Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-31
SOUTH COASTERS
BACK IN HARBOR
Members of Local Yacht Club En-
Joy Notable Cruise to
Catalina Island
SEASONS PROSPECTS GOOD
Sailors Visit in AvaIon-Many De-
lay Their Start and So
Fail to Catch Breeze
SEASONS PROSPECTS GOOD
BY BERT. s. COLEMAN

Prospects for the yachting season of
1910 are soaring as never before as the
result of the annual Decoration day
cruise to Catalina OF the South Coast
Yacht club ending last night and rep
resented by the largest fleet of pleas
ure cruisers ever assembled in south
ern waters. Twenty yachts left the
club moorings at San Pedro on Satur-
day for the three-day cruise to Avalon,
and last night at all hours they crept
into the harbor, the crews sunburned
and happy.
The Winsome, Skipper Morgan Ed
wards handsome fifty-foot yawl, was
the flagship Of the fleet, Commodore c.
V. P. Smith being on board her as an
honored guest in the absence of his
own boat, which is not quite ready to
be placed in commission.
From 10 o'clock in the morning of
Saturday until 3 o'clock in the after
noon the yachts crept out of Los An
geles harbor around the breakwater
and headed for Catalina, the early
boats catching the tail end of a south
easter which had stirred up quite a
swell A heavy fog settled down in the
afternoon, and until within half mile
of the island sland was not discernible
through the mist.
Races between the boats of a near
size enlivened the trip over, the NAH
pc trimming the Winsome neatly by
nearly an hour in the run, favored by
smart and well-trained crew, expert
navigation and natural speed.
BORDEN LOSES DINNER BET
Before starting Captain Leroy Ed
wards of the Mike, one OF the fastest
sloops of San Francisco waters which
had Joined the Los Angeles fleet, and
Captain Cecil Borden of the schooner
Genevieve agreed that the tail-ender
of the two would be host at a dinner
at the Metropole to the shippers and
crews of both boats. When they ar
rived it was the Genevieve's skipper
who paid the check for a sumptuous
spread.
The dropping of he wind resulted in
the majority of the boats arriving at
Avalon at a late hour, some of them
drifting quietly into the little harbor
at daylight. 1t was case of the early
yachtsman catching the breeze, and
Judging from the way the wind gen
orally drops at dusk it is strange SO
many of the shippers do not start until
late. BY starting early they can nearly
always get plenty of wind and vet
they fool aronud and make a late start.
When they get into the doldrums they
fuss at the absent wind, which they
shouldn't do.
Ine yaWl wave, Jimmy GIBSON, SKIP
per, ran into lively breeze on the
way over, which was not observed un-
til the hook was dropped and sail
being slowed. If the wind had fresh
ened the craft probably would have
lost her main stick, but as it was, the
parting of the stay was the only acci-
dent of the cruise recorded.
All the yachts of the fleet lay in
Avalon's peaceful bay all day Sunday
with their hooks stuck in the marine
gardens, while the shippers and crews
enjoyed themselves in various ways
ashore, or by visiting around among
the boats. 1t was the big day of the
South Coast Yacht club at Avalon
and a more representative array OF
boats has never assembled under the
auspices of any club on the west coast
Sunday evening the members of the
club and their guests, to the number
of nearly two hundred, held a ban
quet at the Metropole, with Commo.
dore Smith as POSTMASTER He made
short address to the gathering Of
sunbrowned yachtsmen, who were
decked mostly i'm blue coats and ducl
trousers. 1t was a festive occasion ani
the greatest of enthusiasm prevailed
because of the splendid outlook for the
sport this year.
A feature of Sunday evening was
the sunset gun on the Mike, Skipper
Edwards beating the United States