Wooden Boat Wednesday: 1909 IHYC Morgan Cup Race

Welcome to another Wooden Boat Wednesday!

This week we turn our attention to the Morgan Cup race of 1909, courtesy The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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I.H.Y.C. WINS MORGAN CHALLENGE CUP AT ISLAND HEIGHTS RACE

Results of the race:

I.H.Y.C. Racing length 20 ft. 9 in. (Time allowance 1 min 5 ½ seconds.)
Start: 2.26.40
Finish: 4.06.03
Elapsed Time: 1.39.23
Corrected Time: 1.38.32

Manhasset. Racing length 21 ft. 11 inches, scratch boat.
Start: 2.26.40
Finish: 4.10.22
Elapsed Time: 1.44.12
Corrected Time: 1.44.12

Special to The Inquirer.
ISLAND HEIGHTS, N.J., July 17.—With Captain A.L. Mulford at the helm, I.H.Y.C., the champion of the Island Heights Yacht Club, today added another to her string of victories by capturing the J. Willard Morgan Challenge Cup. Her only contestant was Manhasset, owned by former Mayor John Weaver, of Philadelphia, and carrying the Seaside Park Yacht Club colors.

The Morgan Cup was donated to the Island Heights Yacht Club, to be raced for annually on the third Saturday in July, the race open to boats from Island Heights, Seaside Park, Bay Head and Mantoloking Yacht Clubs. Last year the cup, which had been won three years straight by Seaside Park, was recaptured by I.H.Y.C., and this year the gallant racer repeated last year's performance.

The course was from the gaily decorated Island Heights Yacht Club house down to Toms River, to its mouth, opposite Seaside Park, return to the club house and repeat. A puffy wind came over the hills and out of the cones from the northwest. Herman Muller, sailing Manhasset, put his craft across the line first, but he was soon picked up and passed on the first round by I.H.Y.C.

After the race was won the gallant tars [period slang for seaman] gathered in the pretty home of the I.H.Y.C., where the cup was awarded to the syndicate owning the yacht by Commodore John C. McAvoy. Each of the crew of this winning yacht was also given a silver shield inscribed with the date and event.

The crew consisted of Dr. Alfred Mulford, a former U. of P. half-back and coach, as captain; Robert McConnaghy, Lin Brown, Leslie Mulford, Reed Kilpatrick, Howard Schetzline, Arthur Kiefaber. 

I.H.Y.C. Was built a year ago on lines laid down by Charles B. Mower, of New York. She has two rudders and two bilge boards in place of the usual centreboard of the Barnegat Bay type of boat. She is owned by a syndicate of the Island Heights Yacht Club, with Ray M. Vanderherchen as manager.

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