Power Boats' Dual Test [1903]
[1903 American Yacht Club Regatta]
American Yacht Club Tried Out Their Speed and Endurance
The Standard Led the Fleet in Both Competitions Over a Course on Long Island Sound
The American Yacht Club held the most successful power-boat regatta of the season yesterday on Long Island Sound off the clubhouse at Milton Point. The racing was conducted under the rules and regulations and time allowances of the American Power Boat Association, the contests consisting of two trials--an endurance test in the morning and a speed competition in the afternoon. During the latter a severe wind and rain squall swept over the Sound, but all of the boats weathered it without mishap. At one time, while the squall was at its height, the darkness was so dense that boats within a few yards of each other were lost to sight.
In the endurance test, which was a novel experiment, the possible rating was 100 points--50 for speed and 50 for performance of boat and engine. The 50 points allowed for performance were subject to the following deductions: Five points for each stop of motor or propeller for any cause; five points for each minute or fraction of a minute of any stop; 2 points for each adjustment of motor, dynamo, batteries, reversing gear, or other mechanism connected with the motive power of the boat except for lubrication; 50 points for a stop of five minutes duration, and 50 points for three stops.
The boats were allowed five minutes to make ready between the preparatory and starting signals. The course was straight away from a line off the clubhouse at Milton Point to the red and black horizontal-striped buoy north of Execution Light and back, a distance of seven knots, and the boats were required to go three times over it, so as to make twenty-one knots. It was a one-gun start. Eight boats started close together, for although they were divided into two classes, the starting line was the same for each class, 11:20. At the end of the first round, however, they were widely separated. The speedy Standard, which had her colors pulled down by the Adios in Gravesend Bay the previous Saturday, distanced everything. The Allure, a long distance astern, followed in the second place, while Queen Bess held third place considerably behind the Allure.
The finished in the same order, with the others falling on behind. The Standard made the twenty-one knots in 1:14:52, which is a fast time. The Express, owned by C.D. Mower, measurer of the New York Yacht Club, of which much was expected, was disqualified for fouling one of the other boats. Another boat, the Spark, was also disqualified. The only boat to suffer a penalty under the performance regulations was the Howdy, which lost two points on account of her engine becoming overheated.
In the speed trial there were ten starters divided into five classes. All but two had participated in the endurance test of the morning. The course was triangular, 10 1/4 knots. The Standard, as in the morning, led the procession, while the Express, which raced against her, was only about two-thirds over the course when the winner finished. The Allure was second to the Standard in time. The 999, a small but very fast launch, broke down almost at the start, and fell out of the race.
The winners in the endurance test were the Standard in Class 11, and probably Queen Bess in Class 1. In the speed trials Allure is probably the winner in Class B, Queen Bess in Class C, and Standard in Class H. Clara had a walk-over in Class D, and in Class K, American, whose competitor, 999, broke down, did not go over the course. Following are the tables of the races:
ENDURANCE RACE, 21 KNOTS Class 1, 32 to 50 feet. Start 11:20 Boat and Owner Finish Elapsed Time Corrected Time Queen Bess, R. H. Stearns 1:39:18 2:19:18 2:19:18 Aleter II, R. C. Fisher 1:49:39 2:29:39 1:59:10 Allure, Alex Stern 1:03:40 1:43:40 1:42:04 Express, C. D. Mower Disqualified for foul Howdy, George Mercer Jr 1:59:44 2:39:44 2:02:04 Clara, T. D. Hughes 2:06:55 2:46:55 not measured Spark, E. D. Lorillard Disqualified
Class 2, Over 50 feet. Start 11:20 Standard, E. A. Riotte 12:34:52 1:14:52 1:14:52
SPEED RACE -- 10 1/4 KNOTS Class B Start 4:05 Finish Time Cor'd Time Allure 4:58:39 0:53:39 0:53:39 Onaway 5:31:38 1:26:38 not measured Eugene, A. Reath did not finish
Class C Start 4:10 Queen Bess 5:28:13 1:18:13 1:10:18 Aleter II 5:30:47 1:20:47 1:20:47 Howdy 5:36:36 1:26:36 1:23:22
Class D Start 4:15 Clara 5:44:09 1:39:09 not measured
Class H Start 4:05 Standard 4:45:52 0:40:52 0:40:52 Express 5:06:56 1:01:56 not measured
Class K Start 4:15 American 5:10:07 Went over course 999 Broke down
(Transcribed from the New York Times - - 6 Sep. 1903. p. 9. )