Lutece and Rapee II [1903]

 

Motor-Boating On The Seine

by Sanford S. Pomeroy

I arrived here two days too late to see the 100 Kilometres (62 miles) Race for motor-boats, promoted by the sporting daily, the Auto. I give you the details of the winner and second, which are interesting, as showing what is being done over here. Both boats were built by Tellier & Son, of Paris, the son designing them.

Lutece, the winner, was built in 1902, is over all 49 ft.; beam, 4 ft. 11 in. and depth 2 ft. 7½ in. She is diagonal built, with a double cedar skin, canvas between; and below the water line has a third transversal skin 0.118 in. thick; the second diagonal skin is 0.157 in. thick, and the third longitudinal is 0.236 in. thick. Has light locust frames spaced 39 in. The motor bed frames are of pine. The hull weighs 1,540 lbs. The motor, a four-cylinder 70 H.P. Panhard & Levassor, weighing 660 lbs., fly wheel included, the same as was in the Panhard automobiles in last spring's Paris-Madrid Race. The motor is started automobile fashion, with a handle, and then worked electrically with a switch. The motor runs at 1,000 revolutions. The screw is 2 ft. 4 in. in diameter and has a mean pitch of 31½ in. The builders don't consider this screw satisfactory, as it was put in for the original motor of 60 H.P., turning 800 revolutions. The best hour's run was 21 miles, with 8 turns around mark boats. In the last race, October 25, on the Seine, near St. Germain, over the course of 62 miles with 6 turns, Lutece won in 3 hrs. 10 min. 2-5 s., and Rapee II was classed second.

Rapee II is over all 26 ft. 3 in.; beam, 3 ft. 9 in,; depth. 1 ft. 11½ in. The hull weighs 330 lbs. The motor, a four-cylinder 24 H.P. Panhard & Levassor, weighing 385 lbs., including fly wheel. Starting device same as Lutece. Has a three-bladed screw 20 3/4 in. in diameter, and 24½ mean pitch. The motor does 900 revolutions. The Rapee's best hour's run was 19 5/8 miles, with four turns, at Lagny, on the Marne river, Oct. 4.

I think you will be surprised at the weights of these motors. That which looks like a funnel in the photos is to carry off exhaust gases, the muffler being the horizontal type just below. The long and sustained effort of the motors over a 62-mile course speaks highly for them. The times quoted above were taken by the official timekeepers of the Automobile Club of France, and are to be relied on. Mr. Tellier, who, by the way, is a subscriber to THE RUDDER, said that he considered THE RUDDER is standing at the head of all nautical publications, and was delighted to give all possible details.

(Transcribed from The Rudder, February, 1903, p. 85 )

[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page — LF]