1909 Hudson-Fulton Regatta
Fleischmann’s Boat Wins Hudson Race
Haida-Papoose, Elmer L, and Den Finish Close Together in Class B
NO COMPETITOR FOR DIXIE II
Motor Boat Races Over Course of Thirty Miles—Craft in Danger
One of the closest motor boat races that has ever been contested on the Hudson River was run off yesterday in the special events, which was a part of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, the races starting from the New York Motor Boat Club/ In Class B, which was for high speed boats under thirty-three feet, three of the little craft, whose only essential is speed, crossed the line so close together that it seemed a blanket could be tossed over all of them. The winner was Max C. Fleischmann’s Haida-Papoose, which led for practically the entire course. The second boat was the Elmer L, owned by Lansing de Long, which poked its nose through the water barely twenty yards back of the winner, and the Den followed, with just a little water showing between its bow and the stern of the Elmer L.
The Den was the first to get away, but when the circuit of the ten-mile course had been completed the Haida-Papoose had pulled into a big lead and looked like an easy winner. The next circuit was not so favorable to the leader, the other boats crawling up a very appreciable extent. The last leg, which completed the thirty miles, the distance of the race, brought the rear boats still nearer, and coming across the river to round the committee boat at the finish the three racers were on almost even terms.
There was general disappointment over the failure of the Dixie II to have a competitor in the Class a event, which, as a result, was rather uninteresting. The fleet craft was sent over the full distance of thirty miles, doing the course at slightly less than thirty miles an hour.
At one stage of the race the Dixie came very close to turning over, shipping a great deal of water in the choppy sea on the upper part of the course, and after the race was over the boat was again in danger on a short trip up the river. She went far over on her side and as a matter of fact those who saw the occurrence shouted on the committee boat that the Dixie had gone over. She was righted, however, a second later.
The Avis, owned by F. C. Haven, showed the way in the race for cruising power boats over forty feet in length, from New York to Peekskill. This event was started in the morning and the Avis led practically from the first, the finish time showing that there was a difference of nearly an hour between first and second.
(Transcribed from the New York Times, Oct. 1, 1909, p. 11.)
[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page — LF]