1906 Seattle Labor Day Regatta

Fast Motor Boats Ready For Regatta

Races Will be Held Off Leschi Park Labor Day

Dark Horses Entered

Special Novelty Race Is Attracting Attention of Members

Plans for the regatta of the Seattle Motor Boat Club to be held on Lake Washington on Labor Day afternoon were completed last night by Secretary Charles E. Plimpton. The program will include five events, the first starting promptly at 2 o'clock.

Arrangements have been made with the Anderson Steamboat Company so that the steamers running between Leschi Park and Madison Street will not interfere with the finish, which will be in front of Leschi.

In order that there be no delay in getting the program under way Secretary Plimpton requests that all boats be on hand at 1:15 o'clock in order to report to the judge's boat and receive their numbers.

Special attention is called to the novelty race, one-eighth of a mile dash and return. This will be a standing start, with engines dead. The race is open to all members of the club, and numbers will not be required.

Race of the Day

The most exciting race will probably be that in which the boats go around Mercer Island, a distance of sixteen miles. The entries include the Meteor, Dolphin, Niagara and I Am For You. The Dolphin is owned by Commodore Vince Faben, who has always objected to races in which there are sharp turns. The commodore's boat gets up such terrific speed that it takes a mile or so to turn her. The Meteor is a new boat owned by Clarence Jones, of the Kilbourne-Clarke Company. This will be her first race and there is much speculation as to what she will do. She is a forty-footer and has a twenty-five horse power Hercules engine. The Niagara is one of the fast family boats which L. Roesch brought here from Buffalo. She has been overhauled recently, so her speed is problematical. The I Am For You is owned by D. Earl Bigelow and is something of a dark horse.

The Comet, owned by the Washington Motor Boat Company, will not be raced. She is so fast that all other boats on Lake Washington might as well get out of a race when she has anything to do with it.

The Mercury, which is acknowledged to be faster than the Chip which won the diamond emblem on the St. Lawrence River two years ago, with a Leighton engine, will be pitted against the marvelous little Areis.

The official program:

Novelty Race, 2 P.M.
One-eighth-mile dash and return. Standing start, engine dead.

Class A 16 to 20-foot boats
Class B 20 to 30-foot boats
Class C Speed boats
Sixteen-Mile Race, 2:30 P.M.
Around Mercer Island, keeping island on starboard

No. 1 Meteor C. H. Jones
No. 2 Dolphin Vince H. Faben
No. 3 Niagara Starbird & Roesch
No. 4 I Am For You D. Earl Bigelow
Challenge Event, 3 P.M.
Special Event, one mile and return

No. 5 Ysie S. F. Woody

(starts 30 seconds after other two boats)

No. 6 Margery L. E. Capps
No. 7 Marguerite C. L. Palmer
Challenge Handicap, 3:30 P.M.

Special challenge, four-mile handicap

No. 8 Racine C. W. Chandler
No. 9 Madeline Norman B. Abrams
No. 12 Naida D. Earl Bigelow
Speed Boats, 4 P.M.

Speed boats, eight-mile handicap

No. 10 Mercury scratch Washington Motor Boat Co.
No. 11 Areis scratch Washington Motor Boat Co.
List of Prizes

The prizes in the different events will be as follows:

Novelty race, Class A--First, brass oil can and filler; second, brass fog horn
Class B--First, folding anchor with fifty feet of line; second, life buoy
Class C--First, cup; second, flag
Sixteen-mile race--First, silk pennant; second, brass-headed boat hook
Special two-mile challenge event--First, flag and pole; second, pair of oars
Special four-mile handicap--First, bilge pump; second, not settled
Speed boats eight-mile handicap--First, cup; second, flag

 

(Transcribed from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sep. 2, 1906, p. 9. )

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