YACHTING DURING THE PAST 251 



W. Frederick Green (Wroxham), and the Officers of the^Club. 

 The entrance fee was three guineas and the annual subscrip- 

 tion one. 



With influential men at its back the club became a success 

 from the first, and within a few days of its inauguration 

 upwards of sixty members were enrolled upon its books at 

 an annual subscription of a guinea each. 



The burgee originally chosen had a white ground with a 

 blue margin and a red Maltese cross in its centre ; but it was 

 changed to a white ground with the Prince of Wales feathers 

 upon receiving the Royal Patronage, which was on the 16th 

 of February 1867. 



As an ensign the club selected a white flag with the Jack 

 in the corner and a large Prince of Wales feathers in the fly. 

 The Royal Yacht Squadron at once took exception to it on the 

 ground that it resembled the white ensign which they were the 

 only club entitled to fly. Major H. M. Leathes was one of the 

 members deputed by the club to interview the authorities, but 

 Captain Beauchamp Seymour (afterwards Lord Alcester) 

 insisted on the flag being disused, which was followed by 

 an order from the Admiralty. 



A red ensign was next selected with the Prince of Wales 

 Feathers, which produced a further order from the Admiralty 

 to strike out the Royal feathers from the fly ; eventually a 

 red ensign, with the alteration above alluded to, was passed 

 and the burgee was at the same time altered from a white to 

 a red ground. 



One of the first steps the club took was to alter the 

 rules of measurement to the tonnage system based upon 

 length and width, no shifting ballast and limited crews. 

 This was advocated by Mr T. M. Read and successfully 

 carried into effect. Next the Committee assumed to them- 

 selves power to suspend or excommunicate any waterman or 

 other person from sailing in any club race upon just and 

 sufficient cause shown. 



Three annual fixtures were decided upon as follows : 

 Cantley in June, Wroxham in July, and Oulton in August. 



