The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-29
WON BY CONSTANCE
FIRST OF SERIES OF YACHT RACES
SAILED AT THUNDERBoLT.
BEST THREE OUT OF FIVE.
WILL DETERMINE THE VICTOR,
AND SILVER CUP WILL BE THE
TROPHY.

The Meta W., the Constance's Only
Competitor, n Close Second-Run-
away Girl Also Starter but Did
Not Finish-Other Yachts Expected
to Enter the other Events which
VIII Be Sailed Every Second sum
day-The Course From the Thun-
derbOlt Casino TO Turner'S Rocks
and Return.
The first of a series of races open to
all Savannah yachts. barring "larks, :"
was sailed yesterday from Thunderbolt
to Turner's Rocks and back and was
won by the Constance. There were
two other entries besides the winner,
the Meta W., which came in second,
a minute and thirty-two seconds be-
hind the Constance, and The Runaway
Girl, which failed to go over the entire
course and whose time was not taken.
The day was a splendid one for a
race; fair weather, a flood tide, and a
very fair breeze. The start was made
from point opposite the Thunderbolt
Casino and the Carrie, a launch from
the Casino, with a party of yachting
enthusiasts aboard, served as stake
boat at the other end of the course.
The record of the boats that finished
was:
Start. Finish.
Constance ...........4:43:12 6:07:19
Meta w. ...........4:43:30 6:09:9
The race was an exciting one and,
on the first half of the course, so close
that the Constance rounded the stake
boat but a few feet ahead of the Meta
w. Almost the whole of the victor's
margin, minute and thirty-two sec
onds, was gained on the return run.
The yachts were accompanied by
seven other yachts and a number of
launches, all the occupants of which
took a most active interest in the race.
and the racers also upon their return
% the Casino were greeted by large
numbers of the friends of their own
ers and crews who had assembled there
to see the race.
At first there was some talk of
ella inning the race for the Meta w. on
time allowance because of her size,
but as the conditions of the race were
that no allowance of any kind was to
be given the race was conceded to the
Constance.
The Constance was sailed by Capt.
T. H. Laird and the Meta w. by her
ONutTs MI. 6ndIleS w SSlCOll. MI. L.
w. Nelson was the judge.
The Constance and the Meta W.
have been rivals for some time. and
have often sailed against each other,
but this is the first time that the Meta
w. has been defeated. Mr.. J. ]. O'Neill,
the owner of the Constance. attributes
her victory yesterday to the fact that
only recently she has been completely
ref1tted with mast, sails and rud1er,
and in every way put in first-class
shape.
Four more races will be sailed to
complete the series, the races TO be
sailed every second Sunday, this ar
rangement being necessary in order to
get the proper tide conditions. The
winner of three of the five races will be
awarded a handsome silver cup which
has been presented by a gentleman in
terested in yachting. and which is now
on exhibition at Messrs. Sternberg &
Co.'S. This cup will become the perm
anent possession of the yacht that wins
it, and will not have to be defended at
succeeding races.
1t is quite probable that in the COM
ing races there will be several more
entries which will add to the interest
of the events.