Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-07-09
OTTENS TRACT NOTES

portion this summer, the secret time
races pulled offby the Wildwood Yacht
club on Monday were eminently sue
cessful. It was hoped that there would
be a larger representation present, but
the rain kept at least twenty boats from
the various resorts along the coast out
of the running, SO the races were held
with a round dozen craft. The secret
time races were probably the first of
this character pulled off on Five Mile
Beach, and it was at once apparent
that when they are run correctly have
all the element of pleasure and excite
ment of the more technical races. The
winners in the speed boat races were
the "Eagle,n Captain r. Let's, first
aud the handsome "Major,n a speedy
craft recently launched by Commodore
Brennan, of The Wildwood Yacht club,
was second. This does not mean that
the little "Eaglen out-sailed the
"Major,n but that the "Eaglen was
closer to the secret time than the
"Major." In the racing, the "Major"
far ou~t-distanced the smaller boat, but
when the sealed time was opened the
"Eagle' was closer to the secret time
than the "Major.n In the second
class boats Magistrate A. M. Ely took
the first prize with the Viking II, and
odd as it may seem, the Viking l, Cap
tain Willie Glenn, Jr., took the second
prize. Magistrate Ely, when it came
to awarding the prizes, said he was
satisfied to surrender the handsome big
cup which was awarded the first prize
and give it to Willie Glenn, if the latter
was willing to surrender the gallon of
spar varnish. This exactly suited
young Willie because he Is trying to
gather all the tin cups there is along
the coast for a collection he is making,
while Magistrate Ely, who is older and
more practical, said that you cannot
varnish a speed boat with a silver plated
cup, but you could with a gallon of
varnish. The rest of the boats trailed
along within several minutes
and outside of having a good run for
their money and enjoying the races, had
no prizes to show fortheir efforts. The
"Colonel, - Captain Shivers, Henry H.
Ottens' large cabin cruiser was dis
qualified because she could not get
turned around and go over the line
with the bunch and the start was such
a beautiful flying one that Committee
man Ely refused to call back the bunch
that went over the line at the second
gun. The "Colonelo went the rounds
however and on the finish of the four
and one-half mile trip was well in the
lead of the smaller boats. One of the
most spectacular fe atures of the races
was the performance of Miss Gertrude
Palmer on her sea plane or coasting
board, which ever one may wish to call
it. Gertrude's sea plane was fastened
to the stern of Commodore Brennan's
powerful speeder, the "Major,' which
throws a tremendous wake when going
at her best speed; so to rs feet of line
is let out and Gertrude stands on her
board which is about four feet square,
made out of some half inch soft white
pine secured from an old packing box,
and cleated together with wire nails.
She started from Ottens Canal at a
speed of nearly20 miles an hour. The
plane derives its buoyancy from the
pulling power of the boat, and the fas-
ter the boat runs the more sensational
will be the evolutions of the plane;
Gertrude stands on the board, steadies
herself with the lines like a pair of
reins, which are attached TO the front
end of the board and with the centri-
fugal force which is generated, swings
the plane In a wide arc, SO feet each
side of the cruiser. She will swing the
the plane towards a piling or a boat,
and just as they are about to collide
she changes the angle and veeres off
in another direction sending a shower
of spray over the occupants of the boat
or just missing the piling by a few
Inches IL is all a matter OF eye Judg"
ment on her part and is extremely
dangerous for if she were to collide with
the piling at the speed the cruiser is
going she would undoubtedly be in
jured.
HARBISON'S BIG MIDSUMMER
SALE. Watch these columns for
particulars.
Former Senator Robert e. Hand was
noted among the guests. Another
guest was "Duken Albert E. Weston,
whose uncle owns the Cunard line of
steamships. Mr.. Weston, who is a
Londoner, is on a several weeks visit
here and in the fall will go to Canada
on a fishing trip.
Commodore Brennan entertained a