3-017-056 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Annual schooner race of the Royal Thames Yacht Club: the yachts at the Mouse light ship, 1862. 'The morning had been very gloomy and threatening, but just before the vessels started it became much brighter and more promising...Flying Cloud at once hoisted her mainsail, and Leonora was not long delaying, but Shark and Galatea waited until they had partially swung before touching their halyards. Flying Cloud made an excellent start, and took the lead, followed by Leonora, and in less than ten minutes the sails, including big topsails, were set and trimmed...A wonderfully close match after a run of thirty miles. Shark and Galatea, of course, were almost touching as they rounded, but Shark had better way on her, and soon shot 100 yards ahead of Galatea. It was nearly slack water, and if the breeze had held good they would have run back faster than they came down; but no such luck. The wind soon flew round to E.N.E., and fell very light, and all jibed except Flying Cloud, which seemed to keep the N.E. wind, and got a long way ahead...Flying Cloud now having a good lead, which, however, she could not keep, and the vessels finally passed between the buoy off Roshervilla and the steamer [in this order:] Galatea; Flying Cloud; Leonora; Shark'. From "Illustrated London News", 1864.