Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-08
COLUMBINE FIRST
IN SUNSET EVENT
Commodore MitCheIPS Crack
Yacht Leads Mischief | Home
at Long Beach
ALERT MAKES GOOD SHOWING
Santa Barbara Craft Finishes in
Good Time Mah-pe Meets
with Mishap
BY BERT S. COLEMAN

In full sight of the guests at the Hotel Vir-
ginia and thousands of spectators on the ocean
front at Long Beach, the first race for the
handsome Virginia cup was sailed yesterday
cfternoon by boats of the Sunset Yacht club
The contest was won after a beautiful strug-
gle by the Colpmblne, sailed by Commodore
Mitchell, in 1 hour 90 minutes and Sec
onds, the twelve-mile course.
There was a light breeze, which freshened
shortly after the start, and the entries made
grand picture the blue water in front OF
the big hotel, from which point of vantage the
race could be seen from start TO finish. Doz-
ems of yachts followed the contestants around
the course and gave the impression that there
at least twelve entries. There were only
five. however, and the latter simmered down
to four when the Mah-pe, with her usual luck
came to grief two minutes before the starting
gun by humping the yawl Arrow which was
pr pairing to follow the racers.
The Mah-pe had splendid chance TO win
the race and great regret resulted from her
mshap. She had too many men on board for
the yachting rules and endeavored TO put a
couple aboard the Arrow. In doing so she
carried away her spreader. This put her out
of the race because the hollow mast bent like
a pipe-stem in the breeze, and it would have
gone overheard II sh, had attempted to fatten
her sheets.
ALERT SHOWS CLASS
The Alert the new craft which is expected
to do wonders at the Santa Barbara races,
commencing next Saturday entered in the
race twenty minutes before the starting gun
Don Leach and Joe Pugh, who were sail
ing her She had never been measured, how
ever, and this is required at least twenty
four hours before race, she did not became a
factor in the contest for the cup. She aroused
much, interest. however her trip yesterday
was her maiden race and she showed that she
had considerable speed, especially when the
wind began to freshen She was the third boat
to finish the Columbine and the Mischief
leading her over the line with a comfortable
margin. As her measurements are unknown
it is yet mystery where she stood under cor
rpcted time,
The columbine sailed pretty race with the
Mischief in the first lap Of the six-mile tri-
angular course The Mischief beat her around
the first flag by coupl' of lengths, but when
the commodores boat spread her balloon Jib
and started for the third flag she drew ahead
and held a good lead until the hnish. me
Mischief could point little higher but when
Mitchell put his boat point or so or the
wind he ran away from the fleet as though 1t
were standing still.
The Venus, -saiied by Johnnie Farnum. was
first over the line at the start, but being
smaller boat, she soon dropped to the rear
and lent all her efforts to get home in time
TO make her allowance count.
Walter Horn, in the Diana, followed the
contestants around the course with party
of friends. His boat showed up SO wen alonS ON,
with the others that he declares he VIII
throw the engine out of her, pack on more
sail and be in with the best OF tenn for next
year, as the Diana has good racing lines II
she is pushed. The Idler. ex-Commodore
Bradley's handsome new yawl Walter FOL
som's Michief H. and a fleet of other saliing
craft from the South Coast club followed the
contestant around the course, taking deep
interest in the event. The launch Nellie
packed to her capacity with sghtseers fol-
lowed the yachts for several miles,
CLUB PROSPECTS BRIGHT
The Olita another entry in the race. made
a fair run of 1t and was only few minutes
behind the crack yachts of the Sunset cluo'
which is taking hold of the sport with leaps
and bounds So many handsome cups are
being put up for the club races that outside
yachtsmen are beginning to look hungrlly at
the array and each week new yachts are be-
ing entered into this club, which has big
fleet already, although only few months
old.
The virginia cup has to be won twice by
the" same boat before 1t is presented, and the
second race will be pulled off in about three
weeks the races continuing until the cup is
lifted permanently by some contestant. Ihe
club has five more mugs" in sight TO pe
raced for during the rest of the season and
front of the Virginia hotel from now on
until September. 1t is probable that the
Alert and the Swash will be the only sunset
Yacht club boats taking in the santa Bar
bara races, as there is some handicap against
the clubs other boats in the use or the
universal rule at the Santa Barbara races
The Yachts entered in the race yesterday
and their time follows:
Mah-pe scratch did not start; Columolne'
7.36 handicap, corrected time 1:2O:OS; MIS-
chief l. handicap 1886, corrected time l;2l43;
Venus handicap 1S:4S, corrected time l:z5;So'
Outa handicap 1724, corrected time l;So'fo'
The race started sharp at ]: 80 O'Clock ana
the Columbine made the twelve miles in
2;57:54; Mischief, 3:04:19; Venus, S12:ls; Olita
2.19.O7 Interest was aroused over the 1act
that the Alert, which was trying out her
sped finished at SO9:i3