'Corsair' and 'Talisman' race round Eddystone, August 1842, 'Corsair' winning.
There was talk of a race between the Marquis of Anglesey's 'Pearl' and Mr. J. Weld's 'Alarm' for a thousand guineas, but it never came off; in fact, the Marquis never raced her from the time 'Pearl' was built in 1821 to the year of his death, 1854. The 'Mosquito,' with Captain John Nichols at the tiller, once came out on his weather, and the Marquis very politely dipped his ensign to the yacht that weathered him for the first time in all his years of cruising. The 'Arrow' and 'Mosquito' once finished a fine race, which was a marvellously close thing between them, 'Arrow,' 6 hrs. 59 mins. 30 secs., 'Mosquito,' 6 hrs. 59 mins. 31 secs.!
'Talisman,' 84 tons, and 'Corsair,' 80 tons, race, 1842.
A very good account is handed to us of how yachtsmen more than half a century since—in 1830—enjoyed a real rough day's sailing on the Thames. A cup had been subscribed for of the value of fifty guineas, and all the cracks of the day entered for it:—
| tons | |
| Matchless | 19 |
| Vixen | 19 |
| Lady Louisa | 13 |
| Fairy | 13 |
| Daisy | 19 |
| Venus | 13 |
| Rob Roy | 16 |
| Brilliant | 8 |
| Donna del Lago | 9 |
| Ariel | 8 |