned as having been paid to the secretary of the c.u.mberland Fleet, in the year 1818.

The years 1814, 1821, and 1822 have no sailing matches recorded against them, but these, with 1783 to 1785, are the only ones in which we have failed to find a race of some sort or other. After Commodore Taylor's retirement it is believed that Mr. Edward Nettlefold was elected in his place, but there is, great confusion on the subject, for in 1817 he is called commodore of the 'London Yacht Club,' which in another number of the same paper is called the 'New c.u.mberland Fleet.' Most probably there had been some dissensions among the members of the club, but whatever had happened, there is no getting over the fact that in the year 1823 the c.u.mberland Fleet had a below-bridge race, and that it was under the direction of Commodore Edward Nettlefold.

The year 1823 is a most important one in the history of the club. On July 17 there was a race for a silver cup in honour of the King's coronation,[20] and the newspapers[21] go on to say:--

The 'Favourite' steam packet, soon after ten o'clock, came down from the Tower. This boat was elegantly decorated, and was crowded with ladies. The gentlemen of the 'Old c.u.mberland Fleet' were on board, under the direction of their respected Commodore, Edward Nettlefold, Esquire, under whose direction the match took place.

[Footnote 20: George IV.]

[Footnote 21: _Morning Advertiser_, July 18, 1823; _Sporting Magazine_, July, 1823; _Morning Chronicle_, July 19, 1823; _Globe_, July 18, 1823; _Public Ledger_, July 19, 1823.]

The cup was won by the 'Venus,' belonging to Captain George Keen. In the 'Public Ledger' of July 17, 1823, is the following advertis.e.m.e.nt:--

_HIS MAJESTY'S CORONATION_

The Subscribers and Members of the Old c.u.mberland Fleet will dine together at the s.h.i.+p Tavern, Water Lane, Tower Street, this day at four o'clock precisely to celebrate the coronation of His Most Gracious Majesty King George IV.; when the superb silver cup, sailed for in honour of that event, on Thursday last, from Blackwall to Coal House Point, below Gravesend and back, by gentlemen's pleasure vessels, will be presented to Captain George Keen, the winner of the prize; and to arrange the articles for the sailing match to take place on Wednesday afternoon, the 30th instant, and to start at three o'clock from Blackfriars Bridge, and sail to Putney and back to c.u.mberland Gardens, under the especial patronage of the proprietors of the Royal Gardens, Vauxhall.'

At this dinner the club must have decided to change their name, as appears from the following extract from a Vauxhall programme of July 30, 1823, announcing the match 'given by His Majesty's Coronation Sailing Society, entered into for celebrating annually the Coronation, and formed by new subscribers and members of the old c.u.mberland Fleet'; the last three words being printed right across the page in large type. They also changed their flag, adopting a white one with a crown in the upper corner next the staff, with the letters 'G.R. IV.'

underneath, and the words 'Coronation Fleet' in the fly. This flag had a crimson border all round, with lettering of the same colour.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Officers' badge, R.T.Y.C.]

This match of July 30, 1823, is a very important one, as, owing to a dispute over the prize, the present Royal Thames Yacht Club was formed. The facts are as follows:--In the race the 'St. George,'

Captain Brocklebank, came in first, and the 'Spitfire,' Captain Bettsworth, was the second boat. Captain Bettsworth, however, protested against the 'St. George' being given the prize, for the following reasons:--'That the "St. George" during the match was steered by two persons, which was contrary to the sailing articles signed by all the compet.i.tors previously to starting. The articles alluded to state that "the vessels must be sailed by their respective owners, or by any person they may think proper to appoint." The appellant states the breach of articles to have been committed between Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridges.'[22] On August 6 the Club met to consider the question at the s.h.i.+p Tavern, Water Lane; and after Capt.

Bettsworth had produced witnesses and the matter had been argued out, it was determined by ballot, and by a majority of one, that the race should be re-sailed on Monday, August 11. On August 7, however, a protest was sent to the commodore, signed by seven members of the club (none of whom, by the way, had a boat in the match), asking him to call another meeting of the society, to either confirm or rescind the vote on August 6, and mentioning the fact that Captain Brocklebank had not been present at the ballot. On August 8 another meeting was held, at the s.h.i.+p Tavern, of the captains and owners of the pleasure boats that had been in the race of July 30; they resolved to send in a protest to Commodore Nettlefold, in which they stated 'that if such resolution be rescinded, we have unanimously determined never to enter any of our boats for any cup to be given on any future occasion by the "Coronation" Fleet,' as they considered the merits of the question had been fully and fairly discussed. This protest was signed by eight of the captains who sailed in the match. On August 9 a further meeting of the club was held, and the resolution of the 6th instant rescinded, in spite of the protest, the cup being handed over to Captain Brocklebank as the victor. On this decision the captains held another conference (probably on the evening of August 9), decided to form a new club, and to call a special meeting on the question. On August 14, 1823, at the White Horse Tavern, Friday Street, it was decided to form such new club, and to call it the 'Thames Yacht Club.' Most of the old members of the 'c.u.mberland' Fleet are supposed to have joined it. The 'Coronation' Fleet went on with varying fortunes until the year 1827, when it seems to have fallen into abeyance; but it was revived again in 1830 with a great flourish of trumpets, only to be absolutely dissolved on January 3, 1831, at a meeting of the club, held at the British Coffee House, Charing Cross; and that very same year their commodore, Lord Henry Cholmondeley, was racing as an ordinary member of the Thames Yacht Club. So that those members of the 'Coronation'

Fleet who did not join in 1823 were finally absorbed in the Thames Yacht Club in 1831. Since that period the life of the club has flowed along pretty evenly, with a few ups and downs, like the n.o.ble river from which it takes its name. The first match of the Thames Yacht Club was held on September 9, 1823, for a cup valued at 25 guineas, when ten boats entered. They sailed the old course from Blackfriars Bridge, and finished at c.u.mberland Gardens; but in this case, for want of wind, the match had to be re-sailed on the 10th, when the cup was won by the 'Spitfire,' Mr. T. Bettsworth. The following year they had an above- and a below-bridge match, and this was regularly continued until 1840, after which the above-bridge match was given up. The 'Don Giovanni,' owned by Mr. J. M. Davey, won cups in 1824 and 1826; she was considered the crack boat of her day, and there is a song in existence which ends as follows:--

Now toast the Don Giovanni's crew, who bear the prize away, And may they always sail as well as they have sail'd to-day!

Then fill each gla.s.s with sparkling wine, and b.u.mpers let them be, And drink to Captain Davey's health--his health with three times three:

For the cup is won, the match is done, And settl'd is the rub; Let mirth abound, and glee go round.

In this--the Thames Yacht Club.

[Footnote 22: _Globe_, August 5, 1823.]

In 1827 a 50-guinea cup was given to be raced for, from Blackwall to Gravesend and back, to celebrate the event of His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence becoming patron of the Thames Yacht Club. This was won by the 'Lady Louisa,' belonging to Mr. T. Smith.

The following year there was a split off from the club, caused by their refusal to give prizes for very small boats, so the seceders formed the Clarence Yacht Club, which existed for several years. On August 28, 1830, two cups were given to be raced for below bridge, in honour of the Duke of Clarence coming to the throne as William IV. The yachts sailed in two cla.s.ses, the first of which was won by the 'Matchless,' 19 tons, Mr. J. Hyatt; and the second by the 'Brilliant,'

8 tons, Mr. W. Bucknall. On October 7 of the same year, at a meeting of the club, it was resolved 'that the uniform b.u.t.ton should be altered from T.Y.C. to R.T.Y.C.'; in other words, they had become the 'Royal Thames Yacht Club.' This year the fleet of the club consisted of forty-three vessels.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Lord Alfred Paget's 'Mystery' pa.s.sing 'Blue Belle' May 23, 1843.]

The burgee of the Thames Yacht Club was probably a red one, with the letters T.Y.C., as we find that on February 3, 1831, a red burgee was agreed to having the letters R.T.Y.C. under a crown. There were two cups given by the club, on September 15, 1831, to celebrate the coronation of their Majesties William IV. and his Queen. The first was won by the 'Lady Louisa,' and the second by the 'Water Witch.' In December 1834 a white burgee was adopted with a crown and the letters R.T.Y.C. in red; and on February 19, 1835, an Admiralty warrant was granted to the club authorising their vessels to carry a white ensign without a red cross, but with the union-jack in the upper corner, and bearing in the fly a crown over the letters R.T.Y.C. in red. William IV. died on June 20, 1837, and on July 27 of the same year Her Majesty Queen Victoria became patroness of the club. The following year special prizes were given in honour of the Queen's coronation, and there is in possession of the club a portrait of Commodore Harrison holding the cup in his hand. In 1840 a challenge cup of the value of 100 guineas was given, to be won twice consecutively by the same yacht, without reference to owners.h.i.+p. It was eventually secured by the 'Secret,' Mr. J. W. Smith, on June 8, 1847. The Admiralty took away the white ensign from the Royal Thames Yacht Club in 1842 (as well as from several other clubs that had the right of flying it), and only allowed the Royal Yacht Squadron to continue its use. In July of the same year, however, the Admiralty granted to the Royal Thames a blue ensign with a crown in the fly. On June 30, 1845, a cup of the value of 60_l._ was presented by Earl Fitzhardinge, and the yachts had to be manned, steered, and handled by members of the club only. The 'Belvidere,' 25 tons; the 'Prima Donna,' 25 tons; the 'Phantom,' 20 tons; and the 'Widgeon,' 24 tons, were entered, the cup being won by the 'Belvidere,' belonging to Vice-Commodore Lord Alfred Paget. In the year 1848 the Admiralty granted to the club a further warrant, dated July 24, giving them the plain 'blue ensign of Her Majesty's Fleet,'

and of this they still enjoy the use. Time allowance first appears in the matches of the Royal Thames on June 29, 1849, in a race from Erith to the Nore and back, when half a minute per ton for difference of tonnage was allowed. July 8, 1851, the Queen for the first time gave a cup to be raced for by the club, the course being from Erith, round the Nore and back; it was won by the 'Cygnet,' 35 tons, owned by Mr.

H. Lambton, M.P. The club established an annual schooner match, which was held regularly for several years, the first having been on June 1, 1853. In 1855 the club had 170 yachts in its fleet, but in 1861 they had reached to 241 vessels; at the present date they are some 350 strong. In 1862 the 'Marina,' on rounding the Nore lights.h.i.+p, ran into the club steamer, the 'Prince of Wales,' damaging herself considerably, and had to be towed back. As she was leading vessel at the time, and it was the fault of the steamer getting in the way, she received a special prize. On May 21, 1866, the first Nore to Dover race of the club took place, although they had one or two matches to Harwich and the Isle of Wight before that date. At the beginning of 1868 there was another split in the Royal Thames, and those who left established the 'New Thames Yacht Club,' which is still in existence.

The same year the club was again honoured by the presentation of a Queen's Cup, which was raced for from Gravesend to the Mouse and back.

In 1874 His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales became commodore, and for the first time in the history of the club a rear-commodore was elected, Mr. Thomas Bra.s.sey. Queen's Cups have also been given to the club in 1874, 1880, and 1885; but in the year 1887, on the occasion of Her Majesty's Jubilee, the club, to mark that event, gave a special prize of 1,000 guineas in an ocean match round Great Britain, the winning-post being at Dover. This was won by the 'Genesta,' belonging to Sir Richard Sutton, Bart.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Start of 25-tonners, Royal Thames Yacht Club, from Greenwich, 1848.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Phantom,' 25 tons, R.T.Y.C., 1853.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Cygnet,' 35 tons, built by Wanhill, 1846. Winner of Queen's Cup, R.Y.S., 1849; of Queen's Cup, R.T.Y.C., 1851.]

Such, in bare outline, is a rough history of the oldest yacht racing club in existence. It is epitomised from a larger work on the same subject, which has been our labour of love for some years, and we hope that the book will be published to the world at some future time.

ROYAL CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB, ERITH

BY R. T. PRITCHETT

Perhaps one of the most sporting clubs on the Thames or elsewhere is the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, which has its headquarters at Erith.

This, the original Corinthian Club, was formed in May 1872; but several other clubs have since been started at various ports, and have copied the t.i.tle with the affix of the place to which they belong.

During the first year some 200 members were enrolled, but the number rapidly increased, and the club has now close upon 500 members, and possesses a valuable freehold club-house standing in an acre of ground on the banks of the Thames at Erith. The house includes a large club-room, nearly 70 feet long, a committee room, and a bunk-room for the use of members wis.h.i.+ng to sleep there. Underneath are extensive stores, with twenty large sail lockers, each capable of holding the gear of a 20-tonner. These are let to members at 30s. per annum. There is room in the grounds for any number of the smaller fry which are not too heavy to be hauled over the wall, and they have a good snug berth here for the winter.

The cla.s.sification of the yachts for racing purposes does not extend to anything exceeding 20-rating, and for this size of vessel only one paid hand is allowed. The remainder of the crew, including the helmsman, must be members of the club.

In the first year or so of the club's existence the racing was mostly confined to the smaller cla.s.ses, and the 5-ton 'Arrow,' at that time head of her cla.s.s, was a frequent compet.i.tor. About this period the 'Adele' and the 'Ada' were in the Thames. These gave way in turn to the 'Virago,' 6 tons, 'May,' 6 tons, and the 'Alouette' and 'Freda,'

each 5 tons. The 10-ton 'Zephyr' then came up into the river, and had some hard tussles to save her time from the smaller vessels; and Major Lenon's 'L'Erie,' 10 tons, also competed occasionally with success. In the larger cla.s.s 'Dudu,' 'Torch,' 'Ildegonda,' 'Surge,' 'Aveyron,'

'Sweetheart,' 'Dione,' and 'Nadejda,' gave some good racing, and one memorable day, when all the above but 'Ildegonda' and 'Torch' sailed a race in a gale of wind, in company with the yawl 'Dryad,' nearly every yacht in the race had some mishap to gear, 'Dryad' and 'Dione' being dismasted.

From 1875 to 1880 the racing was kept alive by the 10-ton cla.s.s, the meeting of the 'Lily,' 'Florence,' 'Merle,' 'Mildred,' 'Chip,'

'Preciosa,' 'Juliet,' 'Elaine,' and 'Robinson' being looked forward to with eagerness by the amateur crews. 'Florence' was the pick of this bunch, but the arrival of the 'Maharanee,' and then of the celebrated 'b.u.t.tercup,' soon altered the state of affairs. 'b.u.t.tercup' swept the board for some time until Mr. W. Cory brought 'Ulidia' into the club, and she in turn scored off 'b.u.t.tercup.' This virtually closed the 10-ton racing in the Thames.

In 1881 some excitement was caused by the starting of the 3-ton cla.s.s on the Thames, and as no paid hands were allowed in these little vessels, the Corinthians were in request in club matches. The 'Muriel'

was brought over from Ireland by the Messrs. Fox, and had for compet.i.tors the 'Maramah,' 'Mascotte,' 'Naida,' 'Primrose,' 'Venilia,'

and 'Snarley Yow,' of which the latter was probably the fastest. The excitement culminated in a race for a 50_l._ cup, subscribed for by several enthusiastic members, and sailed for under the auspices of the Corinthian Yachting Club on June 13, 1882, 'Muriel' winning the cup after a splendid finish with 'Snarley Yow.' The next year saw the advent of 'Chittywee,' who spread-eagled the old fleet, and was in turn knocked out by the redoubtable 'Currytush.' This killed the 3-ton cla.s.s in the Thames, and for some time cla.s.s racing was at a discount.

The Corinthian Yacht Club, however, by arranging a system of handicaps and other races to suit the vessels belonging to the club, nearly always succeeded in getting good entries for its matches, an annual handicap race from Erith to Ramsgate, open to all yachts in the club, being still one of the most popular events of the season.

The 20-rating cla.s.s has not been patronised for some time in the Thames, but 'Decima,' 'Fan Tan,' 'Dis,' and 'Corona' have had some good racing between 1890 and 1892 in the 10-rating matches. The entries in the numerous handicap matches have included the above four yachts and such vessels as 'Gardenia,' 'Neaira,' 'Terpsich.o.r.e,'

'Norman,' 'Mimosa,' 'Wenonah,' 'Cyclone,' 'Ildegonda,' 'Oenanthe,'

'Nadejda,' 'Alpha Beta.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: Lines and mids.h.i.+p section of the 'Dis,' 10-rater, built for A. D. Clarke, Esq., 1888. Designed by J. M. Soper.]

In 1888 an attempt was made by the club to encourage a cla.s.s of small cruising yachts by limiting the length and sail-area, and seven or eight were built from the designs of Messrs. G. L. Watson, Fife, Dixon Kemp, J. T. Howard, Douglas Stone, A. E. Payne, A. Watkins, and others. This cla.s.s, known as the Thames 21-foot cla.s.s, has since then furnished extremely close racing, and it is worthy of note that the first boat built, the 'Tottie,' designed by Mr. Watson, successfully held her own for five seasons. The season of 1892, however, showed that the 'Eva,' designed and built by Mr. Stone, of Erith, was quite as good as, if not better than, 'Tottie,' her new owner, Mr.

Wyllie, sailing her in first-cla.s.s form. Much of the 'Tottie's'

success must be put down to her extremely skilful handling by the brothers Simpson, who rank among the best amateurs of the day. While the 21-foot cla.s.s has undoubtedly been a most popular one in the Thames, it is unfortunately the fact that the original idea of encouraging a good useful cruising boat was not fulfilled, the ingenuity of the designers being too much for the few restrictions imposed. We believe that three of the original boats which were not so successful in racing are now being used as cruisers, but the faster or deep-keeled boats are hardly of the type that would be chosen for this purpose.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Decima'

_A. E. Payne_, 1889.]

The names of the 21-footers are 'Tottie,' 'Eva,' 'Diskos,' 'Haze,'