A Fifty Pounds Cup, the gift of Thomas Willis Fleming and Albert J. Hanborough, Esqrs., for cutters the property of members of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club; three to start or no race. Course, round a flag-boat off Lymington, from thence to the Nab Light and home. The start took place at five minutes past eleven A.M., and the race ended at about the same hour P.M., by the light of a gorgeous moon, like the mimic spectacle of a yacht race produced on a gala night at the Zoological Gardens. It was a case of mere common-place drifting, except in one episode, which was the ebb running away with the Eclipse through the Needles, where she was fortunately met and rescued by the flood. The winner was the Gondola; the Eclipse second, beaten seven minutes. For the second event the prize and competitors were as under: A Twenty Pounds Cup, for vessels belonging to any Royal Yacht Club not exceeding fifteen tons. I give the conditions as they were written in the card published by the printer to the Royal Victoria Yacht Club; but at the same time conceive it right to say the "not exceeding fifteen tons" does not relate to "any Royal Yacht Club," but to "vessels" and so forth. Course from the starting vessel to the westward of the two red buoys of the Brambles, round the Calshot Light vessel, from thence round the Nab Light vessel, leaving both on the starboard hand......If the big ones did nothing, the little ones did less. There was no interest, no indifference, no nothing in this match. Nobody knew, cared, or inquired anything about it. You heard the next day, from some waterman touting for a job, "that, as how, the Gleam did it by vour or vive minutes, a-beating of the Contest.' And that was all, and enough, and something to spare. The return of her Majesty from town, and her arrival off the pier about half-past five, was the feature of the day. The Royal party occupied the deck of the Fairy for a considerable time, witnessing the rowing matches and duck hunts, and entered with spirit worthy a better occasion into the small matters at issue. And when the royal yacht "set on" for Osborne, the Brilliant manned yards, in imitation of a man-of-war brig which had previously so saluted the Sovereign; and the Gem fired, and the people cheered, and you forgot for a while the fog, and haze, and rain, and stark calm, which the forenoon ushered to your notice.... It is Thursday, and we will adjourn to Cowes, with your leave and licence. I found myself, as persons doing the descriptive are apt to say, on the terrace in front of the Squadron House, soon after 10 A.M. platform was honoured by the presence of Her Royal Highness the The Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary, the Royal Duke making one of the polloi on the general place of rendezvous below. The weather was a great improvement on the preceding day. But to tell the tale devoid of embellishment, things were uncommonly "slack." Still, lest I offend, either in opinion or record, I forbear the former, and subjoin the latter from a source I propose to give up, should any offence be taken, or any disposition manifested to bastinado the writer, merely abridging his eulogy that it should not beget individual bile......His impressions of the weather are left untouched, as unlikely to give umbrage to any one in particular. Aug. 17th.-Race for her Majesty's Plate, value 100 guineas, for cutter yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron, of 75 tons and under 105 the course known as the " Original Queen's Cup Course," namely, from Cowes Road round the Nab Light vessel and back, to round the Flag-boat between Lymington and Yarmouth, and back to between the starting vessel and Cowes Castle. The weather on the present occasion was everything that could be desired. By the appointed hour the following five yachts took up their stations in a line with Cowes Castle :-Arrow, 84 tons, Thomas Chamberlayne, Esq.; Bacchante, 80 tons, B. H. Jones, Esq.; Vandal, 105 tons, R. W. Cooper, Esq.; Gondola, 76 tons, W. H. Woodhouse, Esq.; Sultana, 100 tons, R. C. Naylor, Esq. At ten minutes to eleven o'clock a preparatory signal was made, and at five minutes past eleven the starting-gun proclaimed the time of their departure. The Arrow had a good start, and maintained her position ahead nearly to the conclusion of the race, followed by the Sultana, Bacchante, Gondola, and Vandal; and in this manner they laid along the Solent, with the wind well quartering, until they rounded the Nab-light; the Arrow being about a minute and a half ahead of Gondola, and Sultana then followed Vandal, and last of all Bacchante, who saw all before her throughout the match. After rounding the Nab, the yachts hauled their wind, and laid well up along the line until they neared the Motherbank, when they tacked and worked down under the Island, and passed Cowes Castle en route to the westward as follows:-Arrow, 1.43; Sultana, 1.45; Vandal, 1.47; Gondola, 1.51; Bacchante, 1.67. The yachts as they opened Egypt had a regular sneezer before them; each, however, nearly kept the same position, and having rounded the flag. boat abreast of Yarmouth, Arrow first, then Sultana, and the others in succession, the former stood over towards the Island; this manœuvre being observed by the master of the Sultana, he was not disposed to part company, and therefore followed in the wake of the Arrow, while the other yachts, from force of habit, steered along the north shore. The match laid now between the Arrow and the Sultana, and from the Gurnett-hill, we fancied, by "Knight's Illuminating Power," we saw through the haze that the Sultana had taken the first place; this eventually proved to be the case, on timing the respective yachts on their arrival at the goal, viz. :—' Sultana Arrow Vandal Gondola Bacchante .. 4 13 50 The winner of her Majesty's Plate at Cowes is the same Sultana which so recently won the great match round Ireland. She is one of the noblest cutters that ever swam; and I recommend Mrs. Gore to look her over as an antidote to her memories of yachts when the Fourth George gave éclât to pleasure sailing. To-day being the birthday of H. R. H. the Duchess of Kent, there was a rural festival in the grounds of Osborne. All the sailors of the royal yachts, and the workmen employed by her Majesty, were regaled with true English fare, and wound up the evening with true English sports-(topped, I believe, with a bit of a fight; but it might n't be etiquette to say so).. ....... Friday set holiday-wise towards Ryde, where twenty-five pounds— the gift of her Majesty-were to be rowed for by watermen of Portsmouth, Ryde, and Cowes, in presence of the Court. At half-past four the Fairy-with the royal standard floating from the main-brought up off the pier, where a mighty throng, bedight in gallant array, gave meet greeting to the royal lady of the revels. Beyond most, eminent struggles for gold and glory, there was no feature of account; and more need not be said than that, like charity, the occasion was doubly blessed....................... Saturday brought the royal presence and patronage-together with emphatic rowings, and duck-hunts of much curious craft and cunning, into the roads of West Cowes. The Queen came in the Fairy, with Prince Albert and several of the royal family; and as the fun waxed fast and furious, it was a sight to see how the internal spirit of princely infancy could cut a caper just like a six-year-old squire or an immature ploughboy. The Fairy lay abreast the Squadron House till past six o'clock, and then steamed up the Medina, and landed the royal party at the Trinity Yard. In the evening the Royal Thames Yacht Club had their annual dinner at their club-house at East Cowes-the Medina Hotel. A party of some three or four and twenty sat down, Sir Charles Ibbotson in the chair, in the absence of Lord Alfred Paget, the commodore, and Captain Barwell, vice. The dinner was a banquet, furnished with every delicacy of the cuisine and the cellar by Mr. Drew, and with a savoir faire and a liberality very much to his credit......... The chairman, one of the most energetic and popular yacht sailors afloat, manifests, together with his taste for the water, no inconsiderable knowledge of matters connected with more generous liquors. With such a high-priest, and such disciples, the "draught divine" of old Ben was no mere flower of poetry. The very memory of it makes me as thirsty as a mummy........ What ho! a cup of Rhenish!" 66 Monday being appropriated to the match for the Cup presented to the Royal Yacht Squadron by Prince Albert, opened as if it meant to try the mettle of cavaliers whom the Prince Consort deigned to honour. It blew about a whole gale of wind; and (consequently?) but three yachts were seen at the appointed moorings when the gun of preparation was fired...... These the Brilliant, Wivern, and Enchantress by name-were so on fire, and eager 66 for the fray," that they bolted before the signal for the start, and bore away eastward, with flowing sheets and plenty to fill them. The recall signal was hoisted, and I believe the Brilliant bore up, but the other two cracked on, there being some mismanagement, or misunderstanding, or mistake, which led, as such things do, to misadventure; for the two held on for the Nab, round which the Duke of Marlborough led in the Wivern, at the same time carrying his mainmast over the side, accompanied by a considerable expanse of bulwarks ; wherefore, he made the best of his way to Portsmouth. The Enchantress brought up in Cowes Roads; and the race for the Cup was postponed till Wednesday. In the evening a sumptuous entertainment was given at Norris Castle by its hospitable proprietor; but "such divinity doth hedge" the intercourse of private life, that I may only add, his guests were chiefly the members of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, who were temporary sojourners in the Isle of Wight. . . . . . The postponed match duly came off on the 23rd. . . . . . The yachts entered were the Flirt (the race was confined to first-class schooners), 155 tons, Sir Bellingham Graham, Bart., Vice-Commodore; the Capricorn, 313 tons, C. R. M. Talbot, Esq., M.P.; and the Enchantress, whose tonnage I do not know, neither can find in the Squadron List, in consequence of her owner, Lord Cardigan, being so very recently elected. This was one of the most interesting matches that can be conceived. The vessels were admirably matched, admirably sailed, and admiringly watched. It would, however, boot but little to detail the manoeuvres. East they ran, and then beat westward, over a rapid, adverse tide, down to Yarmouth, and thence home; The Flirt ultimately winning by a few minutes. It's a thousand pities that these fine displays of sea-craft are brought to a conclusion, nine times out of ten, when there is nobody to see them, as everybody is at dinner, and when nobody could see them, even at the sacrifice of the meal, because there is no light by reason of the advanced hour......This has been the worst yachting season in my memory. Let us hope that in future years, not only as regards pleasure sailing, but matters of more grave account, "there's a good time coming." THE RACING IN AUGUST. BY CRAVEN. While the twice two thousand" were cultivating the coast or crusading against the grouse, the rural million were disporting at their especial Olympics; for the turf was in strong provincial operation during the month of August. Every day of the thirty-one had its meeting, if not more; therefore the plea may not be unavailing that the quantity should excuse the quality. Unimportant as the racing was, with some exceptions, still it was not without interest for those who regard it as a national sport they would fain see preserve its national character. The turf as a popular pastime is not to be sought at such places as Newmarket, Epsom, or Doncaster. At the former aristocratic rendezvous, indeed, it has always been a class affair; and now-a-days all the great meetings, with the single exception of Ascot, are monster money markets. The Royal Course is a sort of St. James's equestrian fête. As prime donne to the Opera, polkas to Almack's, and flowers to the Chiswick "shows," are horses to Ascot races. They furnish primâ facie evidence of a lawful assembling, which is as much as can be reasonably expected. Not that "Alma Mater Genitrix" has not her anniversary in Surrey-known to gods and men as the Oaks Day—but in the matter of "many tricks" it cannot hold a taper to the Ascot Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am, however, being led out of my way by Venus (what does Echo say? His custom of an afternoon!"): my business is with sports of the masculine and not those of the epicene gender. If you desire to see racing of the legitimate kind, good old English racing, passages of emulous chivalry, begetting appetites for stewards' ordinaries, on which good digestion waits, you must look for it on courses as yet unhonoured by leviathan handicaps and sweepstakes with patriotic bonuses. Apropos of the latter, or rather of national encouragements for the great national sport, I beg the favour of the reader's company coastwise to Brighton, the capital of the sea 66 "When George the Fourth was king." Goodwood concluded, men with nerves to mend (to say nothing of pockets) set their faces southward, as aforesaid. A noble expanse of downs, contesting the palm of attraction with that of ocean-despite railways and other modern anti-picturesque contrivances-still spreads its emerald oasis between Kemptown and Beachy Head. On these downs are the sites of at least two meetings, that merit a better fate than they enjoy. The races of Brighton and Lewes, in the ratio that they are rich in natural advantages, are, in the matter of patronage, poor indeed." The latter have dwindled to the shortest span; and the former stand in such relation to the company that resort to them, as a dinner with Duke Humphry does to my Lord Mayor's feast. It is fit to say that on the anniversary about being recorded, efforts of a praiseworthy character were made to throw some spirit and interest around the matter in hand; but, alas! at the same time came a heavy blow and great discouragement. It was announced that in future the Royal Plate would be withdrawn from Brighton. Wherefore, or how, did not transpire. By what endowment or authority, or tenure or qualification, Royal Plates are held, people do not seem well informed. Aforetime they have been transferred from places in decay to those in the summer of their fortunes; but I cannot remember that any have been absolutely blotted from the calendar.....However, the present anticipation may only be a false alarm. Under the pressure of this evil omen I hope the authorities will not rush into the opposite extreme. Let them bear in mind-if ever they heard it (and if not, let their friends who have, recite for their learning)-Horace's aphorism on that point. Brighton by no means stands in need of a Mammon meeting. The town is a pleasure resort, whereof health is the pretence current: its races should be an item in its catalogue of amusements, and no more. The race-course may, for a few days, be substituted for the Devil's Ditch, as an auxiliary in digesting the lunch and preparing the palate for the more serious meal; but if it be made a bait for the devil's own, farewell to its occupation. . . . . As premised, this last state of Brighton races was better than that of its predecessors-in modern memory. The officials from head-quarters directed the details, and the committee of supply had not been idle. A new weighing stand had sprung up-which was not a weighing stand, but rather a rendezvous for those occupied in the business department; and there were temporary stands also erected for the service of the audience. The weather was a sample of the season's staple: it was summer burlesqued-with a hurricane between the acts, which blew away the tables of the money-changers and those that "sold" doves. |