862 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
[Mat 2, 1896. 
The Mediterranean Races. 
A s far as keen racing and actual tests of speed are concerned, the 
Mediterranean races have been most inconclusive, and unless the 
weather this year is something exceptional it is hardly likely that the 
owners of the larger yachts will continue to send them so far f or such 
very unsatisfactory sport. It may be that the yachts will still rent 
out as a part of the great annual picnic on the Eiviera, and that the 
owners of the slower yachts will continue to patronize a sort of rac- 
ing which is, after all, but a game of chance, in which they may hope 
to win with tolerable regularity through flukes; but the weather con- 
ditions, to say nothing of the regulations and arrangements, are not 
such as to promote real yacht racing. The following summary, from 
the Field, shows the actual results of a month's racing of the three 
big cutters: 
The features of the South of France Eegattas as regards the big 
cutter class were the return to form of the Ailsa and the reappear- 
ance of the Satanita, under the racing flag of Mr. 0. D. Rose, after an 
absence of a whole season. Unfortunately, the opening races at Mar- 
seilles were marred through accidents and the prevalence of a raging 
mistral, the result being that Marseilles Regatta was put off until the 
close of the Nice fixtures. The first trial of speed between the three 
big yachts, Britannia, Ailsa and Satanita, took place at Hyeres on 
March 8, but it was in no manner conclusive, as the former vessel, 
after having played the part of whipper-in during the first portion of 
the race, was suddenly lirced into first place through the leaders run- 
ning into a patch of eddy wind, her win being an undeniably lucky 
one. Satanita has received certain alterations to her keel during the 
past winter, her sternpost having been placed in a more upright posi- 
tion, and while her reaching qualities do not seem to have been bene- 
fited by the change, she is undoubtedly a far better boat to windward 
than she has ever been before. The hulls of Britannia and Ailsa are 
practically unaltered : the former, however, has had a topmast put 
into her which is 4ft. longer than her old one. and Ailsa had a new 
mainsail, while the other two boats were carrying their old sails. 
The next match took place at Cannes on March 13, when Ailsa in a 
light wind came home 5min. ahead of the Prince of Wales's cutter, 
Satanita being a long way astern— so much so, in fact/that she was 
not timed. Three days later an attempt was made to sail for the 
Goelet-Bennett cup at Cannes. Once more Ailsa gave the others a 
taste of her quality in a light weather trial, beating them well on 
every point of sailing, and Satanita fairly astonished everybody by 
the form she displayed in a close struggle with Britannia; but the 
match had to be abandoned, owing to a calm which prevailed at limit 
time. It may be said that much vexation was caused among British 
yacht owners by the lateness of the start on some light wind days, 
and the inability of the sailing committees to shorten the course, as 
well as by;the absurd and old-fashioned idea of compelling all races 
to be finished within one hour after sundown. 
On March 19, in a strong east wind, Satanita found a day to her lik- 
ing, the result being that she ran away from the others over a reach- 
ing course, coming home 3min. ahead of Ailsa, which, in her turn, 
beat Britannia by 2min. 30sec. 
A second attempt to run off the race for the Goelet-Bennett cup 
on March 20 was not more successful than the first. It was a very 
fluky day, with light breezes, and each of the three boats held the lead 
at different periods of the match; but it must have been very disap- 
pointing for the owner of Ailsa to be once more robbed of his prize, 
after having gained a clear advantage, owing to want of wind. The 
third trial was brought to a successful issue five days later in a wind 
which, though strong enough at the start for jib-headers, fell away 
sadly at the finish. On this occasion Ailsa and Satanita paid so much 
attention to each other that Britannia, being unmolested, was able to 
make a straight course of it, and she proved an easy winner. The 
coasting match from Cannes to Monaco, which took place on March 
21 in a faltering breeze, ended, after a series of flukes, in a hollow win 
for Mr. Walker's boat, and the following day was so unproductive of 
wind that a finish could not be made in any of the classes at Monaco. 
However, on March 23 the breezes, though light, did not die away 
altogether, and Ailsa secured the Prince of Monaco's prize, beating 
Britannia by 8min., Satanita '.being the same amount of time astern of 
the Prince of Wales's cutter. 
Britannia was a non-starter next day in the coasting matches from 
Monaco to Nice, when a light wind again prevailed. It was not sur- 
prising under such circumstances that Ailsa should have run out a 
good lead from Satanita; she, however, lost first prize on time to the 
20-rater Samphire, which was sailing in the same race, and so had to 
be satisfied with second honors. The opening day of Nice Regatta 
proved to be a disappointing one for Ailsa's record, inasmuch as she 
experienced the mortification of losing the prix dShonneur—aiter 
having well beaten a fleet of forty-seven yachts of all sizes from 0.5 
rating upwards— through a terrific fluke, which favored the 20-rater 
Stephanie to such an extent that she was not only lifted up to well 
within her time allowance from the leader, but actually finished beam 
and beam with Satanita. Needless to say, the wind was fickle in 
strength and variable in direction, there being enough of it at the 
beginning of the day for jib-headers on the big cutters and reefed 
mainsails for the smaller fry, while the match was ended in a mere 
trickle of air. Britannia, which had been an absentee since March 23, 
again put in an appearance when the Grand Prix de Nice was sailed 
for on the following day, but she has not been blessed so far with that 
amount of good luck which seemed to be her portion during the last 
two seasons, and she eventually finished in the rear. Satanita was 
the favored vessel during the first part of the race; Ailsa, however, 
got on even terms with her after having a fortunate lift; once ahead, 
she sailed well, taking first prize from Mr. Rose's boat with nearly 
2min. to spare. Two days later Ailsa followed up her victorious 
career by sailing right away from the others in a light south wind, 
most of her gain being made in the beat to the first mark. On this 
occasion Britannia handsomely beat Satanita, though she could not 
get within hail of the leader. 
A coasting match from Nice to Monaco and back next occupied the 
attention of the big cutters. Once more the weather was light enough 
for Mr. Walker's boat to show to advantage. This she did in so de- 
cisive a manner that it may be said to be the hollowest beating she 
has ever served out to Britannia. It should be stated that the older 
boat was not going in anything like her true form, as she was badly 
beaten by Satanita in a turn to windward. Nice Regatta was brought 
to a successful close with a match for the White Heather cup on 
April 7. A great surprise was in store, for the Britannia seemed to 
have quite recovered from her ill humor of the previous day, although 
she could not be said to have sailed up to her merits. Ailsa, however, 
was out and out the worst performer of the trio, and in her own 
weather; but Satanita, which led the others home, had hard luck in 
losing the prize to Britannia by half a minute. Attempts to sail off 
the postponed matches of Marseilles Regatta a few days later proved 
to be fruitless on account of the strong winds blowing; so the Riviera 
races came to an end, as far as this class was concerned, in as unsatis- 
factory conditions of wind and weather as had characterized its open- 
ing two months earlier. 
Sultana. 
The steel cutter Sultana, whose picture is here given, is one of the 
new fleet of modern yachts which is rapidly growing on the Lakes 
and replacing the old-time racers. She was built in 1894 for Commo- 
dore E D. Potter, Jr., of the Toledo Y. O, and in two seasons under 
his flag has made the following record: 
1894— July 4, second day under sail, T. Y. C. regatta, first prize and 
champion flag and time prize. Aug. 7, in the lead, I. L. Y. A., de- 
clared no race, postponed. Aug. 8, 1. L. Y. A., second prize. Aug. 10, 
free for all, I. L. Y. A., second prize. Sept. 10, T. Y. C. and O. Y. C, 
open regatta, first prize and champion flag and time prize, valued at 
$250, the Bee cup, donated by the Toledo Bee, to be won three 
times. 
1895- May 30, T. Y. C. regatta, first prize and champion flag and 
time prize. July 4, T. Y. C. regatta, first prize and champion flag and 
time prize. Aug. 7, in the lead, I. L. Y. A., declared no race, post- 
poned. Aug. 8, in the lead, I. L. Y. A., declared no race, postponed. 
Aujt. 9, free for all, I. L. Y. A., first prize. Aug. 10, postponed regatta 
of Aug. 7 and 8, 1. L. Y. A. regatta, second prize. Sept. 2, T. Y. C. 
regatta, first prize, champion flag and time prize. Sept. 16, T. Y. C. 
annual open regatta, first prize and champion flag, time prize, Bee 
cup. Sultana, by winning the Bee cup again, becomes its owner. 
Sultana was designed by Oliver M. Hepburn, of the Hepburn Boat 
and Oar Co., of Toledo, one of the noted designers of the Lakes, and 
constructed under his personal supervision while he was connected 
with the Davis Boat and Oar Co., of Wyandotte. Like his other fa- 
mous yachts, Alice Enright, Charon, Sunbeam and Shamrock, she has 
proved a most gratifying success. She has been sailed for two sea- 
sons by Capt. "Kid" Wilds, noted as the best professional skipper on 
ha Lakes. 
Olita, Com. H. C. Rouse's 15-footer, built by the Herreehoffs last 
year, will be sailed this season by the younger Huntington, who sailed 
Question in the trial races of last year. She has been altered by the 
Muntingtons at the shop at New Rochelle, and fitted with a much 
deeper board, which can be shifted forward and aft in the trunk. 
It is now stated that W. K. Vanderbilt, the principal owner of De- 
fender, has purchased the interests of Messrs. E. D. Morgan, Jr., and 
C. Oliver Iselin, and become sole owner of the yacht. The many 
rumors as to her being raced in American or foreign waters have no 
better foundation than the fact that she has recently been painted.to 
protect the metal of her hull from corrosion. 
