The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-11 00:00:00

AQUATICS,

ROYAL VICTORIA YACHT CLUB.
Yesterday being a by-day in the programme of the Royal
Victoria Yacht Club, four of the crack cutter yachts lying
in Ryde roadstead crossed over to Portsmouth to contend
for prizes offered by the sailing committee of the Portsmouth
and Seuthsea Royal Regetta, and produced a race which has
but seldom been equalled in yachting annals. The names
of the competing yachts and the conditions of the race were
as follows :

Vessels started :—The Mosquito, 69 tons, Mr T. Holds-
worth ; the Surf, 54 tons, Mr G. Harrison ; the Vindes,
45 tons, Mr A, Duncan ; tfie Banshee, 53 tons, Mr. J.
Jones.

Prizes and conditions of race :—A cup, value 60 guineas,
for yachts of 30 tons, and not exceeding 75 tons, belonging
to any Royal Yacht Club ; 20 guineas to be given to the
second vessel ; entrance £2 2s. Four to start, or no second
prize; three to start, or no race. Time race.

The Alerte and Osprey cutters had entered for the race,
but at the last moment, although in position at the starting-
point, declined to compete. Under these circumstances the
race remained to the four celebrated vessels named above.
At 11 30 the preparatory gun was fired, followed in due
time by the starting signal, when cables were slipped, and
the four craft were off, at first under the impulse of their
head sails, and all well together. Surf's mainsail was first
up, and smartly followed by her jib-headed topsail. Vindex
was second, Mosquito third, and Banshee fourth, the latter
setting a square-headed topsail. In passing the Spit buoy
the Surf led, with Vindex close on her weather quarter,
Mosquito as close astern, and Banshee her length to leeward
and astern. The run down to the Warner lightship was
speedily done before the strong N,W. breeze, and the light-
ship was luffed round as follows :

A. M. S. H. M. S.
Surf l2 4 20 Vindex.... ... 12 4 40
Mosquito

In standing in for Brading harbour, the Mosquito
appeared to tore-reach on the Surf, and was the first to go
about, soon followed by the others, In reaching to the
northward the Banshee appeared to hold the weather posi-
tion, but astern, Mosquito in the second weatherly position,
Surf in the third, and Viudex to leeward. Mosquito sent
down her topsail soon after going about on the port tack,
but was a long time in doing so. Under the Noman she
housed her topmast, and seemed inclined to keep the weather
shore and cheat the remains of the east-going tide. The
Banshee and the Surf were at the same time standing down
in mid tideway, the latter leading, with the Banshee on her
weather. A. little to leeward was the Vindex. Keeping
their reach for Spithead, the Surf weathered on the Banshee
and took a decided lead, the Mosquito now following the
others in their reach to the northward. At 12 35 the Surf
and Vindex went about together under Southsea beach, the
former well to windward. The Mosquito and Banshee stood
further on, the latter going about under Southsea at 12 39,
followed immediately afterwards by the Mosquito still with
her topsail down, the two first vessels carrying theirs as
when they started, and the Banshee also sending down her
topsail after tacking under Southsea beach and sending up a
jib-headed one. The Surf and Vindex made a magnificent
board in company for Ryde pier-head from Southsea beach,
At 12 48 the Banshee tacked, with her head to the north-
ward, off in mid-channel ; the Mosquito at the same time
being some distance to windward on the opposite tack,
and seeming to do much better without the pressure of her
topsail. The Surf and Viudex continued their board for
the island shore as close to the land, westward of Ryde
P.m. were shut in from view
for the S.E. buoy of the middle, the struggle for the
pier,leadership
o s
Gilkickercontinuings i le , an d
Pointatb
between
5 as t
w e
e
ti they
continued their course
the Surf and Vindex,
with the Mosquito crawlingoff the Gilkicker Point in
fast
to windward. At 135
gthoein
oMesquitew her turn, thus proving she had weathered on the lot in
opened the point at 1 36 30,
followed by the Surf at 1 .37 7, the Vindex at 1 39 19, and
going
n westward. hove in sighte
the Banshee at 142 35. It was evident by the Mosquito
now having the lead that, while the Surf and Vindex had
been trying to deceive each other, she had stolen a march
upon them and taken the first place, with such a lead that
it would require some luck as. well
as management to take
from her again. From the Gilkicker Point to the station
vessel was but a short distance, and the first round was
completed as follows :

Mosquito 147 201 Vindex li 1
1 48 51 ,Banshee :::: ''
. ,
1 63 15
50 8
joke for such butterfly
Surf
craft Jib bi
cn
agr
rryo
iuntigd
stuhcehmaanr mark
xvtersasoerldwi
naasr
yn o
spread of mainsail and
length of boom, but over sail and boot had to go, and ac-
cordingly over they went, and away went
tßhaen;ihoesecieu, the four cutters
scudding before the N.W. breeze for the Warner a second
time, which was luffed round by them thus
Mosquito sent down her
H. M. s. I
Mosquito 2 10 32 Vindex . H . Di. S .
.... 2 13 11
Surf ...... 2 16 18
topsail and housed her topsail in readiness for lulling to the
In approaching the 2 lilglhtsshlipi
wind, the Surf following suit. The Vindex Only luffed under
a topsail, and seemed to carry it exceedingly well. The
Mosquito immediately on clearing the lightship tacked and
stood in for Southsea beach, the others working down the
island shore.
The Surf, of the three tacking to southward, was the first
to go about after the Mosquito. The Mosquito tacked
under Southsea Castle, the other three coming down at the
same time on the opposite tack of the Noman. In crossing
in mid tideway with as much wind as they could all carry
with a bubble of a sea, the Mosquito was some little dis-
tance to windward of Surf, and at once tacked, the Surf
immediately following suit. This was no sooner seen by
those on board the Mosquito than she was again put
about, and stood in for the island shore, in company with
her foremost rival. The Vindex, with her topsail up, stood
in for the entrance to Portsmouth harbour before tacking to
the southward and westward, followed by the Banshee, the
latter with her topsail down and topmast housed. The
wind continued, although not quit© so strong as at the
commencement of the race, a full-sail breeze, and quite as
much as the competing vessels, or their crews, could rea-
sonably wish for, the slightest decrease in the wind, how-
ever, seeming to favour the Vindex, who, with her small
topsail and all her canvas beautifully set, threatened to take
the first place. Off Ryde, the wind rather northerned on
her, and shipped her to windward in a surprising manner,
The Gilkicker Point was shut in by the whole of the four
at 3.m., as they reached down to the westward to weather
the middle buoy for the second time. In opening the Gil-
kicker Point on the return western mark, the Mosquito was
first, the Vindex second, Surf third, and Banshee fourth,
but all well up to each other, the Vindex, however, ha Ping
by her tactics in working to the westward deprived the Surf
of second place. The second round was finished as follows :
H. M. S. M. M. S.
Mosquito ........ 344 161 Surf
Vindes ........ 445 11 Banshee
The Banshee, like the Vindex, was vastly improving her
pcAition, and, last as she was in the race, her position in it
gave her a mange, and her main boom on jibbing round
the mark vessel was banged over in a manner that said
_ plainly as actions could speak, "neck or nothing." No