CLASS RACING, 1889
The 10-Raters, 1889.
The owner of 'Lollypop' being encouraged by her performances in 1888, commissioned Mr. Arthur Payne to design a racing 10-rater; whence it came about that the swift and handsome 'Decima' was launched from the Belvidere yard in the following spring. She was a few inches shorter than 'Dis,' but in every other respect a more powerful boat—more beam, draught, and displacement, also a larger mainsail.
The 'Drina' was built at Cowes about the same time, but she was designed simply as a 32-ft. L.W.L. day boat, and her owner, Prince Batthyany Strattmann, only decided to race her when she was already in frame. The lead keel was then dropped 1.8 foot and the sail increased 400, to 1,800 square feet. Unfortunately for 'Drina' it was a windy summer.
Mr. Ratsey tuned up his fine square-sterned yacht 'Dolly Varden' with a lovely suit of sails. Captain Montagu lengthened 'Lil' and converted her into the 9-rater 'Nety'; and Mr. Clarke brought out 'Dis' from her padlocked abode and did all that he could to make her win—but in this he was disappointed, though when beaten he stuck to the fight as only a true sportsman can.
Towards the end of the season the attention of Clydesiders was drawn to 'Decima's' long string of successes, and the sporting owners of the old 'Doris' and the new 'Yvonne' sailed them round to do battle in the Solent lists.
Racing Records, 1889.
| 1889 | Starts | Prizes | Figure of merit | ||
| First | Other | Total | |||
| 10-Rating Class | |||||
| Decima | 39 | 28 | 06 | 34 | 59 |
| Yvonne | 32 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 33 |
| Doris | 38 | 12 | 07 | 19 | 26 |
| Dis | 28 | 03 | 09 | 12 | 08 |
| 5-Rating Class | |||||
| Lollypop | 10 | 05 | 03 | 08 | 33 |
| Thief | 03 | 02 | 00 | 02 | 29 |
| Thalassa | 12 | 05 | 03 | 08 | 28 |
| Fair Geraldine | 03 | 01 | 00 | 01 | 15 |
| Cock-a-Whoop | 05 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 10 |
| Blue Bell | 09 | 01 | 03 | 04 | 07 |
| 2½-Rating Class | |||||
| Humming Bird | 38 | 25 | 04 | 29 | 54 |
| Queen Mab | 12 | 05 | 02 | 07 | 28 |
| Cosette | 19 | 04 | 06 | 10 | 15 |
| G.G. | 13 | 02 | 03 | 05 | 11 |
| Nadador | 21 | 02 | 08 | 10 | 07 |
| Madcap | 26 | 02 | 05 | 07 | 06 |
| Thalassa | 13 | 01 | 03 | 04 | 06 |
| Thief | 16 | 01 | 03 | 04 | 05 |
'Yvonne,' designed by the famous son of Fife, was narrower and shorter than 'Decima,' and had 45 square feet more sail, which placed her in the van in light weather. But 'Decima' beat her five times in eight starts, and beat 'Doris' eleven times in fourteen starts.
The results for the season are given in the record table.
It was a red-letter year for the 10's on the Solent, nothing like it having occurred either before or since.
Energy in one class is often accompanied by stagnation in another, and the 5's were certainly slow enough during 1889 to satisfy the most exacting Puritan.
'Cock-a-Whoop,' 2½-rater. Designed by A. E. Payne, M.I.N.A., 1889.
The clubs did their duty, as fifteen races were given to the class on the Solent. 'Lollypop,' cut down to a 5, was the most successful boat. Next came 'Thief' (of which boat more anon); then 'Thalassa,' 'Fair Geraldine,' 'Cock-a-Whoop,' 'Blue Bell,' 'Gleam,' 'Ada,' 'Dorothy,' and 'Tar Baby' made up the motley crowd—the four last-named scoring a 'duck' for their figure of merit. 'Gleam,' however, caused a little excitement by capsizing in one race, pitching her owner, Mr. Clayton, with several of his friends, into the sweet waters of Southampton, from which they were fortunately rescued with much promptitude by the blue gig carried on board her Majesty's letter-bag boat, which was steaming past at the time of the accident. The class was nothing more nor less than a harbour of refuge for outclassed boats; and, as the yachts differed in their ratings, the race officers were ever busy calculating their time allowances, and growling inwardly at 'those confounded decimals.' 'Fair Geraldine' was the only boat built for the class, but, curiously enough, when she tried conclusions at the end of the season she found herself 'between the devil and the deep sea,' the 2½-rater 'Cock-a-Whoop,' with extra sail to qualify for the class, beating her in light weather on September 14, and the cruiser 'Lollypop' beating her in a breeze on the 21st.
The broad results of the racing can be seen in the table of records for 1889.
The 2½-Raters, 1889.
Now began small yacht-racing in earnest, and a determined attempt was made to lower Mr. Payne's colours. Mrs. Schenley, the Earl of Dunraven, and Mr. T. B. C. West all joined the class, all cared but little what it cost to win, all sailed their boats well, all engaged good crews, and all went to Mr. G. L. Watson for the designs. He gave them enlarged 'Totties' (one with a C.B.), excellent boats in their way, but distinctly inferior to the type developing on the Solent under the motto, 'Payne and Pleasure.' Such a boat was 'Humming Bird,' often called the 'Hummer,' nearly 3 feet longer than 'Lady Nan,' and about 17 inches longer on W.L. than her Watsonite competitors, but with little O.H. at either end. The fin-keel became more pronounced, the M.S. and scantling were further reduced, and the lug sloop rig was adopted—a combination which made her wonderfully fast on all points of sailing in any but light winds. She was sailed faultlessly by her owner, Captain J. W. Hughes, and made the excellent M. of 54 at the end of the season (see table of records).
Another boat of the year deserves mention—the 26-ft. C.B. sloop built and designed by Stephens of Southampton. She was purchased by Mr. Garrett of plunging boat fame, and named the 'G.G.' She had 10 feet beam, and did best on courses where she could avoid a tide by sailing over the shallows. 'Thalassa' was raced in the class during June and July, after which she raised her R. and joined the 5's. She had been lengthened 2 feet aft during the winter, and greatly improved thereby, her speed now being equal to 'Madcap' and 'Lady Nan' (see record table for 1889, p. [233]).
'Humming Bird,' Payne, 1889.
'Heathen Chinee,' a yawl of peculiar design, and 'Minnow' and 'Chipmunk' raced on a few occasions, but failed to win any first prizes.