The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-06 00:00:00

AQUATICS.

ROYAL YACIIT SQUADRON REGATTA.
If The unfinished contest of Wednesday for the Squadron
prizes was resumed and concluded yesterday, the prizes
sailed for, conditions of the race and names of the compet-
ing vessels being as follows :
A cup, value 100 soya, given by the Royal Yacht Squadron
with a second prize of 25 soya; half a minute per ton
allowed, Thames measurement ; to be sailed for by cutters
of 30 tons and upwards belonging to any Royal Yacht Club.
The Mosquito, 59 tons (Mr T. Holdsworth) ; the Volante,
59 tons (Mr. H. C. Maudslay) ; the Surf, 54 tons (Mr. G.
Harrison) ; the Astarte, 73 tons (Mr. T. Seddon) ; the
Alerte, 50 tons (Lieut. J. Sladen, R.N.) ; the Vindex, 45
tons (Mr. A. Duncan) ; the Arrow, 91 tons (Mr. T. Chana-
berlayne).

The course was off the R.Y.S. Castle, thence to pro-
ceed round the Warner light•vessel, thence to the north-
ward of the Calshot light-vessel, passing to the north-
ward of the Brambles ; thence round a mark vessel moored
off Egypt ; thence to pass between the station vessel and
the Castle, twice round. The light-vessels and the mark-
vessels to be left on the port hand if he yachts are di-
rected to start to the eastward, and on the starboard hand
if the start be to the westward. All vessels racing to keep
outside all the buoys and marks on the shoals (the Peel in-
cluded) except the Middle and Sturbridge.
The vessels were started about 10 aati„ and at 10 30 a.m.
they were opening Osborne Bay, running up before a light
W.S, W., nearly in line, with the Arrow leading and on
the outside of the lino, and the Volante in the inside posi-
tion. The wind began to fall rather light again as they
approached Ryde Pier-head, which was passed by them in
the follow;t,g times :

H. MII
M. 8, H. RI. 8.
Arrow ll 4 4 Vindex
Surf .. •11 4 33 Mosquito ll 8 23
Alerte .......... 11 4 33 Astarte ll 16 38
Volante
The Alerte and Surf, it will be seen, were close together,
with the Suif on the Alerte's weather quarter. Ryde Pier
was no sooner paased by the Astarte than the whole of the
vessels were becalmed, diversified by slight catspaws of
wind, under which circumstances the positions of the ves-
sels kept changing, until at length a light air came up from
west, which sent them on their way again—Alerte, Surf,
and Volante first catching it, and the first named taking the
lead, while the Arrow lay becalmed to leeward. Vindex
was now fourth, Mosquito fifth, Arrow sixth, and Astarte
seventh—the light breeze just skirting them as they lay in
line at about a cable's length apart. While thecutters lay thus
alternately under the influence of catsphws and calms, with
a view of an unrulaied expanse of water ahead, a steady
breeze from W.S.W. was coming up astern, and gave some
hopes of a breeze sufficient to enable the vessels to sail out
the match. The breeze now soon came up, and away they
went round the Sandhead for the Norman, six of them
pretty well in a cluster, with the Arrow to leeward and the
Alerte to windward, the Astarte separated from the others
by a short distance and acting as whipper-in." In running
down the Warner the Arrow drew ahead through the ruck,
and again assumed the lead, which there was but little
doubt she would keep with a true breeze. The Warner was
reached and lulled round thus :

H.
If. S. H. M. S.
Arrow
Volanto , 12 52 2 Astarte l2 55 15
Surf ....
Mosquito
In luffing round the Warner, balloon jibs were taken in
and working ones set for working back westward, the wind
being now from W,N.W,, moderate. Off the Noman bank
the Vindex passed the Astarte and resigned to her the
honour of being for the present the last in the race. The
Mosquito was the first to go about and made a short tack in
for the island shore, under the Sandhead, crossing the
Vindex's bows as the latter kept her reach to the north-
ward. In going through the east part of Spithead the
Mosquito passed the Alerte on her weather. At 120 p.m
the Arrow was passing stokes Bay pier, the Volante Kicker
Point, at the east end of Stokes Bay, with the Surf about
300 yards astern, and the Mosquito to windward, and
mid distance between the two. The Alerte and Vindex
were on the same roach as the others, standing down
through the bay, and both close astern of the Surf, and
at the same time the last of the lot, the Astarte was
standing for Ryde Pier, from the direction of the en-
trance to Portsmouth harbour. The wind kept up its
strength to a fair sailing summer full-sail breeze, varying
between W.N.W. to W.S.W., and the Arrow, with her
favourite terms of a long reach and smooth water, was
lessening the distance between herself and rivals every
fathom's distance she sailed. The Mosquito, on clearing out
from Stokes Bay at 1 40 p.m., was holding a good weatherly
position, and threatening the Surf with loss of her posi-
tion as third in the race. At 145 p.m., the Astarte was
lying with her foresheet to windward under Ryde pierhead,
and with a signal flying in her rigging. The
,owner soon
afterwards landed from her on Ryde pier, and stated that
having been compelled to land one of his crew at Cowes
owing to an accident, and being legally out of the race, it
was useless contending further. (The Astarte is a now
iron vessel, and has proved herself during the present re•
gatta to he the slowest cutter inside the Isle of Wight.)
Through Stokes Bay to the Calshot Light all kept their
reach except the Alerte, which made a short tack off
shore when S.E. of the Brambles, and bettered her position.
As at this part of the race in the schooner's struggle of the
previous day fur her 11.12jsty's Cup the wind had now settled
down into a steady fresh breeze from W.N. W., and the
six cutters, in turning to windward from Calshot to the
mark boat off Egypt, had as much wind for a short time as
they could stagger under with the sails they had set. A
prettier race could not have been wished for than the one
from Calshot to Cowes Roads between the Volante, Surf,
and Mosquito. As for the At row, she had the race now to
all appearances in her own hands, and seemed likely to carry
out her own programme of old—the longer the course sailed
over, the further she would leave her competitors behind.
The first round of the course was completed in the follow-
ing times :

IL H. 8. 11. H. S.
Arrow
Volanto..
Surf
The second round was commenced with the wind still
steady from W.N. W. At 5 p.m. the Arrow was reaching
towards Calshot, west of Stokes Bay, the race in her own
hands. Tho continued success of the Arrow over the fastest
yachts turned out by modern yacht builders repeats a hint
often given out before, that if any builder wishes to beat the
old craft, ther3 is a chance for him in trying what a nearly
flat, midship section, with sharp ends and a deep keel will
do in contrast with the present V shaped system of bottoms,
swamped with ballast and preposterously masted and can-
vased—a never-ending fight between ballast and spars. If
any builder could produce a yacht of equal tonnage with
the Arrow that could with certainty beat her under the ma-
jority of circumstances, he would make a rapid fortune by
at once obtaining a monopoly in. the yacht building as close
as that of the Royal Yacht Squadron in royal yachting
prizes.

Her Majesty's paddle yacht Victoria and Albert, Captain
his Serene Highness Prince Leiningcn, having their Royal
Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Prince Louis of Hesse
on board, sailed from Cowes yesterday morning for Tor-
quay. She returned to Cowes with their royal highnesses
on board.

A very effective display of fireworks by Mr Pain, of the
Walworth-road, took place afloat and ashore at Cowes on
Thursday evening.
Cup won by the Arrow in 30 minutes; second priz3 won
by the Surf 14 seconds time,