'Meteor' unquestionably had a stronger following breeze than the two leaders, and with about 3-1/2 ft. less draught than 'Valkyrie,' she could be edged inside the tide rift on the north shore, the result being that she gained 50 secs. on 'Valkyrie,' yet with an allowance of 14 mins. 32 secs. she thus lost by 18 secs. On the question being raised that 'Valkyrie' had not followed the track marked on the official chart furnished, it was admitted that she had left the Nab on the wrong hand, and the Sailing Committee disqualified her and declared the 'Meteor' winner of Her Majesty's Cup. It may be said that the 'Wendur' after rounding Lymington mark attempted to set her spinnaker, but lost the sail, which was picked up by a pilot boat. Worse still, the boom was let drop in the water, and on it breaking two of the crew were badly hurt. Wednesday, August 2, was chosen by the Royal Yacht Squadron for the match for the Meteor Challenge Shield presented by the German Emperor, the course being from Cowes round the Isle of Wight (outside Nab), thence round the Shambles Lightship and back through the Needles passage to Cowes, a distance of 112 miles. According to the conditions four yachts were to start or no race, but out of an entry of six only 'Britannia' and 'Satanita' went for the trophy. The start, which was fixed for seven o'clock, was delayed an hour owing to the card and sailing directions differing. At 8 o'clock, when 'Britannia' and 'Satanita' got away, the 'Valkyrie's' crew, which had made a show of getting the vessel ready, had proceeded as far as hoisting a jib in stops and lashing up the fighting colours, the vessel subsequently lying listless at anchor all day. A charmingly bright clear morning with a bonny breeze from the north-west sent the two ships scudding out in hot haste to the eastward. Spinnakers were on and jackyard topsails, and at the Nab 'Britannia' had run out a lead of 4 mins. Coming on a reach the east stream was faced, and 'Satanita,' doing a wonderful stretch of sailing, had almost drawn level with her rival, when the wind came ahead and gave a beat of about forty miles to the Shambles. In order to shun the tide the Island shore was worked, but 'Satanita' got too close and bumped hard several times on Atherfield Ledge. In working on a nasty short jump of sea was trying the vessels, and off Swanage the breeze came in such hard puffs that big topsails were got down. 'Britannia' worked away from her rival, and after a pretty considerable amount of pile-driving got round the Shambles at 4 o'clock with a lead of 10 mins. They had to face a west tide, and as the evening closed in the wind almost entirely failed. In the west channel it was mere tide-work, and at 9.30 'Britannia' drove across the line winner, 'Satanita' at the time being barely discernible astern. It was an uninteresting match, but a hard one for ships and crews, and in the heavy plunging which went on between the Needles and St. Albans 'Britannia' sprung her mast.