The San Francisco call., 1909-05-09
Great Run to City of Roses Precedes Automobile Contests
BOATS RUN
PROV TO PROV
IN RACE
Sacramento Craft Pulls Away
at End and Defeats the
Pride of the Bay


boathouse of the San Francisco yacht
club at Sausalito, the Sacramento mo-
tor boat General IT. owned by r. For
rest Mitchell and 3. r. Klune. both OF
the capital city. yesterday bested Prem
tiss Gray's Konocti. the pride OF the
bay, and heretofore considered invinei-
BILE. The race was without doubt the
prettiest event OF it's kind that ever
has been given here. as both racing
craft made the 10 mile run in prime
style. and after racing the whole
course as though glued together with
each striving for more speed every
second of the race. finished until the
last mile in a dead heat. The General
managed to hook on a bit more speed
at the conclusion, however. and flashed
past the boathouse about three boat
lengths to the good in q minutes
seconds The Konocti was three sec
onds slower.
A record crowd was in attendance
as the day was the opening of the
season for the San Francisco yacht
club, under whose auspices the race
was conducted Hundreds OF members
and their guests crowded the boat
house. and hundreds more lined the
SausaIito shore.
The race Is the Srst of series that
win be run off to determine which OF
the two motor boats-which are ad-
nittedly the fastest craft on the bay
| and inland waters-is the speediest
The Konocti has bested every boat that
has had the hardihood to oppose 1t on
the bay. and the General II. though
smaller craft, has been far and away
the fastest boat at all the Sacrs mentO
regattas. So much discussion was
aroused in boa ting circles anent the
merits OF the respective boats that
the series of races was decided upon.
! And. as Prentiss Gray remarked yes
terday afternoon. when 1t was all over
and he was wiping the dripping spray
from his face:
| well. that Generau II certainly is
surprisingly fast proposition"
| The second race of the series will be
run off at Sacramento. and the con-
cluding one or ones at Vallejo. 1t
will be the best three out of five
The Joyous Sacramento yachtmen
| down to see the contest were not the
| only ones pleased to see the Generals
victory. for the winning craft is by
far the smaller boat of the two, and
| this fact gained it the sympathy of
| the onlookers. The General is so feet
| in length and has a 24-29. two cycle,
three cylinder Smalley engine. ~ x4h
| bore and stroke. The KOnOcti is 3S
| feet in length. and is equipped with
4ox5O horsepower. six cylinder. four
cycle Sterling engine, 549x6 bore and
stroke
| The General II has a record of vic
tories behind it in the east. where it
won the Saginaw river championship
| and the Saginaw valley championship.
developing a speed of 25l5 miles per
hour
The course Travelled by the opposing
! boats yesterday afternoon is reckoned
| to be over 10 miles. 1t began and
ended at the boathouse. and swung
around the revenue cutter McCulloch.
which is anchored in Richardson bay,
| through Raccoon straits and around
the Southampton lighthouse in the
upper bay. The General tagged her
rival from the start, until both boats
were well out of the straits on the
run for home, and then, aided by the
wind, made the gain that won the
race
The two boats are SO evenly pdCoU
| that the result of the next races of
| the series can not by any means be
taken as a certain victory for the Gen
eral. The konocti was foul yesterday.
and the wind on the home stretch held
her back. as she rides high out of the
water much more than it did the rival
boat. On the other hand the Konocti
developed more speed yesterday than
at any other time In its history. 1t
was making $40 revolutions. which is
10 more than Gray ever got out of it
before. And the General was bit
damaged on it's part by having been
squeezed between two vessels at VAL
| lejo Friday night.
The result of yesterdays race was
| flashed to Sacramento Immediately
| after the contest, and there was great
rejoicing in yachting circles there.
| Sacramento has but recently awakened
/ TO, the possibilities of boating on the
! big, river, and a welcoming reception
| to KIune and Mitchell will be given
on the return of the victorious mari
ners-
:.