EAST DONYLAND​ / ROWHEDGE

CORSAIR – 1896 SEASON, AS RECORDED IN THE TIMES AND TWO ARTICLES IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

 

NEW THAMES YACHT CLUB Matches on Saturday 30 May 1896 – Channel Match from Southend to Harwich. Britannia beat Satanita, Ailsa, Hester, Isolde, Caress and Corsair.

 

ROYAL HARWICH YACHT CLUB REGATTA - Match on Monday 1 June 1896 – Match open to all yachts exceeding a rating of 52ft, but not exceeding 65ft; first prize £30; second prize £10. Corsair (winner) 5h 55m 7s, Isolde (second prize) 5h 58m 0s, Caress not timed. “The victory of the Corsair over the Isolde and Caress was something startling, and the alterations Mr. Popham has made to bring his boat under the new measurement rule have evidently been in a right direction.”

 

ROYAL HARWICH YACHT CLUB REGATTA - Match on Tuesday 2 June 1896 – [same rules and course as yesterday] “The Corsair’s performance unmistakably demonstrated her ability to outsail both Isolde and Caress in light weather, but the more modern boats will have their turn in a breeze”. Final timings:- Corsair (winner) 5h 30m 9s, Caress (second prize) 5h 34m 59s, Isolde 5h 47m 29s. “Corsair led through the line with Caress close up. Isolde being a few lengths astern, and in Indian file they reached out of harbour. In beating out to the Shipwash Corsair increased her lead and the Isolde once got past Caress. The latter stood in to a better wind and regained her place, but Corsair weathered the Shipwash with a long lead. There were no alterations in positions in the race to the Sunk, but in the run to the Cork Corsair came back a little. She held her place well in the reach to the Bell buoy and in racing free home, and gained another highly creditable victory.”  

 

ROYAL LONDON YACHT CLUB - Matches on Thursday 4 June 1896 – 1.Isolde 7h 6m 30s, 2.Caress 7h 18m 30s, 3.Corsair 7h 18m 0s.

 

ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB - Matches – Nore to Dover on Saturday 6 June 1896 – “The Corsair had a long lead, when she met with a mishap, and she was afterwards passed by Isolde, which won easily at last.” Corsair’s topmast stay burst and she had to lower her topsail down to the masthead cap. 

 

ROYAL CINQUE PORTS’ YACHT CLUB REGATTA - Match on Monday 8 June 1896 – “Isolde was a little favoured, yet scored a meritorious win over Corsair.”

 

ROYAL SOUTHAMPTON YACHT CLUB - Matches on Thursday 11 June 1896 – 1.Isolde, 2.Corsair. Caress gave up.

 

ROYAL SOUTHERN (SOUTHAMPTON) YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Saturday 13 June 1896 – “In the second-class match Corsair went well in the light breezes.” 1.Corsair 2h 25m 10s, 2.Isolde 3h 31m 17s, 3.Caress 3h 35m 5s.

 

ROYAL MERSEY YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Tuesday 23 June 1896 – “Only Isolde and Corsair sported racing colours in the second-class match. The latter gave up after crossing the line too soon, and Isolde sailed a shortened course and won.” “Result of unfinished match of Monday – 1.Isolde, 2.Caress, 3.Corsair.”

 

RAMSEY BAY, ISLE OF MAN REGATTA on Thursday 25 June 1896 – 1.Isolde (£35) 4h 20m 58s, 2.Corsair (£10) 4h 24m 4s. Only two in race.

 

ROYAL CLYDE YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Saturday 27 June 1896 – 1.Corsair (£40) 5h 12m 47s, 2.Isolde (£15) 5h 37m 35s, 3.Carina 5h 45m 29s.

 

ROYAL CLYDE YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Monday 29 June 1896 – “The Carina and Corsair sailed a very close race in the 65ft match, and they shared the lead alternately, while both finished with protest flags flying.” Result not given.

 

YACHT RACING ON THE CLYDE on Thursday 2 July 1896 – 1.Carina (winner) 6h 39m 34s, 2.Corsair 6h 43m 0s, 3.Isolde 6h 44m 58s.

 

WEST OF SCOTLAND YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Friday 3 July 1896 – “The 65-feet match, which was keenly contested by the Corsair, Isolde, and Carina, was won after a notable finish by the first-named.”

 

CLYDE CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Saturday 4 July 1896 – 1.Isolde, 2.Caress. Corsair gave up.

 

ROYAL WESTERN YACHT CLUB OF SCOTLAND REGATTA on Wednesday 8 July 1896 – 1.Isolde, 2.Corsair. Carina did not start.

 

ROYAL LARGS YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Thursday 9 July 1896 – “Corsair, Penitent, and the Sinner were runaway winners in their respective classes.” 1.Corsair (£30) 5h 21m 0s, 2.Isolde (£10) 5h 43m 0s.

 

ROYAL NORTHERN YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Saturday 11 July 1896 – “Her Majesty’s Cup, value 100 guineas, open to all yachts exceeding 52 rating, with a second prize of £25 to go to the first yacht of a different class from the winner of the cup.” Entrants – all cutters – Meteor (The German Emperor), Britannia (The Prince of Wales), Ailsa, Isolde, Carina, Corsair, Caress, and Satanita. Result:- 1.Meteor 2.Britannia 3.Ailsa 4.Satanita 5.Caress 6.Carina 7.Corsair (winner of second prize by time) 8.Isolde.

 

THE NEW YORK TIMES - 13 July 1896 - “YACHTING ON THE CLYDE - Glasgow, July 1896 - The Royal Clyde Yacht Club opened the Clyde racing fortnight on June 2 (sic), by the first of its regattas, and the programme for the day included twelve matches.... The Corsair has recently been in the hands of her builders, Summers & Payne, Southampton, and was shifted to a light-weather cutter by having her lead and canvas reduced, with a result of an improvement in speed that has bewildered Fife and Watson. How the Corsair may do in a hard blow is waited for with great interest, and with the broken weather which has set in the cutter promises to have all the wind she may want. On the 29th the Corsair won first prize again from the Carina and the Isolde by time allowance of a minute from the Carina, after a tough match, in which the Isolde lost her place in a patch of color. However, the Corsair is not the only instance where an old-rule boat has been wiping out the recent designs.... Capt. Robert Duncan, who sails the Marjorie, raced Watson’s ten-tonner, Madge, when she was sent to New York, and no doubt his knowledge of the Clyde and of his cutter must have counted. In the same way, Capt. Lemon Cranfield, who is racing the Corsair, no doubt gives the cutter an extra reputation from his knowledge of the Clyde and his own reputation as the well-known Captain of Fife’s famous sixty-tonner, Neva, and the famous racing schooner Miranda, which was sold to an American owner.”

 

ROYAL NORTHERN YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Monday 13 July 1896 – 65ft race:- 1.Isolde 2.Carina 3.Corsair.

 

ROYAL ULSTER YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Friday 17 July 1896 – “In the 65ft. match Corsair got a long lift to the fore and only one round was completed, Mr. Popham’s boat having about two hours’ lead when the match was stopped, while Isolde had a protest flying.”….”Isolde dropped down on Corsair at the start and held a long lead up the lough. Before getting to Blackhead Corsair had a breeze and was coming ahead of Isolde, when a foul took place, Isolde’s bowsprit end coming into Corsair’s lee rigging. There was a second foul as Isolde was luffed again. Corsair went on clear ahead and, carrying a breeze, was miles ahead when the match was stopped. The Isolde came on with a protest ensign flying. The finish was:- 1.Corsair (£40) 3h 55m 20s 2.Isolde (£10) 5h 6m 55s 3.Carina 5h 9m 43s. The protest of Isolde against Corsair was dismissed.”

 

ROYAL ULSTER YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Saturday 18 July 1896 – “The Corsair again vanquished the Isolde and Caress in the 65ft match, and Carina took second place by time.”

 

THE NEW YORK TIMES – Sunday 19 July 1896. “Fife’s last year’s champion forty-rater, the Isolde, and Watson’s two-year-old, the Carina, are the best of their class, but have been getting beaten by the Corsair, forty, designed by Payne, and built by Summers and Payne, Southampton. The Corsair is in charge of Capt. Lemon Cranfield of Brightlingsea, one of our very cleverest racing captains.”

 

ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Wednesday 22 July 1896 – 1.Isolde 2.Carina 3.Corsair.

 

ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Thursday 22 July 1896 – “The 65-raters sailed all through as close a race as the first-class yachts, and, while Carina gained a well-deserved victory, it was only by a narrow margin that Isolde won the second prize from Corsair.”

 

SWANSEA ROYAL REGATTA on Monday 27 July 1896 – “In the 64ft (sic) class Isolde and Corsair started. Corsair was giving Isolde a good beating, but in the second round her topmast broke and Isolde finished alone.”

 

ROYAL LONDON YACHT CLUB (COWES) REGATTA on Monday 3 August 1896 – 65ft class; “Corsair was holding a good lead when she got ashore on Ryde sandshead. She remained fast for half an hour, and though she then went on in pursuit, Isolde finished with a long lead.” Only two entries.

 

ROYAL SOUTHAMPTON YACHT CLUB on Tuesday 4 August 1896 – “In the race for forties Corsair beat Isolde all round in the light weather, and had a lot in hand at the finish.”

 

ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON REGATTA on Wednesday 5 August 1896 – Prize of £60; first prize £40, second prize £20, for all yachts exceeding 52 but not exceeding 65 linear rating. Queen’s course, 50 miles. 1.Isolde (winner) 3h 21m 51s 2.Corsair 3h 33m 10s.

 

ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON REGATTA at Cowes on Thursday 6 August 1896 – The Town Prize of £100 – 1.Ailsa (winner) 2.Britannia 3.Satanita 4.Caress 5.Isolde 6.Corsair.

 

ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON REGATTA on Friday 7 August 1896 – THE AUSTRALIAN CUP, value £50, second prize £15. Queen’s course, 50 miles; Corsair winner on time allowance from Isolde.

 

ROYAL VICTORIA [YACHT] CLUB REGATTA on Tuesday 11 August 1896 – “One of the Corsair’s crew had his leg fractured through the spinnaker boom unshipping”…. “The rival yachts were in for a luffing match before getting to the Noman, and a slight foul occurred. The spinnaker boom of the Corsair got unshipped from the goose neck afterward, and, unfortunately, the spar struck an A.B. and broke one of his legs. The Corsair was at once sailed hard back for Ryde, and as soon as possible the injured man was landed and taken ashore. Isolde, after finishing the first round at 1hr 22m 32sec., was stopped and given the winning gun.”   

 

ROYAL VICTORIA YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Wednesday 12 August 1896 – 1.Meteor 2.Ailsa 3.Britannia 4.Caress 5.Isolde. Satanita and Corsair gave up.

 

ROYAL VICTORIA YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Thursday 13 August 1896 – 65ft match; 1.Isolde (£35) 2.Corsair (£15).

 

THE TIMES - THE METEOR’S BIG PRIZE - 24 August 1896, article dated Glasgow 15 August 1896 – “Capt. Lemon Cranfield of Corsair has been sent ashore, but whether this is in any way connected with one  of his crew getting his leg broken by the unshipping of the spinnaker boom is not known.”

 

ROYAL ALBERT YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Monday 17 August 1896 – 1.Meteor 2.Britannia 3.Satanita 4.Caress. Corsair and Isolde not timed.             

  

ROYAL ALBERT YACHT CLUB REGATTA at Spithead on Tuesday 18 August 1896 –In the 65ft match “the racing flags of Isolde and Corsair were pulled down just before the start as a protest against the Carina being admitted in a second-class match. Carina was sent on one round of the course and awarded the prize.”

Later, a collision between the Meteor and Isolde resulted in the death of Baron Von Zedtwitz, and a number of Isolde’s crew being swept, or jumping, into the water.

 

ROYAL DORSET YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Saturday 22 August 1896 – “Owing to the death of the mate of the Isolde [from Typhoid fever] Mr. Donaldson decided not to race her again until the Royal Dart Regatta on Friday next, and Corsair thus had a sail over in the 40-rating match.”

 

ROYAL DART YACHT CLUB REGATTA on Friday 28 August 1896 - ….”the Isolde had a sail over in the absence of the Corsair.... the Corsair having gone eastward to lay up.”

 

THE NEW YORK TIMES - Sunday 18 April 1897 - “The Corsair, built five years ago by Summers and Payne, carried off some of the forty-rater prizes last season, with Capt. Lemon Cranfield to keep her on her feet. But when he left the cutter last Autumn the Captain who took his place could not sail the cutter, short of ballast as she was, and the owner had to do without prizes.”