YACHTING DURING THE PRESENT 283 



ways. Her chief competitors included the Greyhound, Ada, 

 Gossip, Silver Star, Ino and Challenge. 



Another fast boat was the Bubble (Mr W. Stewart), but she 

 was soon sold to go abroad (Russia), and raced but very 

 little. 



Talisman I. was designed by Mr Walter Stewart (who 

 was also responsible for the Odd Trick, Bubble, Challenge, 

 Sticldebat, and many other boats) for Mr R. Lee Barber, who 

 built her himself in 1894 for the modest initial outlay of 

 about 30. She was the first seen in Broadland of the flat- 

 bottomed unballasted type, and won for her lucky owner, the 

 first year she was launched, between 70 and 80 in money 

 prizes, besides numerous cups and specials. In length she 

 was twenty-five feet over all, her beam was seven feet, and she 

 drew only three inches of water, except when her seven-foot 

 dagger plate was lowered. For racing, she was what is termed 

 " a hard weather boat," going well only when a stiff breeze was 

 blowing; a haystack could sail past her in light weather. 

 Among other good points she was never known to capsize, 

 although many times was she waterlogged. In 1895 her 

 sporting owner sent her over to the Riviera, where she won 

 several races against well-known boats, but the sea was found 

 to be too choppy for her when there was any quantity of 

 wind. Whilst here, she proved how excellently safe she was, 

 as on one occasion her crew started from Nice with a light 

 wind aft which gradually increased in violence until all sails 

 had to be taken in, and the frail boat was driven helplessly 

 before the wind many miles out to sea. To bring her to the 

 wind, or to attempt to make the land was impossible, whilst 

 her luckless occupants were kept fully occupied baling out the 

 water with a pail and handcup. This from a boat, the total 

 depth of which from deck to keel was only fourteen inches 

 was no easy task, and as fast as the water was ejected more 

 found its way in. Eventually Bandol, near Toulon, and nearly 

 seventy miles from Nice, was reached after a most exciting 

 time. In 1897 the Talisman I. was sold to a Russian who 

 took her away to the Danube. 



