YACHTING DURING THE PAST 247 



another casing of wood was laid over the first one diagonally 

 and covered with another casing of canvas and tar. This 

 casing process was repeated again and again until, it is said, 

 no less than three barrels of tar were used in her construction. 

 But misfortune followed in her wake, for, when launched, she 

 started leaking, and on account of her curious build it was im- 

 possible to discover the whereabouts of the leak ; and she was 

 never of much use as a racer, nor indeed for anything else, 

 as she was rigged with two lug sails, the cloths of one of them 

 being alternately blue and white, and of the other alternately 

 red and white, she was one of the most conspicuous of craft at 

 Broadland water frolics. 



An amusing incident once happened in connection with 

 these sails. Early in the season, shortly after fitting out, the 

 captain came cruising up the course, when suddenly a gust of 

 wind converted his sails to rags, or rather blew out all the 

 coloured part of them (which the dye had rotted), leaving only 

 the white stripes hanging gridiron fashion upon his yards. So 

 far as is known this is the first instance on record in the 

 annals of Broadland yachting where the theory of a practical 

 use of sails upon a racing boat, with holes in them to let the 

 wind through, has been tried. 



In 1858 the-cutter yacht, Belvidere, was built by Harrod of 

 Great Yarmouth for Mr T. M. Read. She proved a most decided 

 success from the date of her launch, beating the lateeners 

 Enchantress, Vampire and Elizabeth continually. She also 

 added more renown to her name by leading such yachts as the 

 Kestrel and Argonaut (an eighteen-tonner) round a full course, 

 and passing the winning post ahead on her merits, they being 

 all larger than herself. The Belvidere continued to be the 

 fastest vessel of her size from 1858 to 1872, winning a great 

 number of prizes ; during the latter half of this period she 

 was owned by Mr W. Clabburn of Thorpe. 



In 1885 she passed into the hands of Mr Harvey-George 

 of Gorlestone, and was altered, raised and renamed the 

 Cynthia. She was twenty-four feet long on the ram, and 

 measured nine tons. Being a deeper-bodied yacht than the 



