Ill fortune has of late haunted each annual Saturday fixture of the Royal Southampton Club, and that of August 5, instead of attracting the fleet of heavy weights, was reduced to a match between the 'Navahoe' and 'Calluna.' The 'Britannia' had her new mast in, but was not ready, 'Satanita' was getting a strengthening band shrunk on her masthead, and 'Valkyrie,' which had come across from Cowes to Southampton Water, did not start, fearing there would be too much wind for her sprung main-boom. A north-wester came shooting down Southampton Water fresh enough for 'Navahoe's' small reef to be pulled down, 'Calluna,' however, had whole mainsail and both jibheaders. The Scotch clipper was unluckily sailed through the line too soon, and the 'Navahoe' got two minutes start; but 'Calluna' bringing quite a rattle of wind, nearly nailed her rival at Calshot Spit. The breeze got light in the west channel and came bare, while the tide had to be stemmed. 'Navahoe' kept sailing into the first of the wind, and, getting a fine lift near the Lymington Mark, led by 3 mins. 'Calluna' was sailed without heart or judgment in the run up the west channel, and so on to the Warner. She might well have carried her jackyard topsail going west, and certainly wanted it, coming back with sheets off. 'Calluna' was gybed in Cowes Roads for some reason; and while her opponent was running clean with boom the other side, the Scotch boat was 'by the lee.' 'Navahoe' at length was first to shift her big topsail, and had 6 mins. lead at the time, but when 'Calluna' did go to work sail shifting, it took her crew eighteen minutes to get down the jibheaded topsail and replace it with jackyarder. In the beat from the Warner up past Browndown there were some flukes lying under the north shore which might have been picked up for the seeking, and 'Calluna's' poor attempt at match sailing ended by 'Navahoe' weathering the line off Netley with a lead of 11 mins. 25 secs. The racing fleet mustered in force on the Royal Albert Station, and cruisers swarmed thick as bees to do honour to the last of the Solent racing fixtures. A light gauzy haze in the early morning of Monday, August 14, did not bode well for sport, but an air came just before the starting hour for the Albert Cup, and stretched out the fighting flags of 'Britannia,' 'Navahoe,' 'Calluna,' and 'Satanita.' A south-east breeze of about weight enough for small jib-topsails to be carried with profit to windward was drawing in against the last of the east-going stream, when an eventful race commenced with 'Satanita's' bowsprit end showing first across the line; the others were close at hand, and a pretty start was made. [Illustration: Royal Albert Yacht Club. Southsea. 1892.]