The Royal Northern Regatta opened on July 1 with a piping breeze strong enough for slab reefs to be pulled down; before noon, however, jackyard topsails were wanted, and calms and partial breezes made tiresome work afterward, flukes being as plentiful as motes in a sunbeam. The 'Calluna' put in an appearance, and when viewed broadside on her big sail-plan gave her quite an over-hatted look. 'Satanita,' 'Britannia,' 'Valkyrie,' and 'Iverna' all made their number, and the match commenced in a rush of wind, 'Satanita' clearing out of Rothesay Bay faster than any steamboat ever left it—perhaps a madder burst of reaching was never seen. The Southampton boat was at the head of affairs for some time, but after some fluking 'Valkyrie' led. At the end of the second round, however, 'Satanita,' through a sheer slice of luck, got 3 mins. ahead of 'Britannia,' and as it was then 4.30 and clock calm in the Clyde, it was thought the match would be stopped. The Committee, however, wanted the distance done, and 'Britannia,' being the faster in light airs, got home late in the evening 1 min. 49 secs, before 'Satanita,' 'Valkyrie,' which was nearly 20 mins. astern of the latter at the end of the first round, getting in 1 min. 32 secs, after, and saving her time for second prize. The 'Calluna's' wide wings did not seem to help her as they should have done in flaws and catspaws.
The Mudhookers opened the ball on July 5 at Hunter's Quay, and a very capital sailing programme was put forward by the exclusive 'forty' which constitute the club, the leading event being a prize value 100l. for big cutters. With 'Britannia' and 'Calluna' disabled, the affair virtually resolved itself into a match between 'Valkyrie' and 'Satanita,' although the 'Iverna' was a starter. It was imperative that the helmsmen should be amateurs, and Mr. W. G. Jameson shipped for the day as timoneer of 'Satanita,' Lord Dunraven having Mr. George Watson to relieve him on 'Valkyrie.' Starting with a free sheet in a smart breeze, 'Satanita' went away so fast that 'Valkyrie' looked likely to have a stern chase; but the wind got baffling, in beating up the Firth from Ascog 'Valkyrie' worked up, and off Dunoon, in standing off on port, she had to come round under the lee bow of her rival. A wind-jamming trial then followed, and 'Satanita' either sidled away and dropped down on 'Valkyrie,' or the latter ate up under her rival, as the end of 'Satanita's' gaff hooked 'Valkyrie's' topmast shrouds, and Lord Dunraven's cutter was towed along for some minutes. After getting clear, it was thought 'Valkyrie's' topmast was slightly sprung, and there were cross protests at the finish of the round. A desperately close race was sailed on the second turn round the course, and 'Satanita,' which was only 27 secs. ahead at the finish, got beaten on time by 'Valkyrie.' 'Iverna' finished 26 secs. after the leader.
Amateur helmsmen were in request for the big ships on Clyde Corinthian Club day, when the 'Britannia,' 'Valkyrie,' 'Satanita,' and 'Iverna' responded to the starting gun. The weather was very uncertain, the breezes being so light that only one round of the course could be sailed. 'Valkyrie' was the lucky ship as she rounded the Kilcreggan flagboat, two and a half miles from the Commodore, last boat. Standing off in the Firth, along the edge of a flaw, whilst her opponents were lying becalmed, she tacked into a breezy lane, and, passing 'Iverna,' 'Satanita,' and 'Britannia' in turn, carried her way up to the line, getting the winning gun 30 secs. before 'Britannia' struggled through, and 2 mins. 15 secs. in advance of 'Satanita.' The 'Valkyrie' was steered by her owner, the 'Britannia' by Mr. W. G. Jameson, and the 'Satanita' by Mr. R. Ure.
A more unfavourable racing day than that which opened the Royal Club Regatta has never been experienced even on the unutterably fluky Firth. Sudden spurts of wind, calms, a very long spell of what was quite a deluge of rain, deafening thunder, blinding lightning and depressing gloom, made up the sample of weather vouchsafed to the competitors during the time that the 'sport' was progressing. The big cutters mustered in full force, and had a light easterly breeze, which gave a reach down the Clyde. Just before the start, 'Britannia' on the port tack, with the wind pretty broad abeam, made 'Calluna,' which had run down from the eastward with boom over the port side, come round; and this was deemed cause for 'Calluna' to pursue a protest, on the ground that a breach of the rules of the road had been committed. 'Valkyrie,' too, made a mark of 'Britannia,' the latter getting the stem, and sustaining damage to the port bulwarks aft and the taffrail. After an unsatisfactory start, 'Britannia' and 'Satanita' went round the Ascog mark together, but just as the latter was stepping out in style, and apparently in first place, her bobstay pendant burst and the bowsprit broke off short to the stem-head. Topsails had been shifted, as there was a prospect of a strong breeze, but the outcome was a tempest without a rattle of wind. 'Britannia' sailed in fine form, and simply lost her opponents directly 'Satanita's' accident had put that boat out of the way. It was a wretchedly poor time, however, and, thanks to not a little good fortune, 'Britannia' beat 'Valkyrie' by 41 mins. 40 secs., and 'Calluna' by 62 mins. 17 secs., while 'Iverna' gave up. Protests were lodged against 'Britannia' on behalf of both 'Calluna' and 'Valkyrie.' The 'Calluna's' objection was considered, and about midnight the Sailing Committee decided to disqualify the 'Britannia,' only one witness, be it said, from the last-named vessel having been called. There was really not a semblance of racing on the second day of the Royal Clyde Regatta, which was the valedictory fixture in the so-called 'Clyde fortnight.' Flying chills and draughts out of every 'airt,' with long spells of calm, kept the vessels hanging about the lower part of the Firth until the shadows were well slanting eastward. An evening breeze helped 'Valkyrie' home, but it took her nearly seven hours and a half to cover one half the course, and she finished 54 mins. 9 secs. before the 'Calluna,' 1 hr. 31 mins. 30 secs. before 'Britannia,' and about 2 hrs. 40 mins. before 'Satanita,' the last named taking 10 hrs. to cover 25 miles.
Inspiriting racing marked the opening of the Irish fixtures at Bangor, and the Royal Ulster Regatta attracted all the big cutters. The wind was fresh from the north-north-east, slab reefs were down in mainsails and sharp-headed topsails set. A thrilling and eventful contest followed a perfectly judged start, and 'Britannia,' 'Satanita,' and 'Valkyrie' formed first flight in a plain sail round the Lough as far as the South Briggs flagboat, where the last named lost her place through one of her hands getting knocked overboard in a gybe. At the same mark in the second round 'Britannia' got the inside turn, when the main boom had to come over; but 'Satanita' at once began to luff, and with mainsheet blocks together on both they went heading out in the Lough. Foot by foot 'Satanita' came up, off Ballyholme Bay she had ranged broad on the weather-beam of her rival, and was thus able to claim room at the home flagboat, which she luffed round with 5 secs. lead, and Jay then kept her shooting almost as long as she would to keep weather berth. 'Britannia' unluckily got her mainsheet jammed, and as she could not in consequence be sprung to the wind—at once—so high as 'Satanita,' she dropped under the lee quarter, and got a severe blanketing all the way up the Lough. The pair sailed an exciting match round the rest of the course, and 'Satanita' travelling like a shooting star reached home winner with 5 secs. in hand. It may be said that the feat was accomplished in one third of the course, 16½ miles, and that she beat 'Britannia' 2 mins. 29 secs. in that distance, which was a very high tribute indeed to 'Satanita's' speed. 'Calluna' finished 7 mins. 19 secs. after the winner. 'Valkyrie' never regained any of the time lost in picking up the hand who got overboard.
ROYAL ULSTER YACHT CLUB BELFAST.
The breeze steadied down during the dark hours, and the 'Valkyrie' had a day just to her liking. 'Iverna's' well-known racing banner was missed for the first time in the season, owing to her rudder-head being twisted. Spectators were treated to a magnificent light-weather match between the 'Valkyrie' and 'Britannia.' The former took the lead directly after the flash of the starting gun, but she did not seem to ghost along in the usual peerless style. 'Britannia' was with difficulty kept pinned under the lee; in fact, it was evident that 'Valkyrie' could not allow her opponent a cross-tacking chance, or her quarry would certainly have slipped her. The breezes were paltry and patchy, with plenty of white water spots about, and the course was shortened to the extent of one third the distance, 'Valkyrie' eventually crawling home winner about three lengths ahead of 'Britannia,' although there was 1 min. 56 secs. difference between them in time. 'Calluna's' big sail-plan availed her little, and 'Satanita' never once really woke up in the prevailing zephyrs. 'Calluna' finished 16 mins. 53 secs. astern of 'Valkyrie,' and 'Satanita' struggled in against the tide 8 mins. 6 secs. after 'Calluna.'
There was a piping breeze from the westward on the opening day of the Royal Irish Regatta, and a stirring struggle with 'Satanita,' 'Britannia,' and 'Calluna' for Her Majesty's Cup was accordingly anticipated. 'Calluna' risked a whole mainsail, but 'Britannia' and 'Satanita' had the baby reef in and all set jibheaded topsails. Perfect judgment was shown on the 'Satanita' and 'Britannia' in manœuvring for the start, but 'Satanita's' skipper scored first honours as he gave his ship a wipe away at the nick of time, and she reached through the line, fairly foaming a length ahead of the Prince of Wales's cutter, 'Calluna' being about a hundred yards astern. They went along the wind at a tearing pace to the Muglins Mark, jib-topsails being cracked on, and on going to the Kish the wind was brought on the quarter, a nasty roll tried spars and gear, and an ugly gybe came on before making the Lightship. At this mark 'Satanita' had given a startling illustration of her speed with a free sheet, as she led the 'Britannia' 2 mins. 5 secs., with 'Calluna' only 19 secs. astern of the latter. A very fast piece of close reaching was done between the Kish and the Rosebeg, then came a dead peg across the Bay. 'Britannia' tried hard to get 'Satanita' into short tacking, and the latter, having to turn about more often than suited her, found 'Britannia' settling up, enabling 'Calluna' to profit by the game her opponents were playing. In a hard squall the second round commenced, and through a backing of the wind they had a run with spinnakers to the Kish. A gybe had to be made, and it was a heavy one. 'Satanita' and 'Britannia' got their booms over all right, but 'Calluna's' came in a hurry, and while the boom-end was buried deep in the water, the inner part came with a surge against the runner and broke off, the outer half of the spar launching in board and lying square across the deck. Luckily no one was hurt, which was simply a miracle. The 'Satanita' and 'Britannia' sailed a desperate race during the rest of the round, and this time the former had the better of her rival beating across the bay. In going free to the Kish on the last turn, 'Satanita' sailed in peerless form, and had a lead of 4 mins. 44 secs. at the Lightship. In a close reach to the Rosebeg, 'Satanita' lost a few seconds, and then followed a splendid race tack and tack home. 'Britannia' was the better on this point, but 'Satanita' kept her under the lee and weathered the line with a lead of 2 mins. 47 secs., winning the Royal trophy and scoring a brilliant victory with 69 secs. to spare.