'SAMŒNA'
94 tons. Built for John Jameson, Esq., by Inman, 1880.
There was a thoroughly representative assemblage of yachtsmen afloat the first day the big cutters had racing flags lashed up, and it may be said that never during the half-century the Royal Thames has been an institution has a more critical company, collectively, been present at a river match of the premier metropolitan club. A white haze was hanging about the lower Thames on the morning of Thursday, May 25, and when the 'Valkyrie,' 'Britannia,' 'Calluna' and 'Iverna' were ready to answer the starting gun, a breeze from the west-north-west of balloon topsail strength was blowing. The quartet began the race at 12.5, and went reaching down the Lower Hope, with flowing sheets and carrying a swirl of ebb-tide with them. 'Valkyrie' had made a clever start, and keeping to the Essex side was first to square away in Sea Reach, and get spinnaker set to port. 'Britannia' had been edged off to the heart of the fairway, but about Thames Haven she was drawn in across 'Valkyrie's' wake, and straightened on a down-river course directly she had angled the latter's wind. 'Valkyrie's' first racing burst was satisfactory, inasmuch as she kept pride of place for about 14 miles, albeit she never held more than a clear length's lead of 'Britannia.' About a couple of miles below Southend the wind had a hank off the sands, and, with square canvas gathered and sheets trimmed in a little, 'Britannia' raced up broad on the weather beam of 'Valkyrie,' while wide away 'Calluna' was booming along with a rally of wind aft, and for a few minutes certainly led the fleet. On an easy reach 'Britannia' gave evidence that she had the foot of the sister ship, yet it was a marvellously close race, the Prince of Wales's cutter drawing by the wind round the Mouse at 2.10 with about three lengths lead of 'Valkyrie,' while the 'Calluna' was only 1 min. 11 secs. and 'Iverna' 2 mins. 5 secs. astern of the leader. With a beat back over a lee tide in perspective the lead round the lightship was an immense advantage, and, in order to keep weather gauge, 'Britannia' was kept shooting so long that 'Valkyrie' had no chance of a successful hug, and it would have been suicidal for her to have turned about in the body of the tide. The alternative was sailing hard to get the wind clear to leeward; but when 'Valkyrie' came round outside the edge of the tide rift, 'Britannia,' drawing a foot less water, was able to cast about dead in the wind's eye of her rival. A grand breeze squeezing trial went on right up Sea Reach, 'Valkyrie,' although the quicker of the pair in stays, getting now and again a staggering weather bower. It was a racing treat, however, and, despite the duel, the 'Calluna' and 'Iverna' were getting a hollow beating. The breeze freshened with the flood, and from off Shellhaven 'Britannia,' which was a bare hundred yards to windward of 'Valkyrie,' was, on starboard, pointing clear of the Blyth, and did not therefore follow her rival on an inshore cast. After passing the Lower Hope point, sheets were checked, jib topsails and balloon staysails were set, and, with a puffy breeze broad off the Essex side, they went straight up the fairway pushing on a big bow wave. 'Britannia' going thus free was dropping 'Valkyrie' a trifle, yet the race looked open until 'Valkyrie's' bowsprit snapped short off close to the stem head. She was eased in to the weather shore, and her topmast saved in a wonderful way, and eventually she followed 'Britannia' home. 'Calluna' had split her big jib across the diagonal seam in Sea Reach, but got another set, and looked likely—consequent on 'Valkyrie's' mishap—to gain second honours. An attempt, however, to pass inside the Ovens ended by 'Calluna' sticking deep in the mud, and 'Iverna' got home soon enough to save her time on 'Valkyrie.' This, the first race, was a fair trial to leeward and to windward, and it showed 'Britannia' and 'Valkyrie' to be wonderfully evenly matched, while 'Calluna's' début was disappointing.
'Iverna,' 1890. (John Jameson, Esq.)
Lines and midship section of 'Iverna.'
Dimensions, &c.: Length (on L.W.L.), 83.50 ft.; beam, extreme, 19 ft.; depth, 10.70 ft.; tonnage, registered, 84.40 tons; tonnage, y. m. 152 tons; Y.R.A. rating, 118 tons. Designed by Alexander Richardson for John Jameson, Esq.
The valedictory match on the river on May 27 proved the best racing test, and furnished the most stirring sport of the trio. 'Valkyrie' was ready to join in, and the fleet was similarly constituted to the opening day. The race was under the Royal London burgee, and was sailed in gloomy weather and a smart north-east breeze. A sensation was served up before the contest proper had been started, and directly after the heavily freighted official steamer had got down to the Lower Hope, through 'Calluna's' mast breaking off short as a Jersey cabbage-stalk. With her whole canvas pile carrying away over the side it was feared some of the crew might be entangled; but luckily everything went clear and no one was hurt. It was 12.45 before the Commodore started the race, and at the time the Hope was full of trading craft. A bulky hopper barred 'Britannia's' way, and both 'Valkyrie' and 'Iverna' had to be shoved up in the wind; and while the two last named were hovering, 'Britannia' stood away for the Kent side into the full scour of the ebb, and came off on the starboard tack in weather berth. 'Valkyrie' had to short tack at the top of Sea Reach to clear her wind, and as a long leg could be made, 'Britannia' reached away with the lead, 'Valkyrie,' half a dozen lengths astern, pointing high for her weather quarter. The wind was puffy and both dropped 'Iverna,' but the two leaders were sailing a grand race, and made a long stretch as far as the East River Middle without breaking port tack. Hereabout, however, the wind suddenly shortened on them from the eastward, and the 'Valkyrie' most unluckily was thrown dead under the lee of 'Britannia.' With the tide soaking them bodily to windward, they both fetched under the Nore Sand, which had to be stood from for water, and by short turnings they then made a fine race to the Nore Lightship. Here they got in deep water, and after a short hitch and a rap-full stretch to clear had failed, 'Valkyrie' went in for short boards of about twenty seconds, and ended by being given lee helm directly she was full. This meant that 'Britannia,' being slower in stays, had not got sheets in before she wanted to go about again, and she would to a certainty have been weathered by 'Valkyrie,' before getting as far on as the West Oaze, had not the Prince of Wales's cutter been treated to longer boards. 'Britannia' then got away and weathered the Mouse, after as fine a display of short tacking as has ever been seen on the river, with a lead of 39 seconds, and the duel had let 'Iverna' get within 10 minutes of the leader. They ran back against the tide with spinnakers to port; but it was dead running, and 'Valkyrie,' edging in to the Maplins, got through into first place above the Admiralty mile. The wind then came off shore, and 'Britannia' at once began to luff in. 'Valkyrie' was determined to keep her weather wind clear, the pair had a match up to Southend, and on keeping away both touched the ground, the 'Britannia' bumping three times hard on the north head of Leigh Sand. The Prince of Wales's cutter, however, keeping wide, slipped past 'Valkyrie' about the Chapman, drew to, and came fair ahead. The pair kept up a grand race on the Essex side of the river, but 'Iverna,' greatly favoured by the wind and her opponents' jockeying, had got within a couple of minutes of the leaders when off Holehaven. Spinnakers were carried through the Hope, and a grand race finished with a free reach from Coalhouse Point home, 'Britannia' beating 'Valkyrie' by 73 seconds; but 'Iverna' won the prize by time.