Yacht Club Flags.
The dates show when the Clubs were established.
Cork Water Club putting out to sea, 1720.
I shall now acquaint your Lordships with a ceremony they have at Cork. It is somewhat like that of the Doge of Venice wedding the sea. A set of worthy gentlemen who have formed themselves into a body, which they call the 'Water Club,' proceed a few leagues out to sea once a year, in a number of little vessels, which for painting and gilding exceed the King's yacht at Greenwich and Deptford. Their Admiral, who is elected annually, and hoists his flag on board his little vessel, leads the van and receives the honours of the flag. The rest of the fleet fall in their proper stations and keep their line in the same manner as the King's ships. This fleet is attended with a prodigious number of boats, which, with their colours flying, drums beating, and trumpets sounding, forms one of the most agreeable and splendid sights your Lordships can conceive.
The Union with harp and crown in the centre on a green field, was granted by the Lords of the Admiralty to William, Earl of Inchiquin, for the Cork Harbour Yacht Club, in 1759.
The present club-house is delightfully situated at Queenstown; though old association clings rather to Haulbowline, with its quaint history. The old pictures in the club-rooms of the Water Club yachts are valuable as showing what the craft were in those days. Age has sombred them down so much that many details are unfortunately lost. We are indebted to Major H. H. Newman, the Hon. Secretary, for his assistance, and also to Major Lysaght, who kindly photographed these paintings.
THE CLUBS AT KINGSTOWN, DUBLIN Co.
Kingstown Harbour, so admirably adapted for sailing, has long been a favourite spot with yachtsmen. Formerly Kingstown was a small creek called Dunleary, but King George IV. embarked there on September 3, 1821, and promised a grant for a new harbour, which was finished in 1859 at a cost of 825,000l. This harbour encloses a clear sheet of water 250 acres in extent, of depth from 15 ft. to 27 ft. at low water, with a rise of 8 ft. or 9 ft. It affords good holding ground and shelter from all winds, and, being a harbour of refuge, there are no harbour fees. As a yachting station, in addition to being a safe anchorage, it has the advantage of enabling a yacht to get in or out to the open sea in a few minutes at any tide. The East Pier is a mile long, and forms one of the most perfect marine promenades in the world. Yachting took root here when the St. George's Yacht Club was established in 1838, though perhaps it should more strictly be dated from 1845 as it was in the latter year it obtained its Admiralty warrant. It has now become Royal, with Her Majesty the Queen as Patroness; Lord Dunleath (formerly John Mulholland, Esq.,) Vice-Commodore. A remarkably fine class of yachts is brought together in this club, and when the regatta is held Kingstown Harbour presents one of the finest aquatic spectacles in the world, embracing yachts and sailing boats of all classes. The 'Mermaids' and the 'Water Wags,' which give annually great sport in the Bay, are described in a following chapter. The Royal Irish Club has its club-house in a fine and convenient situation; established as it was in 1846, there will soon be two yachting jubilee regattas in Dublin Bay. July is the month when aquatic revelry is in full swing. Many is the hard race sailed from the harbour round The Kish, and many the spar carried away when the high-spirited Corinthians have been cracking on. The Royal Ulster meets at Bangor, Co. Down, having the Marquis of Dufferin as Commodore; Lord Dunleath as Vice-Commodore; Captain Sharman-Crawford, of 'Red Lancer' fame, as Rear-Commodore.