(MARI)TIME WARP! 1910: REGATTA AT ISLAND HEIGHTS A GREAT SUCCESS!

INQUIRER AWARDS HANDSOME PRIZES; THOUSANDS CHEER

Philadelphia Inquirer
7 Aug. 1910

Many Entries - Club Fleet Parade a Unique Feature

From a Staff Correspondent

ISLAND HEIGHTS, N.J., Aug. 6.--If the old-time racing fiends of thirty years ago, when the sandtubbers were in their hey-dey and three boats formed a record-breaking field for a race, could have had a glimpse of Barnegat Bay today while the second annual Philadelphia Inquirer regatta was in progress, they would have realized how little they know about the sport and how wonderful its popularity has become.

Between a line of more than 200 flag-bedecked pleasure boats, bearing a crowd of more than 1000 persons, 53 racing craft, the fleetest power and sailboats combed from Island Heights, Sea Side Park, Toms River, Lavallette, Mantoloking, Bay Head, Corinthian, Barnegat City and Cedar Yacht Clubs, and representing an outlay of many thousand dollars, clashed today for the Inquirer trophies and championships of the North Jersey coast.

Greatest Regatta Ever Held

No regatta equal to that of today from any standpoint has ever been pulled off by the Barnegat Bay tars and knights of the engine. Even last year's premier race, when the yachtsmen whose boats dart over Toms River and the bay made their debut into the big yachting competition held by The Inquirer, was eclipsed. The oldest citizen had to scratch his head in wild despair to think of any previous event that could be magnified a score of times and then be compared favorably to the big yachtfest of today.

"Just corking," jubilantly said John C. McAvoy, president of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association, under whose control the regatta was run, to the other members of the organization at the Island Heights Yacht Club tonight, and this is the opinion of everyone along the North Jersey coast.

The regatta is just the kind of stunt that has long been needed to add more zest to racing here. The racing bugs after the race sat late about the clubs, spinning stories about the thrilling finishes of the various events and going over the racing sheet and figuring out what boat would have gone if the engine had not been missing fire or if the wind had been blowing just a little bit harder.

Approximately 500 yachtsmen represented in the Barnegat Bay Yachting Association were interested in the regatta, together with the population of the various places, always good-natured sportsmen, they engaged in heated, though friendly, rivalry over the prowess of the respective racers. "Watch the boats floating the red, white and blue colors," boastingly shouted the enthusiastic onlookers hailing from Island Heights. "We will duplicate last year's string of victories easily." "Nothing to it," hotly retorted the enthusiasts from the other other places. "We will surely lower your colors this time." And so the shouts of defiance continued throughout the regatta.

Island Heights Wins Regatta

But, despite the cheers and the best seamanship on the part of the rival crews, Island Heights again came out first in the matter of capturing first and second places in the various events. However, this is easily explained, the other yachtsmen claim, for the Island Heights Club is the oldest organization and has the largest and most varied fleet of boats.

The number of points won by each club follow:
Island Heights, 6 firsts and 5 seconds.
Bay Head, 1 first and 1 second.
Mantoloking, 1 first.
Corinthian Yacht and Gun Club of Beach Haven, 1 second.
Barnegat City Yacht Club, 1 second.

Mantoloking captured the speed boat event, Murray Earle's Broad Bill winning over the Jersey Devil, owned by S.J. Gaskill, of the Barnegat City Yacht Club. Island Heights made a clean sweep in the class for open launches. F.T. Benjamin's Nautilus flashed across the line first with the Leroy, flying the colors of John Drumm, coming in second.

There were two classes for cruising power boats, those rating above forty and the other rating under that mark. In the higher division there was a thrilling struggle for the first honors. Commodore A.W. Atkinson's Mycelma, flying the burgee of the Island Heights Club, downing the Bettina, the scratch boat, on time allowance. The Bettina is owned by Vice Commodore George S. Hier, of the Corinthian Yacht and Gun Club, of Beach Haven.

The other division, after a plucky fight that brought the spectators to their feet, was captured by J.W. Wright's Elecktra. She is also an Island Heights boat. The Larkspur, owned by Vice Commodore J.A. Tuceym, of the same club, finished second. In this event the Nally Surprise, owned by W. Mercer Baird, secretary of the Corinthian Club, was the scratch boat, and put up a classy struggle, but was downed on time allowance. The Virginia won the cat boat class by two minutes and 28 seconds over the Lulu, which finished second. Each boat is of the Island Heights fleet.

Island Heights added to the total number of points by the Quakeress and the Yankee coming in first and second, the owners, respectively, are A.D. Edson and Ray M. Vanderherschen.

Bay Head Wins Sneak Box Event

In the sneak box event Bay Headites had their inning, the Arrow, owned by O.G. Dale, coming in first, and the Miss Cat, owned by J.V.A. Cattus, second. The Ashumet, owned by Dr. Charles Ill, of Island Heights, won the cruising sloop race. Gerhard Leiper's Marguerite flashed in second, a loser by a fraction less than six minutes.

No fairer day for races, suitable for both canvas-bearing craft and power boats, could have dawned. The course in the lower part of the bay, below the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge, at Barnegat Bay and stretching off Cedar Creek to off Waretown, was ideally smooth, and this is something of a marvel, for that portion of the bay is almost always dotted with white caps, making the going all right for the sail boats but treacherous for those propelled by motors.

Throughout the places interested in the regatta, there was a bustle of excitement as the boats began to get ready to leave for the racing field, the racing fever had first begun to manifest itself at the beginning of the week. From then on the fever spread, the excitement and enthusiasm becoming keener each day as the time for the regatta neared and the boat owners redoubled their eagerness to get their racers trimmed for the struggles.

All this time Mr. McAvoy, who was commodore of the Island Heights Club last year, and the members of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association, were strenuously working to class the entries and get the boats measured and distribute racing instructions.

The river front at all of the places were dotted with scores of persons ready to bundle themselves off for the races. By 1 o'clock the mouth of the bay off Sea Side Park was dotted with boats, sail and power craft, each loaded to the gunwales with crowds of merry makers in the meantime. From the lower part of the bay another bevy of boats was coming, and by 10 o'clock what is declared to have been the greatest fleet of boats of every type ever assembled on the bay was anchored ready for the cannon on board the Elizabeth, the committee boat, to boom out the preparatory signal.

The Elizabeth is Mr. McAvoy's boat. On board it were the officials, composed of Guy A. Lubury and Thellwell R. Coggeshall, of Island Heights; Edgar P. Earle, of Mantoloking; Dr. E.E. Pennington, of Seaside Park; C.C. Eankson, of Lavallette; Charles M. Smith, of Barnegat City, and C.A. Horterm, of Cedar Y.C.

Starting Gun Fired

It was shortly before noon when the preliminary gun was fired. Grouped about the committee boat, forming a long line around the starting line, were the pleasure boats, each a mass of multi-colored bunting. "Now for the race," shouted the onlookers.

Then the rival yachtsmen over their respective boats began. Boom went the cannon again and the speed boats, with automobile engines snorting, were off. Broadbill, the Mantoloking entry, caught the water at the crack of the gun and was off, leaving a creamy trail behind.

Like a streak the Irma followed, the spray leaping high above her black-colored sides. Right after she darted the Jersey Devil, painted a glaring red. Scout, sailed by Joe B. Neville, was unable to flash across the line, the engine breaking down shortly after the preliminary gun was fired.

The Muriel, Black Devil and the Inquirer, other speed boats entered, also were disabled and could not start. The distance for the speed boats was 10 miles. The Broadbill was the scratch boat. She gave the Irma II an allowance of 3 minutes and 6 seconds, and 1 minute and 57 seconds to the Jersey Devil.

On actual time the Broadbill was never threatened, finishing in 44.40 squares ahead of her rivals. The Jersey Devil, while rounding the buoy off Waretown, developed engine trouble and had to stop for five minutes.

Cruisers Started

Five minutes after the speed boats, the cruisers were started. There were seven in the class rating above 40 to speed over the line when the gun sounded at 12:10. The second class cruisers, also seven in number, started at the same time. Mr. Baird's Surprise, after clever maneuvering was within a few minutes of the line when the signal was given and secured a flying start. Closely hanging to her were the Elecktra and the Ernestine.

A half-second later and there was a cheer from the Beach Haven contingent, led by Thomas H. Sherborne, who came from that resort in a tiny mosquito boat, a distance of thirty-five miles, to see the race. As the Bettina crossed the line, at close intervals the distance for the cruisers to travel was twenty miles, which was two laps of the course.

Commodore Atkinson's Mycelma was late in starting. The commodore was host for a big party, including the commodores of the other clubs. Fully five minutes had elapsed when the Mycelma got under way, but the commodore was game.

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