Yachting Volume Ii Part 10

_New Members_, 1760

* Thomas Newenham Morough O'Bryen George Connor Rich. Longfield James Nash William Hodder * Philip Lavallin John Newenham Walter Fitzsimonds * Samuel h.o.a.re William Hays Michael Parker * Abraham Devonshere John Bullen * Robert Rogers * James Devonshere John Walcot Thomas Parsons Henry Puxly Robert Newenham, Sec.

1760.--Members whose names are marked thus * subsequently died or left the club; the following were elected in their room, and are added in MS. in the old copy:--

Edward Roche Edmund Roche Richard Duns...o...b.. John Atkins John Baldwin Robert Baldwin Sampson Stawell

[Ill.u.s.tration: Yachts of Cork Water Club, 1720. From an old picture at the R.C.Y.C., Queenstown.]

_Sailing orders for the Water Club fleet_, 1720

The fleet to rendezvous at Spithead on club days by the first quarter ebb, any boat not being in sight by the time the Admiral is abreast of the Castle in Spike Island, to forfeit a British half-crown for gunpowder for the fleet.

When the Admiral hoists his foresail half up, it is for the fleet to have a peak upon their anchor, and when the foresail is hoisted up and a gun fired, the whole fleet is to weigh.

_Observe_ that if the Admiral wants to speak with any of the fleet he will make the following signals.

If with the Vice-Admiral he will hoist a white flag at the end of the gaff or derrick, and fire two guns.

If with any private Captain he will hoist a pendant at his derrick, and fire as many guns as the Captain is distanced from him and from the same side.

When he would have the fleet come to an anchor, he will show double Dutch colours at the end of his gaff and fire a gun.

When the Admiral will have the whole fleet to chase he will hoist Dutch colours under his flag, and fire a gun from each quarter; if a single boat he will hoist a pendant and fire as many guns from the side as a boat is distanced from him.

When he would have the chase given over, he will haul in his flag and fire a gun.

Some storm seems suddenly to have burst upon the gay fleet, for after the year 1765 there is a long vacuum in the records. The club journal sets forth, however, that on July 1, 1806, the Marquis of Th.o.m.ond, Lord Kingsale, the Fitzgeralds, the Penroses, the Newenhams, the Drurys, and others, styled therein 'original members,' met, and agreed to revive the old Water Club; but there is no reason to suppose that the club was set afloat in its ancient splendour, and the attention of the members would appear to have been chiefly directed to the useful purpose of exciting compet.i.tion among the fishing and rowing boats in the harbour, to which they gave annual prizes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Royal Cork Yacht Club Queenstown.]

Towards the end of the year 1821, the yachting spirit of both s.e.xes in Cork Harbour declined, and the Water Club was but feebly kept up; indeed, Lords Th.o.m.ond and Kingsale, Messrs. Savage, French, Cooper Penrose, Thomas Roland, John Marragh, William Harrington, John Roche, with a few others, were its sole representatives; and the club as a body at this period may be almost said to have become extinct, as no meetings were held, or proceedings recorded.

But the next year a party of youngsters, higher up the river, took possession of the vacant territory, and in 1822 a little fleet was again seen in the harbour. This society, originating in a picnic club, having its rendezvous at Monkstown, and consisting of small craft, did not a.s.sume the t.i.tle of the Cork Harbour Club, but contented itself with the more humble appellation of the 'Little Monkstown Club.' From these small beginnings, however, the present Royal Cork Yacht Club had its immediate origin, in 1828, when Thomas Hewitt, Caulfield Beamish, and a few other enterprising individuals of the Monkstown Club, supported by the patriotic proprietor of 'Footy,' John Smith-Barry, and the greater part of the old Water Club members then living, met and resolved to revive and re-establish it on a solid and permanent basis.

The new arrangements were judiciously made, and the club, re-established under the t.i.tle of the Cork Yacht Club, rose rapidly to eminence.

The Water Club is ably and favourably noticed in the 'Tour through Ireland.' (London. Printed for J. Roberts, in Warwick Lane, 1748.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Yacht Club Flags.

_The dates show when the Clubs were established._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 a.s.sociation 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 a.s.sistance, 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 825,000_l._ 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 cla.s.s 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 cla.s.ses. 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Erycina'

_96 tons_ (_F. B. Jameson. Esq., R. St. George's Yacht Club_). _Built by Fife_, 1881.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Royal St George's Yacht Club, Dublin Bay.]

ROYAL ALFRED YACHT CLUB

BY G. L. BLAKE

No sporting society in the whole of the three kingdoms has done more to encourage seamanship than that which has its station in Dublin Bay, and has been known for so many years past as the Royal Alfred Yacht Club. Worked on a basis somewhat different from that of most clubs, whose object is the encouragement of amateur sailing, this community sprang into being on March 19, 1857, at a meeting held in Gilbert's Hotel, Westland Row, Dublin, under the chairmanship of that fine practical yachtsman the late Mr. William Cooper, so well known to all patrons of the sport by his valuable works on the pastime he loved so well, written under the pseudonym 'Vanderdecken.'

[Ill.u.s.tration:

'Oimara' _169 tons_ 'Flying Could' _75 tons_ 'Iona' _63 tons_ 'Fiona' _78 tons_ 'Arethusa' _58 tons_ 'Flag Boat'

'Pantomine' _142 tons_ 'Gwendoline' _197 tons_ 'Garrion'

_Royal Irish Yacht Club Cup, Kingstown, July 24, 1873_ (_from a picture by Admiral Beechy_).]

'Smartness' might have been the motto of the newly launched club, for within a few weeks of the above date the Irish Model Yacht Club--thus it was christened while yet on the ways--had taken on board all the essentials necessary for a lengthened and prosperous voyage. Acker's signals were its code, and words of wisdom in the form of club rules had been duly got out and printed. A captain of the fleet, secretary, and treasurer, backed up by a very able committee of thirteen, const.i.tuted the 'powers that be'; and under their auspices, on May 21, the yachts of the club made their debut in company in Ireland's Bay of Naples.

It was during the following year that one of those rules was framed which proved for so many years such a notable club feature. It ran as follows: 'Every Sat.u.r.day shall be a Fleet day unless there be notice to the contrary, and all yachts on the station, under a fine of 5_s._, shall be bound to join the fleet at a given hour, unless a satisfactory reason for the yacht's absence be given to the Sailing Committee. No yacht is to join unless the owner, or a member of a Yacht Club, be on board.' Of course this regulation has had to be rescinded in order to allow of club matches taking place, and the cruises in company have become less frequent; but it is impossible to estimate the value to seamanship of fleet sailing, because there is no method by which the sailor can more readily attain to the complete command of his vessel, and make her answer to his bidding. Sailing as he will be on such occasions in company with yachts of various sizes, sail-carrying power and speed, the yachtsman who can keep station will have learnt not only to have a confidence in himself and his vessel, but also how to vary her degrees of sailing from the reeling off of knots to an up and down log line.

In 1859 the club was practically reorganised. A new book of amended rules and regulations was printed, and a book of signals produced and compiled by Mr. Jas. A. Lyle, who had been appointed honorary secretary. Among these new rules was this very useful and simple one: 'Each owner is to lodge with the secretary a duplicate of his racing flag, and this flag is to be carried on board the Commodore's yacht of the day, to facilitate signalling and avoidance of mistakes.'

Towards the end of the season Lord Otho Fitzgerald, who had up to this time acted as captain of the fleet, gave up the office, and till it was eventually done away with, a Challenge Cup was inst.i.tuted, open to all yachts of 15 tons (the largest size among the racing fleet) and under, to be sailed for annually. It was ruled that in future the holder of this cup should fill the office of captain of the fleet for the ensuing year.

So far the club matches had been few and somewhat irregular. Three cla.s.ses had been formed, consisting of yachts of 10 and not exceeding 15 tons, of 6 and not over 10, and of others under 6 tons. This year, however, was started the annual series of racing matches, which have for over thirty years been so popular with the racing fraternity of St. George's Channel and the Clyde; and each season's programme has only undergone such alterations as have been necessitated by the increased tonnage of the competing yachts, or as may further racing according to the fashionable sizes of the yachts of the period. About this date, too, it was found necessary to obviate the difficulty which was being felt with regard to manning and sailing yachts, owing to the number of large yachts, which already flew the club burgee; the original rule, that permitted members only to be employed, was therefore stretched, in order to admit of any member of a Royal Yacht Club, who had paid his subscription, or any gentleman amateur not a seafaring man, being entered as a racing hand.

In 1864 the club advanced another step safely, and emerging from its chrysalis stage of a model yacht club, b.u.t.terflied it in public as the Prince Alfred Yacht Club, keeping the same objects in view as. .h.i.therto, viz., the encouragement of match sailing and the acquisition of practical knowledge amongst its members of how to steer and handle their own vessels, especially while sailing. Commodores were appointed in place of a captain of the fleet, to carry on the more extended duties of the club; and Messrs. Putland, Scovell, and Bolton, whose names are household words throughout the yachting world, were the first officers to hold the appointments. No fewer than five cla.s.ses had now to be created to take in the racing fleet; the cla.s.s for yachts of 40 tons and over included all the big ones, that for 7 tons and under was open to the small fry.

Two years later (1866) the Duke of Edinburgh identified himself more closely than heretofore with the club that bore his name, by becoming its patron, and presenting a cup to be sailed for; and it was during this season that prizes were inst.i.tuted, in the shape of gold pins bearing the club burgee, to especially encourage the art of helmsmanship. 1866 is also worthy of being remembered as having witnessed the introduction of the annual Kingstown and Holyhead matches, with which, since that time, the racing programme of the season has nearly always started.

The standing rule which specially distinguishes this club is that all money received shall go towards racing expenses and prize funds. The consequence follows that, limited though the club is to 300 members (there were 200 in 1864), it is able to provide good prizes for all cla.s.ses, and can show more sport for its money than many another richer club which is hampered with a house. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the success of this homeless club, as many have called it, should read a really useful lesson to the committees of all young yachting or other sporting communities, not to be too anxious about bricks and mortar or entering on the responsibilities of housekeeping.

In 1868 another new feature, which at once became popular and is so to the present day, was started by Mr. G. B. Thompson. This was a series of matches to be held each year for yachts manned by amateurs only; and it is in some of these races, which have taken place during the past quarter of a century, that the capabilities of the members have prominently appeared as first-cla.s.s able seamen. This season, however, will always be remembered for the race that was sailed on June 1 by the 2nd cla.s.s yachts--viz. those over 25 and under 40 tons, in which the 3rd cla.s.s yachts were allowed to enter at 26 tons. The 'Xema,'

35; 'Vampire,' 20 (rated at 26); 'Echo,' yawl, 37; 'Secret,' 31; 'Kilmeny,' 30; 'Wavecrest,' yawl, 35; and 'Amberwitch,' yawl, 52 tons, started. Three paid hands were allowed to each yacht. The course lay from Kingstown Harbour, round the North Bar buoy, Kish Lightship, and the Hauling buoy in Kingstown Harbour--twice round, to start from moorings. Though the weather was anything but satisfactory, all the morning had been fine, and there had been scarcely any wind, so that light muslin, in the shape of large topsails, balloon foresails, and big No. 1 jibs, was donned by all the compet.i.tors, at all events for the reach out to the Bar buoy. The old 'Bat' was the first to get away, but she was soon overhauled by the 'Echo,' the rest following in line abreast. As the day grew on, the wind, from being shifty and all over the place, gradually settled down from the eastward, and the 'Wavecrest' being the first to feel the true wind, she very naturally made use of it, and went through her vessels as if they had been at anchor. She was not allowed, however, to have the game all to herself for many moments, as the 'Amberwitch' and 'Xema' were soon on her track, while the 'Kilmeny' and 'Vampire' indulged in a luffing match, and almost allowed the 'Secret' and 'Echo,' which were doing rearguard, to overtake them.

The buoy was rounded in the order given above, and as the wind had been increasing rapidly the crews were now called on to show their smartness in handing in the wind persuaders and subst.i.tuting second jibs and working foresails for the close-haul out to the Kish. Those who know what the face of the waters is like off the Kish Bank when a hard easterly wind has set in will have some idea of the kind of business that was being transacted on this occasion, on the outward journey. Soon it became evident that topsails were altogether out of place, and those who had shifted ballooners for small square-headers had to take them in again and house their topmasts. The 'Xema' alone held on, though it could easily be seen that her topsail was not helping her at all. She had quite trouble enough too, as it turned out, without having useless top-hamper aloft, for her weather bowsprit shrouds began to show such signs of distress that it became necessary for her to hand in her head-sail and set a small jib. The 'Amberwitch'

was heeling and toeing it to such an extent that, by sagging away to leeward, it became quite clear she was by no means having things her own way. The 'Xema,' on the other hand, notwithstanding her sail-plan, coming up under the 'Kilmeny's' lee, was forereaching well on her, when a further trouble overtook her in the parting of the main outhaul, and the traveller coming in as far as the reef battens--there were no outhaul horses in 1868--left the mainsail in a bag, a misfortune which was at once taken advantage of by the 'Kilmeny,' who promptly gave her the go-by.