1906 Manhasset Bay Yacht Club Regatta

Manhasset Bay, Port Washington, New York, May 31, 1906

At Manhasset Bay

The racing season in the Metropolitan District for this year opened most inauspiciously at Manhasset Bay on Memorial Day. The Bay, as we all know, is the rendezvous of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, a classic organization, given much to sailing but of late quite interested in the motorboat end. Last year, on the same date, the affair was a gala occasion, the clubhouse was crowded, a big number of boats turned out, including some stars of the first magnitude, and the whole thing went with a great swing. This year, however, there seemed to be but little interest in the two events run off, and only five boats showed up, of which two came to grief.

The only notable thing of the day was the performance of Suanoy, owned by Arthur E. Miller, of the Columbia yacht Club. Suanoy is 27 feet 6 inches in length, of the extreme racing type, very lightly built — a mere shell, in fact — and, driven by a 4.9 h. Giant engine, he negotiated 9 nautical miles in 47 minutes, showing a pace of 13.4 statute miles per hour. This looks like the best ever for a boat of those dimensions.

Two classes of races were on the carpet, one over a 15-mile and the other over a 9-mile nautical course, the boats being classified for the big course on a racing measurement of 50 feet or more, and, for the shorter course, under 50 feet. Although these races had been given a fair amount of publicity, only five boats turned out, the only known one in the lot being White Fox, which performed so reliably last year. Of the five, two started over the short course, Nanita and Suanoy, while three started over the long course, Buddie II, White Fox and Katy Did. Katy Did didn't and was towed home, while White Fox went over the course splendidly, showing a pace of 15.3 statute miles, winning in her class. As she rounded the flagship her pilot said she was "a good old water wagon after all," and she is, and the folks round about remarked how certainly White Fox always does her work.

In this long event, Buddie II was towed home, having broken down two miles from the finish. Over the first half of the course, and before she got into trouble, her builder, who managed her and who carefully clocked her, stated that she was doing upward of 20 miles an hour. Buddie II was built by W. P. Atkin, an amateur, at his home in Montclair, N.J., was carted six mile to the Passaic and put overboard there. This was her debut. She is a smart boat and will be heard of a great deal during the season, as Mr. Atkin intends to enter her in all the important meets. The table shows what was done, which was very little.

The flagship of the day was Ardea, Captain Clarkson Cowl, which also served in the same capacity last year. On board Ardea there were a number of yachtsmen. besides the members of Captain Cowl's family, there was Col. Frederick A. Hill, who bossed the races, Alexander S. Williams, Fleet Captain Francis and a number of others. They whiled away the hour or more which the races occupied in pleasant badinage, reminiscence, etc. The day was, however, uneventful except for the pleasant time on Ardea and the absolutely glorious weather.

The Entries: Under 50 Feet Racing Length
Name	Owner	Rating	Length	Motor
Nanita	Harry Stephenson	41.72	20 ft.	7.06 Fulton
Suanoy	Arthur E. Miller	49.12	26.6 ft	4.9 Giant
Boats 50 Feet and Over Racing Length
Buddie II	W. P. Atkin	67.86	31.8 ft	24.49 Trebert
White Fox	A. W. Ferguson	70.65	37.83 ft.	26.23 Stamford
Katy Did	Steltz & Belden	73.6	31.08 ft.	30.37 Fulton

 

Long Course --- 15 Nautical Miles statute					Short Course --- 9 Nautical Miles statute
	Started	Finished	Time	Miles		Started	Finished	Time	Miles
White Fox	3:47:11	4:54:48	1:07:37	15:3	Suanoy	3:53:08	4:40:08	47:00	13:4
Buddie II	3:45:00	Did not finish			Nanita	3:45:00	4:41:53	56:53	10:9
Katy Did	3:49:21	Did not finish

 

(Transcribed from The Motor Boat, June 10, 1906, p. 26 )

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