[Ill.u.s.tration: Yacht Club Burgees.]

The first ill.u.s.tration is most interesting as bearing the names of the yachts which sailed in the first match of the club, Monday, June 16, 1845. The bowlines on the luff of the gaff topsails should be particularly noticed as a feature of this period. The bowline is also shown in the drawing of the 'Cygnet,' 35 tons, in a following chapter on Thames Clubs.

The second outline represents the 'Queen of the Ocean' yacht, Commodore Littledale, R.M.Y.C., going to the rescue of the 'Ocean Monarch,' emigrant ship, on fire in Abergele Bay, North Wales, Thursday, August 24, 1848.

THE ROYAL PORTSMOUTH CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB

BY G. L. BLAKE

What the Clyde is to Scotland, and Kingstown and Queenstown are to Ireland, that the Solent and Southampton Water (which const.i.tute the waters more or less shut off from the Channel by the Isle of Wight) are to the South of England. It is no matter of wonderment, then, that attempts should have been made from time to time, and dating back some generations, to form clubs which would have for their express purpose the encouragement of seamanship, and the racing and building of yachts.

To many old yachtsmen the 'ups and downs' of some of these societies which are still in existence form a history of no small interest; while the rise, doings, and fall of those now defunct ought to teach many valuable and important lessons to the officers and committees that are working hard for the prosperity and welfare of present day yacht clubs.

The club which above all others has tended to encourage the proficiency of amateur salts, so that they have become capable of manning, piloting, and steering their own or their friends' vessels to glory, is the Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club. Inst.i.tuted at a time when small-yacht sailing and amateur seamanship had little or no patronage from the big clubs, and when no ruling spirit appeared willing to come forward to help them on to any great degree, when the annual local regattas of the Itchen Ferry, Ryde, and Cowes Town, Southampton, and a few other seaside resorts, were the only opportunities afforded for sport and racing among the small fry, perhaps no club deserves more notice among those south of London than the one in question. Its birth took place at a meeting held on Sat.u.r.day, May 22, 1880, in the committee-room of the Prince of Wales Club, High Street, Portsmouth, under the patronage of the late Admiral Ryder, R.N., and General H.S.H. Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, at that time the Commander-in-Chief and Governor of Portsmouth, Rear-Admiral the Honourable F. A. C. Foley, R.N., and Major-General Sir F.

Fitz-Wygram, with Captain Garrett, R.A., in the chair. A provisional committee was elected, among whom were Messrs. W. Gilman, C. Johnson, Thomas and Charles McCheane, F. Ruck, R.E., W. C. Storey, W. V.

d.i.c.kenson, 69th Regiment, J. Bewicke, 69th Regiment, Colonel Savory, Admiral Hallowes, Commander Britten, R.N., H.M.S. 'St. Vincent,'

Captains Sutton, R. Kennedy, Rasch, the Reverends C. P. Grant, Vicar of Portsmouth, and J. F. Brown, R.C. Military Chaplain. General Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Captain Garrett and Captain Sutton were the first officers appointed to serve as Commodore, Vice- and Rear-commodores, and Messrs. Gilman and C. McCheane with Captain Kennedy undertook other duties. Among the yachts owned at that period by the young club, the best known were the 'Vega,' 40 tons, belonging to Captain Garrett; Mr. Gilman's little 'Zephyr,' 11 tons (for many seasons one of the fastest of the old 12-ton cla.s.s); and the 'Zoe,'

one of the most successful 21-ft. boats on the Solent, which was fortunate in being owned and piloted by one of the best amateur helmsmen and sailormen in the south of England--the late Mr. C.

Johnson, of Gosport.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club.]

At the third meeting the Yacht Racing a.s.sociation rules were adopted, while the fourth settled that very much vext and troublesome question as to what const.i.tutes 'a yachting amateur,' and accordingly drew out the rule that 'No person shall be considered an amateur who has been at any time engaged in the navigation or sailing of a yacht for pay,'

the wording of which has since been altered to the following: 'An amateur is a gentleman who has never received pay for sailing in a fore-and-aft vessel, officers of the Royal Navy and Mercantile Marine excepted.' At the same meeting Mr. C. McCheane undertook the sole duties of honorary secretary in place of Captain Kennedy.

On June 26, 1880, the first regatta of the newly formed club was held, when five events were pulled off under the most favourable auspices.

So successful was this first attempt at bringing the local boats together, that the next regatta, which was similar in its cla.s.ses, brought out no fewer than eight entries in the race for the service boats of Her Majesty's ships, all of which were steered by naval members of the club, with the one exception of the 'Wren,' which, it is interesting to chronicle, was steered by Miss Foley, daughter of the Admiral commanding the Portsmouth Steam Reserve. She was the first lady member, and one of the first ladies--if indeed there was one before her--to pilot home the winning yacht in a race. Now that so many ladies enter into the sport of yacht racing and come out as famous helmswomen, the position held by Miss Foley is one to be proud of. In the fourth race Mr. Baden-Powell's old boat, the 'Diamond,' 5 tons, at this time owned by Messrs. Sutton, put in an appearance as a 25-ft. boat; and in the fifth race Mr. J. H. Baillie's 20-ft. boat 'Kate,' the earliest of Mr. Beavor Webb's outputs, entered.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Midship Section.

'Madge,' 10 tons. Designed by G. L. Watson, 1880.]

Besides periodical regattas, the club was able to take in hand a good many matches, which were made up whenever a sufficient number of racing yachts to create sport happened to be lying off Southsea or about the port, and good prizes were always forthcoming, for, as is the case in the Royal Alfred Yacht Club of Kingstown, all money was devoted at this time to racing purposes. The match held on the 14th of August, 1880, is a very fair example of what these extemporaneous races were like. It was for yachts of 20 tons and under. The entries included: 'Madge,' 10 tons, Mr. J. Coats; 'Louise,' 20 tons; 'Euterpe,' 20 tons, Mr. Bayley; 'Freda,' 20 tons, Mr. Freke; 'Maggie,'

15 tons, Mr. Taylor; 'Viola,' 20 tons, Mr. Kelly; 'Sayonara,' 20 tons, Mr. G. W. Richardson. By the end of the first season the club had advanced to such a strong position in the eyes of yachting men and in the public estimation, that Her Majesty was pleased to accede to the request of the Commodore, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, to have it made a Royal club, and accordingly commanded that from May 27, 1880, the club should be styled the Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club.

Except perhaps in the cases of the Royal Cork, the Royal Yacht Squadron and Royal Highland, no yachting club has ever been known to grow so rapidly into popularity as to obtain the Royal warrant within the s.p.a.ce of less than six months.

The season of 1881 began on April 6 with a yacht tonnage of 3,569 tons and 220 members belonging to the club. The year was an important one in its annals, for some of the best known of yachtsmen became members of the community. Captain Garrett gave up the Vice-Commodoreship, and was succeeded by Captain F. Sutton, late 11th Hussars, whilst Admiral Byng undertook the office vacated by Captain Sutton.

The greater number of those who had up to this time joined the Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club were yachting members, and lived in all parts of the United Kingdom. The opening regatta was held on the glorious 4th of June, so dear to Eton and other memories. It witnessed the entry, in the race for yachts of 11 to 25 tons, of that favourite old 20-ton clipper the 'Vanessa,' and the old Fairlie 25-tonner 'Santry.' The courses this year finished between a mark-boat and the Southsea Pier.

At the third regatta another famous old ship threw down the glove to the 'Gadfly' and Mr. Arthur Glennie's 'Sonata,' viz. the 16-ton 'Satanella.' On August 13, by the special command of Her Majesty, the club had the honour of holding its Annual Royal Regatta in Osborne Bay. The entries were large for all the items of the programme, no fewer than twelve boats starting in a cla.s.s for 30 ft. and under, and thirty-one for the race for centreboarders. In this last race the Prince of Wales sailed his little crack 'Belle Lurette,' and won the second prize. In the race for yachts of 40 tons and upwards the 'Samoena,' 'Annasona,' and 'Sleuthhound' started. It may be stated here, that on the day of the regatta the club had 400 names on its list of members, the greater number of whom claimed some pretensions to being yachtsmen. This was a rapid increase of 180 in less than four months, and distinctly proved that the club was already satisfactorily filling the much-desired need on the Solent, and it was most gratifying to those who had given their time and their energy towards the success of the venture that nothing but praise poured in from all quarters, because of the perfect organisation with which all regattas, matches, and general arrangements were carried out. Perhaps it is not too much to say here that the club owed much at this period of its existence to its honorary secretary, the late Mr. Charles McCheane, whose unflagging zeal and well-known gift of organisation helped to a very considerable extent to bring about the prestige which it was beginning to enjoy.

One great feature of the season of 1881 was the addition of a rule allowing any boat that had been hired by a member for a s.p.a.ce of over three months to enter for the club races, in order to give every encouragement to the sport of yacht-racing. Many have been the times that such a rule has been begged for by yachtsmen, especially tiros at the game; but the Yacht Racing a.s.sociation, and, in fact, all Royal Yacht Clubs with the exception of the Royal Portsmouth Corinthian, have placed a veto on any proposition which included in any way its introduction. With the Royal Portsmouth Corinthian the rule proved in the early days of the club a great success, but latterly, as yacht tonnage was added to the club and members became provided with their own ships, the rule gradually died out, till at last it has disappeared altogether from the Book of Rules and Regulations.

The year 1882 was notable chiefly for the introduction of a new cla.s.s in the regatta programmes, viz. that for 3-tonners. Four of these little vessels did battle in all kinds of weather and proved most successfully how much power and what fine sea-going qualities can be obtained by length and depth with almost a minimum of beam. Mr. Wynne Eyton and Mr. Quilter designed and raced the composite built 'Mascotte,' Mr. A. W. Courtney the 'Naiad,' the late Lord Francis Cecil the 'Chittywee,' and Lord Ailsa and Mr. Baden-Powell the 'Snarley Yow.' Of these the 'Chittywee' was the best all-round boat, though the 'Mascotte' gave her all she could do to beat her.

In the small length cla.s.ses, the 20-ft. 'Kate,' which had become the property of the Honorary Secretary during the winter of 1881, came to the fore in a remarkable manner, saving her time when necessary, and giving all comers a fair beating. The next year, however, witnessed her total defeat by Mr. Popham's little 'Bird of Freedom,' a boat that is still to the fore.

The Annual Royal Regatta of 1883 was held as before at Osborne Bay, and proved a complete success, and the club could now boast of a patronage second only to that of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The programme on August 11, the day of the regatta, exhibited a great advance on those of the two previous years, as the cla.s.ses ranged more after the fashionable formulae, viz. for yachts of 40 tons and under, 20 and over 14, 14 and over 9 tons. The race for 40-ton yachts fell through, but was afterwards sailed on August 22, when the 'Annasona,'

'Tara,' 'Sleuthhound,' 'Phryne,' and 'Silver Star' crossed the line, and 'Tara' and 'Silver Star' (their first appearance under the flag of the Royal Portsmouth Club) came in first and second. Among the twenties, which showed up for the first time, were the 'Freda' and two well-known old warriors from St. George's Channel, the 'Quickstep' and 'Challenge.' In the race for 10-tonners the 'Ulidia,' designed by Mr.

W. Fife, jun., was the new addition to the club, and she fought it out with the 'b.u.t.tercup,' this latter favourite being thoroughly beaten on all points of sailing.

During the year of 1884 the prosperity of the club was decidedly on the increase. In the first place, during the winter, the premises in the High Street, Portsmouth, which had up to this time formed the Prince of Wales's Club House, had been bought, altered and improved to suit the club's requirements. As it stands now, it is one of the most comfortable club-houses in the South of England.

The club also opened on Southsea Beach a Station House of its own, which has telephonic communications with the house in High Street, and all parts of the towns of Portsmouth and Southampton. It consists of a railed-off s.p.a.ce, sufficient to allow of a fair frontage, besides room for the flagstaff, guns, and all such necessary fittings. The building is a very comfortable cabin, with all modern conveniences. The telephonic communication with Southampton is of the greatest possible service, as most of the small raters make the Itchen and its precincts their home.

On June 7 in this year, the custom (which has now died out) of having an opening cruise under the club officers was originated. Nothing can make up for the teaching which manoeuvring under sail affords, and it is a great pity more of such cruises do not take place, and that at regular intervals.

The officers of the club had remained the same up to this year, when Admiral Byng gave up the Rear-Commodoreship in favour of Mr. J. R.

West. One of the great features of the season was the recognition of the foot cla.s.ses, which became so popular during the following four years. The first and second regattas introduced races for boats or yachts of 25 feet and 30 feet on the load water-line. In the latter cla.s.s the 'Eclipse' and 'Keepsake' were compet.i.tors, the 'Eclipse'

being the better of the two boats; and in the former the 'Daphne,'

'Wave,' and 'Lil' were the three to race, the 'Lil' being the princ.i.p.al winner. The Annual Royal Regatta, owing to the sad bereavement that had visited the Court, took place by royal command off Bembridge, instead of in Osborne Bay as heretofore. No fewer than fourteen items const.i.tuted the programme, of which the most interesting was the ten-ton match between the 'Ulidia' and 'Ulerin,'

representatives of Messrs. Fife and Watson, the great Scotch yacht designers. On August 16 a fine match was brought off, and the amateurs' powers put to the test, when 'A Corinthian Plate,' a very handsome piece of silver work, weighing 134 ozs., was sailed for by the 'Genesta,' 'Marguerite,' and 'Irex.'

Perhaps the most sporting matches that have been sailed under the red burgee with crown, star, and half-moon in centre, were three that sprang out of a race for yachts of 20 tons and under, and took place at the last regatta of the season. On this occasion the 'Enriqueta,'

20-ton (cutter that was, but at this time a) yawl, s.n.a.t.c.hed, by some few seconds on time allowance, first honours from the old 'Quickstep.'

On the Monday following the regatta a friendly match was sailed between the two vessels, ending with the same result as on the Sat.u.r.day. Two matches were then arranged to be sailed on the next and following days, the conditions of which were that amateurs alone were to man one yacht, while professionals were to take charge of the other. No pilot was to be allowed, and the prize was to be 1_l._ from each amateur should the professionals win, and a sixpenny pipe from each professional should the amateurs be successful. Lots to be drawn for the choice of yacht in the first race, yachts to be exchanged for the second.

The result of the lots on the Tuesday gave the amateurs the choice of ships, and they took the 'Enriqueta.' The course was across an imaginary line from the Signal Station flagstaff to the mark-boat, round the Spit buoy, Warner Lightship and East Sturbridge buoy, leaving all on the starboard hand, thence round the Spit buoy and mark-boat on port hand, to finish between the mark-boat on port hand and Signal Station. Twice round, 20 miles.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Irex' _64 tons_ (_John Jameson, Esq._) _Designed by Alex. Richardson_, 1884.]

The wind was light from the south-east. The professionals in the 'Quickstep' were the first over the line, but it was before the gun fired, and they had to recross it. This was not taken advantage of by the 'Enriqueta,' for the yacht, just as the gun fired, was, for some unaccountable reason, kept in irons quite two minutes by her helmsman.

The 'Enriqueta' was steered by her owner and Major Urquhart. The 'Quickstep' won by 12 mins. 13 secs. On the following day the conditions were identical, except that the yachts were exchanged.

The tide, wind, and weather were the same as on the Tuesday. Both yachts crossed the line at the same time. 'Enriqueta' held the weather berth, and, hugging the mark-boat, went about at once; but 'Quickstep,' by a very pretty piece of steering on the part of Mr.

Maxwell Heron, was put about and brought on 'Enriqueta's' weather.

'Enriqueta' got away again under 'Quickstep's' lee, owing to the latter having her sails too closely pinned in. This error was fortunately rectified, and the 'Quickstep,' with sheets slightly checked, at once sprang ahead and forereached on the yawl, but not sufficiently to prevent the 'Enriqueta,' when off Southsea Castle, from going about and crossing 'Quickstep's' bow, a proceeding which, had it not been for the fine helmsmanship displayed, must have ended in a collision. When the yawl tacked the next time, however, the 'Quickstep' was to windward once more, and led round the Warner Lightship by 4 mins. The mark-boat was rounded at the end of the first round by the 'Quickstep' 14 mins. 15 secs. ahead of the 'Enriqueta.'

On the second round the wind fell light, shifting and flukey, and, except that the 'Quickstep' won, offered no very interesting points of sailing worth noting. Such matches as the foregoing are worth repeating; for it is when acting in compet.i.tion with men who make fore-and-aft sailing their business that amateurs find out the value of their seafaring knowledge, and can accordingly gauge their strength and learn to amend their weak points.

In 1885 the first regatta--and regattas now took place once a fortnight regularly--was memorable for the maiden races of the 'Elma'

among the service boats, and the 'Syren' in the 25-ft. cla.s.s. The 'Elma' had been an open whale-shaped admiral's barge. She was rigged with dipping lugs, and manned by sub-lieutenants from H.M.S.

'Excellent.' The writer had the privilege of seeing her work her way to Bembridge late in the season, and the smart manner in which the boat was handled, and the lugs lowered, dipped, and hoisted, was one of the prettiest sights of the season.

The second regatta witnessed the _debut_ of the two latest additions to the 30-ft. cla.s.s--the 'Curtsey' and 'Yum Yum.' The 'Curtsey' proved herself the best boat of her year.

It was during this year that the new A, B, C cla.s.ses were, for the first time, given a prominent place in the regatta programmes. These severally were supposed to include the full-blown racer, the out-of-date racer, and the ordinary cruiser. The idea was to try to create a method by which all yacht-owners might have an opportunity of joining in yacht racing. The system proved only a partial success, and the real gainers by the innovation, if there were any, were the sailmakers, who were kept employed, owing to many an 'old box'

requiring spinnakers and other light muslin quite foreign to their original sail-plan.

The fourth regatta of the season took place away from the port, and off the new watering-place, Lee-on-Solent. The princ.i.p.al course started from over an imaginary line lying between the committee vessel and a flagstaff at Lee-on-Solent, round the north-east and east Middle buoy, the west Middle buoy, round the Bramble buoys, omitting the Thorn, Calshot Lightship, and Hill Head buoy, to pa.s.s between the committee vessel and sh.o.r.e, leaving all marks on the starboard hand; three times round.

On July 25, the first club match round the Isle of Wight took place.

It was open to all yachts of 9 tons and upwards in the B and C cla.s.ses. Two of Fairlie's old clippers came out in new feathers for this race, the 'Neptune' and 'Fiona'; and the former not only in this, but in many another thrash round a course during this and the following seasons, kept well in the van and showed that age had in no way been detrimental to her speed. The Royal Regatta was again held off Bembridge on August 8, when for the 10-tonners' prize the 'Queen Mab,' and in the 5-ton cla.s.s the pretty 'Cyprus,' showed their wonderful weatherly qualities. The day is one that will long be remembered by those who took part in the trips round the Nab. The course, for all the cla.s.ses from 5 tons and upwards, was from an imaginary line between the committee boat and H.M.S. 'Speedy,' round the Warner Lightship, the Dean Tail buoy and Nab Lightship, leaving all to starboard, to finish between the committee vessel on the port hand and the 'Speedy'; twice round. The weather was boisterous, with half a gale of wind blowing from the southward and westward. There was a nasty cross sea off the Nab, which frightened more than one hardy salt from making a start, and the owners of the 30-ft. yachts did their best to have their course shortened. The only accident, which might have turned out disastrous, was the capsizing of the 'Elma,'

when making a board off the Nab Lightship. She was, however, righted, bailed out, and one by one all her crew got on board.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Midship section.

'Neptune,' cutter, 50 tons. Built by Fife, 1875.]