[Editor: This article about the Anniversary Regatta was published in The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 1875. The Anniversary Regatta was held on Anniversary Day (later known as Australia Day.)]
[Anniversary Regatta.]
Anniversary Regatta. — The weather yesterday, not being propitious for those who wished to take a stretch out of new sails, &c., fewer boats than are usually about on the day prior to the races were to be seen on the harbour.
The flagship Hydaspes was placed in position at an early hour yesterday morning; and under the direction of Captain Babot and his officers, the crew were occupied during the day in making preparations for their visitors.
The excitement about the first-class yacht match has not been equalled by any race that has taken place since the Mistral and Zarifa last met. Mistral, after leaving dock on Saturday, met the Alick off South Head, both standing homewards with a light S. E. breeze. We cannot say whether Mistral was being sailed to overtake the Pyrmont craft, but if she was her performance was not considered equal to her reputation; and if she does no better to-day, she cannot save the thirteen minutes’ handicap time.
Magic came out of dock yesterday and towed direct to her moorings. As we now write the wind is hanging at east, with a rather high glass, making it rather difficult to say what the breeze will be at noon to-day. It is most likely that it will be either north-east or easterly. If so, the merits of the three yachts will be fairly tested in a dead beat down the harbour from Goat Island, and again down to Shark Island. In that case the Magic ought to give the Mistral all she can do to give her 3½ minutes, which is only tonnage allowance of 30 seconds per ton yacht club measurement. By the same mode of computation the Alick, though only 12½ Customs register, is 16 tons; her allowance of 13 minutes is, therefore, 40 seconds per ton, and with this, in a soldier’s wind, has as good a chance as either of the larger vessels. Pleiades is not too heavily weighted for anything but a very light nor’easter should there be one, Ione has the best of it, and if a southerly or south-easter, Scud ought to be very near winning.
The handicap pulling match, for all-comers, seems a good thing for Trickett, though he did not give Laycock a 7-lbs. beating at Grafton. All-comers, in gigs, is likely to see Lynch’s crew first; and for centre-board boats, under 24 feet, there will be a close race between Kingfisher, Ripple (if in good hands), Langford’s new boat, and that built by Yates, with Kingfisher for choice. Florrie and Nellie ought to make a good fight for the sailing skiff match.
We understand that his Excellency and the Hon. Lady Robinson will go on board the flagship about noon, and be received by the President and Vice-President. One of the Government steamers will go outside with the yachts, so as to render assistance in case of accident.
Source:
The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW), 26 January 1875, p. 4
Editor’s notes:
&c. = an alternative form of “etc.”; an abbreviation of “et cetera” (also spelt “etcetera”), a Latin term (“et” meaning “and”, “cetera” meaning “the rest”) which is translated as “and the rest (of such things)”, used in English to mean “and other similar things”, “other unspecified things of the same class” or “and so forth”
soldier’s wind = a favourable wind which blows on the beam of a sailing vessel, which makes any tacking or trimming of the sails unnecessary
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
The Institute of Australian Culture
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