1910 Hudson River Water Carnival
Speedy Motor Boats Race on the Hudson
First Day of Series Events for Five Championship Trophies
Ideal weather helped to make the second day’s racing on the National Motor Boat Carnival held on the Hudson off 158th Street the most successful day’s racing ever held by the Motor Boat Club of America. It consisted of the series racing for the five championship trophies as the first day of the Carnival was devoted to the long distance events.
The trophies are being raced for on a point system, a point to go to a boat’s credit for every boat it defeats also a point for finishing the race. The point winners yesterday were Tartar, owned by R. E. Slavin of New York, who won the race for the National Championship for speed boats of over 40 foot measurement; Restless, T. J. Chesebrough’s speedster won the first leg on the International Trophy for 12 meter boats. The first race for the Inter-State Championship was won by A. E. Smith’s Edith II. Vim, owned by George F. Baker, Jr., finished first but dropped to third place on corrected time. Peter Pan III was second both on actual and corrected time.
The first leg on the Open Boat Trophy was won by M. H. Niles’ Talequah, which best Bunk III by about 12 minutes corrected time. H. W. Browne’s Petite was the first boat to finish in this class, and she beat Bunk III by over a half hour, but on corrected time she fell to third place with Bunk III second.
In the Class B race Tartar and X.P.D.N.C. got over the line together at the start, but Rapier was about forty-five seconds late. Soon after she got over she caught fire, but the blaze was quickly extinguished. The Rapier, however, retired as it was found she was too badly damaged to continue until repairs had been made.
The twelve-meter class boats were to start at 2:10 but at that time only Restless was at the line. She started alone and had nearly finished her first round when Nameless, the thirty-two cylinder marvel crossed fourteen minutes late. She set a terrific pace in an effort to make up time, and was only thirteen seconds behind Restless at the finish. The Restless, however, had to stop on her fifth round to repair a leaky gasoline pipe. A seam on the Restless opened up from the strain, and for a while it looked as if she would have to quit, as the water was coming so fast, but all hands were sent bailing and she managed to finish.
Nine boats started in the Inter-State Class but only five finished. The Lance overheated her engine due to a defective pump, and the Sand Burr struck a log and was disabled. Vim and Traver broke down on the lower half of the course and were towed in.
After the race was about half finished one of the racers reported the lower mark boat adrift. A runner was sent out from the committee boat Najme and the mark towed back to its original position, but not until a great many boats had gone around it when it was about a mile out of its position.
Two revenue cutters kept the course clear.
[Excerpts transcribed from the New York Times, Sep. 23, 1910, p. 11]
(Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page — LF)