Nine boats put in an appearance to compete in the race on Saturday. The course was down the river from a lino taken in the mind's eye between the Police Hulk and the Pootung Church spire to the uppermost man-of-war at Woosung, which had to be luffed round, and back to the starting line. The handicap was arranged by the Commodore, Mr. R. W. Little, who, instead of placing the Arrow alone at scratch, as was the case in the previous race, put the Charm, Fairy and Pinafore on even terms with her; the Lillie had an allowance of five minutes, the Snipe ten minutes, the Falke and Nimrod twenty minutes, and the Mag thirty-five minutes. Others boats were handicapped, but they did not start. The weather was again favourable, and, contrary to expectation, it was not too warm, though Friday was the hottest day experienced during the summer. The boats rendezvoused off the Bund a few minutes before two o'clock, and when the Blue Peter was lowered on the Police Hulk, they crossed the starting line in the following order, as supplied by Inspector Howell, the official time-keeper Lillie 2 5 2% Charm 2 5 55 Pinafore 2 6 37 Sui 2 7 2 Fairy 2 8 43 2 8 2% "Arrow 2 9 2 Mag 2 9 50 Nimrod -2 14 2
There was about one hour of ebb tide yet to run, and the wind was N.N.E., light and puffy, enabling the boats to carry their full mainsails, and, with the exception of the Lillie, they each used their working being made on the port tack,' The Lillie They had to beat down, long logs and Pinafore went away with the lead, and the Fairy and Arrow soon passed the Snipe, while the Charm, which crossed the starting line ahead of the Pinafore, fell back in company with the Arrow. 'At the Tannery, the Lillie, then on the port tack, had an advantage of nearly two hundred yards of the Pinafore; the Fairy was more than that distance behind the Pinafore, and much to leeward, while the Charm and Arrow were making' tack after tack together, first one having the advantage and then the other. Next came the Snipe, than the Falke, and the Nimrod and Mag brought up the rear, a long way behind. Opposite Collier's Dock the Pinafore stood to windward of the Lillie and deprived her of the lead. The Fairy was then about two hundred yards behind them, and the Arrow and Charm were still well together, the former having the advantage. The flood-tide, running strong, was met at Silverthorne's Point, and the wind not being so strong as it was when the boats started, it was a hard beat down to Black Point.' The only change in the relative positions of the boats was that the Arrow increased her lead of the Charm, owing apparently to the latter making her tacks right across the river irrespective of the increased force of the tide in certain places. Passing Black Point the Fairy took second place, but the Lillie held well on to her, while the Pinafore had a lead of more than a quarter ofamile. Getting the wind free off the 'Upper Middleground, largo jibs were aube stituted for the smaller ones, and the run down to the mark-boat was' made in the order already indicated, and with little difference in the distance between the various boats, with the exception that the Pinafore so increased her lead that, barrin accidents, it was almost certain she woul carry off' the honours of the day. The time the stake-boat was rounded was as follows The Snipe was the only other boat that went round, but she was so far behind she could not be seen from any of the other boats when she dia go round; therefore her time could not be taken. For the race back the wind and tide were alike favourable, and the Pinafore, Fairy and Lillie were off Black Point before the Arrow and Charm could avail of these fast-sailing circumstances. The Arrow also had a Se-boat and setting the jib, the halyards lit mishap, When nicely round the gave way and the sheet fell into the water. But it was speedly gathered in, and having a spare set of halyards already rove, the breakage caused little delay, and the momentary excitement, combined with the freedom of speech to the lowdah and his satellites, yave rise to a demand for sand-wishes and champagne, The same were produced, but the former were found to have been partially soaked in river water, the result of a narrow escape of capsizing in the tussle with the Charm, 500 pounds of the Arrow's ballast having been taken out before starting. A professional on board deciding that there was no claim on the underwriters, the feast was enjoyed; and a similar little pie-nic could be detected on board the Charm. Unfortunately, the wind died away off Black Point, and'there was a shower of rain, rendering the latter part of the race devoid of interest, as it was only little better than drifting. The only incidents worthy of mention are that the lie passed the Fairy a little above Black
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.