Saturday's race was down river to Kajao Creek and back, distance 16 miles. starting line was crossed in the followin order: Violet, Spoondrift, Coronella, Lorna. "There was alight breeze from the north—east of sufficient strength to enable the yachts to beat down the Hongkew Reach in slack tide at a good pace. The Violet, closely followed by the Spoondrift, maintained her lead till passing the Waterworks, where the Spoondrift weathered her and led the fleet. In spite of the increasing force of the commencing flood progress continued to be good till approaching the Chinese Gardens, where the full force of the tide made itself felt.
The Coronella had up to that time persistently stuck to the Pootung side of the river, and was sailing very well and more than holding her own, The Violet worked the centre and the Hongkew shore, while the Spoondrift and Lorna tried every part of the river in turn in hopes of finding soft spot in the tide. The result appeared to show that there was not much difference until the-Camp was passed, when it soon became evident that short tacking about the Hongkew shore was the only way to make any progress. The skipper of the Violet was as usual the first to take advantage of this, and the Violet regained the lead. The Spoondrift and Lorna quickly followed suit, while the Corsella, after vainly trying a tack or two in the middle of the river with disastrous results, gave up the contest and returned home. The race from here to the Point Hotel now became very yards behind the Spoondrijt, had a lucky streak of breeze which brought her right up to the latter, while both the Violet and Spoondrift were almost stationary. From here the Lorna, very skilfully handled and working by very short boards, went ahead of both the Spoondrift and Violet, a piece of work that does the utmost credit to both designer and helmsman. The breeze was too light for the Spoondrift, which besides, in the writer's judgment, made the mistake of trying to work by long boards instead of keeping closer to the shore. The Lorna got to the Point Hotel some 130 to 200 yards in front of the Violet, but this meant in time about 20 to 25 minutes, so that when the Violet and Spoondrift arrived there in company, the Lorna was little more than a speck in the distance.
With a nice sailing breeze a little forward of the beam the Spoondrift reached along at a great rate, leaving the Violet and gaining rapidly on the Lorna, so much so that, she almost threatened at one time to get to the stake-boat first, and eventually rounded only about 27 seconds astern. This performance against such a boat as the Lorna. is an excellent one. The Lorna had her revenge, however, after rounding the stakeboat as with the strong tide and very light following wind she gradually but surely went away, until she again established a Jong lead.
The latter part of the return journey which was practically a drift was even more tedious and trying than the beat against wind and tide, and eventually the Lorna was the only one that manag to get across the winning line at Sh. 24m.
just before reaching Pootung Point, and it Ibs. The Spoondrift got caught by the ebb being then very late gave up; as did also the Violet, which was a long way behind.
The Lorna takes first prize for a well-sailed race under conditions. which yachtsmen may be thankful do not often occur, but it goes to show that she is a hard one to beat under any circumstances. We must say that in the interest of the 24- rater class we welcome any boat, especially one locally designed and built, that succeeds as the Lorna has in lowering the colours of such a formidable antagonist as the invincible Violet of the last three seasons. Another Violet season would have gone a
Although at the present time with five wins long way towards killing theclas altogether. out of six starts the Lorna looks like carrying all before her, we anticipate that the ind of the season will show a more equal distribution of prizes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.