1904 Motor Boat Races
More On Monte Carlo
French Auto-Boat Races
by E. W. Graef
The Monaco Exposition and Power-boat Races in France were very successful, as about 75 per cent of the subscribers entered, and over 60 boats entered the races, and the management were highly pleased at the popular way the races were attended, giving them encouragement for future events. There was some disappointment among the yachtsmen at the speed results, in that the engine and boatbuilders expected much greater speed before the boats were tried, as they were very highly powered, and many people not familiar with the resistance of the water at such high speed expected similar speed to that by automobiles on land.
The boats were classified as racers and cruisers, the racers going twelve times around a hexagon course buoyed off the Bay of Monaco, being 150 kilometers in all, and the cruisers were sent over a course from Monte Carlo to Antibes and return, being a distance of about 60 kilometers.
The first race started at 8:30 a.m., April 5th, and proved to be a perfect day with no wind or sea.
First series, racers less than eight meters long: Peugeot I, Princesse Elizabeth, Titan II, La Rapee II, La Rapee III, Allo VII, Le Perrot-Duval.
First series, cruisers less than 6 m. 50 c.m. long: New York, Allo I, Allo VI, Marguerite, Loodit, Le Dauphine.
Results
| Racers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| H | M | S. | |
| La Rapee III | 4 | 33 | 22 1/5 |
| Princesse Elizabeth | 5 | 18 | 40 |
| La Rapee II | 6 | 03 08 | |
Peugeot I, Titan II, Allo VII and Perrot-Duval did not finish
| Cruisers: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Marguerite | 3 | 22 | 23 |
| Loodit | 3 | 22 | 23 2/5 |
| Allo I | 4 | 59 | 39 2/5 |
| La Dauphine | 4 | 59 | 47 2/5 |
| New York | 5 | 00 | 00 |
Allo VI did not finish
The Rapee III was designed by M. Tellier Sons, and has a 50 h.p. Panhard & Levassor motor, 900 revolutions per minute. The Titan II and the Princesse Elizabeth were designed by M. Tellier Sons, each having a 50 h.p. Delahaye motor, making 1,400 revolutions per minute.
The Rapee II has a 35 h.p.; the Peugeot has a 45 h.p.; the Perrot-Duval has a 50 h.p.
* * *
Second race, April 6th. Second series, cruisers and racers. Course for the racers was 16 times around the hexagon course, or 200 kilometers, and the course for cruisers was from Monaco to Niece, to Antibes, to Niece. to Menton. and back to Monaco.
The racers that entered were Mercedes III, Mercedes II, Napier-Minor and Trefle-a-Quatre; and the cruisers were F. Peugeot II, Peugeot III, Le Nogentais, Arion II, Titan III, Girondin, Allo III, Herand, Moustique and Consul.
Results
| Racers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| H. | M. | S. | |
| Trefle-a-Quatre | 5 | 16 | 15 3/5 |
| Mercedes | 6 | 39 | 27 1/5 |
The other two boats did not finish
Results
| Cruisers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| H. | M. | S. | |
| Peugeot III | 3 | 55 | 16 |
| Titan III | 4 | 04 | 41 2/5 |
| Arion II | 4 | 11 | 54 1/5 |
| Consul | 4 | 14 | 14 |
| Peugeot | 4 | 14 | 20 |
| Herand | 4 | 19 | 18 |
| Allo III | 5 | 23 | 43 1/5 |
* * *
There were only two boats to enter on April 7th, one a cruiser Rotceh [a reverse spelling of "Hector'], which ran over the course of 125 kilometers as follows: 6 hours, 33 minutes and 26 seconds: and the other a fishing boat named Dalifol, which was sent over a 30-kilometer course in 5 hours and 50 minutes
* * *
The fourth day, April 8th, was for racers and cruisers of the third class, and the racers were sent over the hexagon course, going 175 kilometers, and the cruisers going 100 kilometers. The sport was marred by an accident to the Parisienne, which took fire, totally destroying the hull and badly burning some of the crew. The fire was caused by a leaky tank.
The racers were as follows: Napier, Pi-ouit IV, Dubonnet, Lutece, Amelie-Ancel, Parisienne, Femina, and Cote d'Azur. Only two finished in this race as follows:
| H. | M. | S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lutece | 5 | 06 | 09 |
| Dubonnet | 5 | 36 | 43 |
The Dubonnet has one 60 h.p. and two 40 h.p. motors in her. Pi-ouit IV
has two 80 h.p. motors.
The time for the cruisers over the course was as follows:
| H. | M. | S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vas-y | 4 | 25 | 18 |
| France | 5 | 23 | 29 |
| Usona II | 5 | 23 | 54 |
| Suzy | 5 | 48 | 58 |
The Vas-y has a 50 h.p. motor, and the Usona II a Lozier 20 h.p. motor.
* * *
The last four racing days were given over to handicap and record races and a cup given by the Prince of Monaco, but as we have no reliable information as to the time of these races we do not publish them.
(Transcribed from The Rudder, July, 1904, pp. 416-417. )
{Apparently Mr. Graef was not a French scholar, transposing "Niece" for "Nice." - GWC}
[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page]