The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-09-24 00:00:00

FLEETWOOD-ON-WYRE REGATTA.

Considering the short notice, this regatta came very
well off, on Wednesday and Thursday, the 25th and 26th
inst. The yacht race did not take place until the latter
day, but was advertised for the one previous. On Thurs-
day morning, as the day advanced, the sun was bright
and beautiful, and gave to Lancaster Bay and surround-
ing mountain scenery a very beautiful appearance. There
was a spanking breeze at E.N.E., which was considered
very favourable for the success of the largest yachts in-
temled to contend for the £25 cup. A time race was
fixed upon, 25 seconds per ton for a 20 mile race allowed
for difference of tonnage. The following yachts only ar-
rived, on account of the shortness of the notice, and en-
tered for the race :
Seagull, R. T. Y.C., 31 tons, H. Melling, Esq.
Mermaid, R. T. Y. C. 24 tons, J. Grindrod, Esq.
Ivanhoe, 8 tons, —lWebb, Esq.
The course was from the station vessel, off the Town,
round the screw-pile lighthouse, at the foot of Wyre, 21-
miles off, and from thence to a vessel moored about seven
miles at sea, off Lancaster Bay, and back again to the station
vessel. The yachts started by signal, a gun fired a little
after one, P.M. The Ivanhoe started first, the Mer-
maid six minutes and forty seconds afterwards, and the
Seagull should have started at two minutes fifty-five se-
conds after, but on account of the flood-tide catching her
bow at the time, and giving her a strong cant the wrong
way, and causing her side to be driven strongly against
the mooring buoy to which she was fastened ; it held her
firmly, and it was some time before her crew could get
her on the right tack again. By this accident, she had a
false start of two minutes forty-five seconds; but on get-
ting fairly away, she set off at a spankir', rate after her
opponents, and by the time she arrived at the Screw-pile
lighthouse, she gained nearly two minutes on the Mer-
maid. Shortly afterwards the Mermaid overhauled the
Ivanhoe, and left all chance of her success out of the
question. The Seagull carried her large topsail to make
up for her lost time, and it did its duty, and brought her
up to the Mermaid by the time the yachts arrived at the
seaward distance mark. The yachts had hitherto been
running off the wind with flowing sheets. The Mermaid
about this time changed her gib, for a smaller one, to be
ready for hauling on a wind on rounding the vessel
moored off the bay, to be rounded previous to turning
back again. The breeze was very fresh the whole day,
but occasionally lulled, and the crew of the Seagull in-
tended to have taken in their topsail in rounding, and
setting a smaller one. The Ivanhoe carried away her
masthead, but, notwithstanding this misfortune, she had
not the slightest chance of running with her formidable
antagonists, with the breeze and sea that was in the bay.
The Mermaid rounded the windward mark one minute
before the Seagull, the latter yacht having gained nearly
five minutes in this run outwards.
The Mermaid is a fine weatherly little vessel of her
tonnage—and, from her being nicely adjusted in her sails,
in hauling on the wind, she kept her place well, and
gained on the Seagull on a long windward tack up the
hay. The crew of the Semtuti deemed it advisable not to
change her topsail on rounding, as was contemplated, on
account of the wind moderating ; but the wind freshening
again, it was too much for her, and t aused her to fall to
leeward, and being on the wrong tack could not be taken
off her.

On running up Wyre again to the station vessel, the
Seagull gained on the Mermaid, but the topmast which
had hitherto carried her large topsail so gallantly,
gave way, and fell to leeward. The Mermaid came in
the winning vessel two minutes and some few seconds,
and, but for the false start of the Seagull, would have
won the cup by about 25 seconds,
The silver salver, of £l5 value, was contested for by
three beautiful gigs, and was won, we believe, by the
Lancaster crew. Other races took place in the course of
the day for minor prizes, and gave much amusement.
There was a regatta dinner at the Crown Hotel, Sir lies-
keth Fleetwood, M.P., in the chair ; and a ball, at the
North Euston, finished the week's amusement.