Yachting, Vol. 2Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Blackwood, Marquis of
History
Yachting, Vol. 2
Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Blackwood, Marquis of
Yacht racing; Yachting; Yachts
This match of July 30, 1823, is a very important one, as, owing to a
dispute over the prize, the present Royal Thames Yacht Club was
formed. The facts are as follows:--In the race the 'St. George,'
Captain Brocklebank, came in first, and the 'Spitfire,' Captain
Bettsworth, was the second boat. Captain Bettsworth, however,
protested against the 'St. George' being given the prize, for the
following reasons:--'That the "St. George" during the match was
steered by two persons, which was contrary to the sailing articles
signed by all the competitors previously to starting. The articles
alluded to state that "the vessels must be sailed by their respective
owners, or by any person they may think proper to appoint." The
appellant states the breach of articles to have been committed between
Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridges.'[22] On August 6 the Club met to
consider the question at the Ship Tavern, Water Lane; and after Capt.
Bettsworth had produced witnesses and the matter had been argued out,
it was determined by ballot, and by a majority of one, that the race
should be re-sailed on Monday, August 11. On August 7, however, a
protest was sent to the commodore, signed by seven members of the club
(none of whom, by the way, had a boat in the match), asking him to
call another meeting of the society, to either confirm or rescind the
vote on August 6, and mentioning the fact that Captain Brocklebank had
not been present at the ballot. On August 8 another meeting was held,
at the Ship Tavern, of the captains and owners of the pleasure boats
that had been in the race of July 30; they resolved to send in a
protest to Commodore Nettlefold, in which they stated 'that if such
resolution be rescinded, we have unanimously determined never to enter
any of our boats for any cup to be given on any future occasion by the
"Coronation" Fleet,' as they considered the merits of the question had
been fully and fairly discussed. This protest was signed by eight of
the captains who sailed in the match. On August 9 a further meeting of
the club was held, and the resolution of the 6th instant rescinded,
in spite of the protest, the cup being handed over to Captain
Brocklebank as the victor. On this decision the captains held another
conference (probably on the evening of August 9), decided to form a
new club, and to call a special meeting on the question. On August 14,
1823, at the White Horse Tavern, Friday Street, it was decided to form
such new club, and to call it the 'Thames Yacht Club.' Most of the old
members of the 'Cumberland' Fleet are supposed to have joined it. The
'Coronation' Fleet went on with varying fortunes until the year 1827,
when it seems to have fallen into abeyance; but it was revived again
in 1830 with a great flourish of trumpets, only to be absolutely
dissolved on January 3, 1831, at a meeting of the club, held at the
British Coffee House, Charing Cross; and that very same year their
commodore, Lord Henry Cholmondeley, was racing as an ordinary member
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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