The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-29 00:00:00

THAMES YACHT CLUB.

The practice of handicapping was never resorted to in this
distinguished club until Thursday. The presentation of a
valuable painting by Mr. Candy, the marine artist, was the
occasion of the public being favoured with a race of this novel
but beautiful description. The weather was in the morning
exceedingly unfavourable, the rain at intervals falling
heavily, notwithstanding which there was a good sprinkle of
fashionable company on board the Comet, which had been
engaged by the Club for the accommodation of themselves
and visitors. The steamer left her moorings at a little after
nine, and having added a few subscribers to her number on
board at Blackwell, proceeded to Gravesend, from which
place, in order to have plenty of room for a full fleet, the
match had been arranged to start from thence, and to sail
round the Nore Light and back. The following yachts were
at their stations at half-past twelve, the Enigma, Spartan,
and Phantom being iron boats :
Enigma, 25 tons, crimson Maltese cross and bells; Spar-
tan, 18 tons, blue and white vertically; Exquisite, 15 tons,
white, blue cross, gold star; Rival, 10 tons, red and white
quartered; Phantom, 20 tons, white andblue border.
The wind blew lightly from the north-east, and at ten
minutes to one, at about half ebb, the signal was fired,
and the yachts were off. On this occasion, contrary to
general practice, the boats started with their mainsails and
topsails set, and a portion did not get under under weigh
cleverly, in consequence of not holding on their springs taut
at the time they canted. The Spartan took the lead, closely
followed by the Rival, the Enigma being third, and the
Phantom fourth. The wind was favourable for the yachts
either way, being what is termed " a soldier's breeze," and
only required them to make a couple of boards in the Lower
Hope, it being, with this exception, a reaching wind all the
way down. Within a quarter of a mile of the starting-place
the Enigma ran by the Rival, and immediately after this, on
the breeze freshening as the boats entered the Lower Hope,
the Phantom took the third place, but did not keep it long,
as in the opening of Sea Reach she went up to the Enigma's
near quarter, and directly after passed her to -windward. Off
Shellhaven the Phaiitom had reached abreast of the Spartan,
and gradually went by her, and from this time no change of
the slightest importance took place. The boats rounded the
Nora light in the following order :—The Phantom, 14 min.
5 sec. past three ; the Enigma, 15 min. past three ; the
Spartan, 20 min. past three ; and the Exquisite, at 20 min.
10 sec. past three. From this moment the match might
fairly be said, barring accident,, to be over. The ebb had not
done running out, and the boats turned into the slack on the
south shore, where they continued until the turn of the tide,
no change whatever occurring on the way up, and the boats
rounded the flag-buoy at Gravesend in the following order:—
sec
pPahstaltomth,east
plartOsaenc.,
at to sixl2 in.
min. 37 sec. past ; the Ex-
; the Enigma, at 3 min. 45
(visite, at 12 min. 45 sec. past ; and the Rival, at 26 min. to
seven.
The Commodore presented the painting, with a high com-
pliment on his sailing, to Mr. Wilkinson, who acknowledged
it with an appropriate speech. The subject was, the Gnome
and Sabrina passing to leeward of the Royal Yacht Squadron,
and Lord Yarborough returning their salute. The Marquis
of Anglesey's Pearl (with her Noble owner on board), Lord
Alfred Paget's Mystery, and other gentlemen's beats accom-
panied the race. Amongst the company on board the steamer
were Lord Suffield, and Lord Clarence Paget.