1907 Frontenac NY July Regatta
Frontenac Yacht Club
Frontenac, N.Y. — The Frontenac Yacht Club held its first motorboat races of the season over the club's triangular course on July 26 and 27. Owing to rough weather the list of entries was considerably reduced by the time the races were started, as a thirty-mile-an-hour gale, with the wind due west and blowing in from Lake Ontario, roughened the waters so as to make the racing fairly difficult, not to say dangerous. The first event was a free-for-all for boats not over 35 feet water-line, distance 14 miles, or twice around the course. This was started at 2:30 p.m. July 26, and the starters were the Damphino, Pirate Jr., and What-Next. The first boat ti withdraw was the What-Next, which was nearly swamped by the heavy seas. Pirate Jr., just after rounding the buoy on the second lap, lost her flywheel, which nearly smashed through the hull, and she was towed in by the steam yacht Jean, belonging to T. A. Gillespie, of Pittsburgh. The sole survivor, Damphino, completed the circuit in fair shape considering the weather, and was awarded the silver cup. This craft was built in 1906, at Clayton, by L. E. Fry, and measures 30 feet in length with 3 feet 6 inches beam. It is equipped with a 34-h. Brennan motor, and is owned by Grant Peacock, of Pittsburgh. Pirate Jr. is a new boat, modeled after the Pirate, winner of nearly all the 1906 races, and owned by Roland Peacock, of Pittsburgh. It is 34 feet 2 inches long by 3 feet 6 inches beam, equipped with a 26-h. Aster motor, and was built last Spring at Alexandria Bay, by Fitz Hunt.
On Saturday the wind abated somewhat, but left the water generally choppy.
The 14-mile handicap for boats not less than 30-foot water-line was run in one heat, and the starters were Damphino, Delawanna and Pirate Jr. Delawanna soon came in, leaving Damphino in advance of Pirate Jr. They finished in that order, and both boats obtained handsome trophies. The winner's time for the course was 47 min., 13 sec.
The free-for-all on the same afternoon resulted in the prettiest contest ever run on this river, when the speedy Simples XI, owned by W. C. Whitehead and H. Broesel, of New York, defeated Pirate, last year's champion. The boats, however, finished only 68 seconds apart, and the victory was hard fought every foot of the way. The course was 21 miles, thrice around, and the victor's time was only 47 m. 42 s. At the start Pirate crossed first, but was soon caught by Simplex XI, which held the lead until the finish. The latter boat was built last spring, at Astoria, L.I., is 39 feet 6 inches long by 4 feet 9 inches beam and has a Simplex motor of 75 hp. Pirate, her competitor, is equipped with a 150-h. Trebert motor and is 39 feet 4 inches long with 4 feet 6 inches beam. She was built two seasons ago. The Delawanna is a new boat on the river this year, having been built by George Miller of Clayton, last Spring. She is 31 feet 10 inches long by 4 feet 2 inches beam, has a 15-h. Fairbanks engine, and is owned by Walter Irwin, of New York.
The next Frontenac race, to be held on August 10, will be a contest for the handsome cup offered by Commodore Charles G. Emery, of New York, to become the property of the person winning it in three races. The course will be 21 miles and limited to boats of not less than 30-feet water-line. Last Summer this race was won by the Jewel, owned by Mrs. E. S. Burke, of Cleveland, O. Other races will be held at Frontenac on August 23 and 24.
(Transcribed from The Motor Boat, Aug. 19, 1907, p. 30.)
[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page. --LF]