quarter, and take the wind out of her sails. Mr. Weld, to prevent this, keeps luffing, and Menai still persisting, Lulworth is obliged to do the same: so they continue till both vessels have deviated considerably from their course. During this time the Louisa, by keeping a straight course for the buoy, and having no one to interfere with her, has gained the distance lost by being only third round the first flag-boat, while Miranda has also come up a good deal, her running being her best point of sailing. At length Lulworth finding, if she persists in her attempt to preserve the weather guage, she will be obliged to jibe in order to pass the buoy on the larboard hand, and seeing Louisa's position, is compelled to keep. away, and Menai succeeds in gaining a position on her quarter, but in so doing is obliged to jibe. Both vessels are, therefore, now with the wind right aft, and neither can becalm the other, their booms being on opposite sides. If Menai luffs at all, she must foul the other, and thereby lose the race; if she continues her present course, she will be compelled to pass on the wrong side of the buoy, for Weld seems determined to shave it as close as possible. They are almost close to it! "You must give me room," says Smith to his antagonist, or I shalb be aboard of you." "I am on the starboard tack," replies Weld. "I can't help it, by God," answered the other, "I must have room." "Stand by, my lads," addressing his crew, "and cut away if he touches you." “Aye, aye, sir,” replied a dozen Itchen Ferry men, jumping into the rigging with knives and axes in their hands. The Lulworth's people do the same, and probably blood would have been shed, had not Weld's captain, by keeping away a little, just allowed room between herself and the buoy. Both vessels round it at the same instant-the Lulworth however being on the starboard tack is enabled to haul up instantly, and shooting a-head clears the Menai before the latter can jibe her heavy boom and get her sheets aft. The Louisa and Miranda also hauling round, by this time all four vessels are again close together reaching for the nab-light, about two points off the wind. As they get further out they find more wind and sea, and there Louisa appears to have the advantage; Lulworth is still however a little a-head and to windward of her, Menai about three lengths astern but rather on her quarter, Miranda to lee ward of her, and Scorpion dropping fast. Each vessel carries her whole sail, Louisa and Lulworth still with their big jibs set. Both however find they cannot bear them much longer, and anxious eyes are fixed upon the spar, which appears to bend with the weight of such an immense sail; both vessels as they approach the nab prepare for shifting jibs. The smaller one is already stopped down on the bowsprit, and halyards hooked ready for the word. Both are luffing all they can, and just at the moment she finds she can clear the light vessel Weld shoots his vessel up in the wind, and the tack of the jib being cut the sail flies to leeward and is quickly gathered aboard by the crew, while other hands running away aft with the halyards, up goes the smaller one in its place, and the vessel is again kept away. The Louisa performs the same manoeuvre equally well, and neither vessel loses any ground. The Menai is also round by this time. The breeze has now freshened considerably, and a good deal of sea is running; on other occasions all the vessels would have one or two reefs down, but now they carry their gaff-topsails. The seas fly half way up the mast at times, and their gunwales are under water, still they carry on-neither will give a chance away by losing time in reefing-they have not very far to go before they will be in smoother water, but in the mean time the larger vessels have evidently the advantage. Lulworth's deck is nearly under water, and the hands to leeward are up to their waists; still she carries through. The Louisa however evidently fore-reaches her fast, and Menai is already on her beam; Presently Louisa tacks, and now is the eventful moment-both crews watch each other with intense interest" Luff," says Weld to his Captain, "luff all you can." In vain; Louisa at that moment gets a puff which brings her up nearly a point, and she passes about a length a-head, her crew cheering loudly at the time. The Menai now appears to be superior, and as the breeze increases carries her sail better than any other in the race. Louisa tries all she can do to weather her also, but being on the larboard tack is obliged to give way and pass astern, and Menai almost instantly after tacking, and Lulworth doing the same, all three are now on the larboard tack, reaching in towards the No-Man Buoy, on their return. Miranda about this time springs her boom and is obliged to shorten sail. When the vessels come in sight again of the spectators at Ryde, the Menai is first, Louisa astern but rather to windward, and Lulworth some distance in the rear; she has been overpowered in the sea-way by the superior tonnage of her adversaries, and her chance appears gone. "I knew she could do nothing with Louisa in a breeze," cried a Cowes waterman, delighted to see his favourite beating the Lymington crack, "the harder it blows the better she likes it; why damme she could drown that Lulworth if she had to go round the island." I think we shall have the cup at Itchen Ferry yet," says one of Mr. Smith's old hands. "Don't make too sure of that," says a Yarmouth smuggler, who observed the Lulworth at that moment tacking in shore, while the other two still kept their reach across to Stokes bay. Weld feeling that if he stood on after the others, all chance of his winning was out, determined to make a tack in shore and take his chance for the breeze favouring him by drawing off the land, which it generally does; besides, he calculated the tide had barely began to run to the westward yet mid-channel, and consequently he should be rather favoured by it closer in, and also have rather smoother water; when therefore Menai and Louisa tacked on the north shore between Stoke and Well Head, Lulworth had also tacked close in by Fish-house, and catching a strong puff out of the bight, was laying up right for Cowes point. "That Weld has the luck of the devil," says one of the club, who observed the position of the vessels as they came in sight from the castle, "look how he lays up." The other two vessels had also miscalculated Brambles shoal and had gone further to windward than was necessary, and therefore had to keep away a little to clear it. When they came again within a mile of the harbour, it was a doubtful point which was to windward. their distance from the By the regulations of the race they must pass between the starting vessel and Cowes-castle, leaving the former on the larboard hand. By this time the tide is running very strong in Cowes roads, and shoves the vessels well to windward. Still both Menai and Louisa must make two tacks before they can possibly pass between the Castle and Flag vessel; Lulworth on the contrary has only one to make, but is on the larboard tack and consequently at that disadvantage. All three are hugging the wind, and their sails shivering now and then, but Menai just succeeds in weathering Weld and attempts to go about, but she having quite as much way as she ought, the tide sets her towards a merchantman lying in the roads, and for a moment she is entangled with her and becalmed,Louisa tacks short-a few minutes will decide the thing-Menai is again clear, and way upon her-Louisa tacks again." "About with her, Chapman," cries Weld, and round she also comes, Louisa is close to her, and hopes by keeping good way to be able to pass her to leeward, before the other gathers her way again. The Flag vessel is within a few lengths. Menai foaming through the water, hopes by shooting up in the wind to pass between her and the Castle-Louisa is alongside Lulworth, her bowsprit is ahead, when her sails becoming becalmed under the other's lee, she drops again, and Lulworth gathering her way shoots a-head, and passes the goal at the same moment that Smith, putting his helm down, luffs round also, but so close was the latter obliged to pass that some part of his vessel's rigging takes the boom of the Judge's vessel, and by the laws of the club he forfeits all claim to the prize. The gun fired serves for all three, so close a thing is it, and the cheers of their respective crews are simultaneous. "Lymington is again victorious!” JUVENIS. 9. Halifax, Thomas, Esq. Class. Tonnage, Port. cutter ..130 Southampton ........ schooner 46 Dartmouth ...... cutter 56 Ramsgate cutter 71 Cowes Phantom Ariel ...... cutter ..103 Cowes cutter 93 London 10. Hammond, Rear-Admiral, Sir G. E. Bart. K.C.B. 11. Hare, Hon. William H. 12. Harman, Thomas, Esq. ......Wombwell 13. Lindegren, John, Esq.. .... Vampire 14. Admiralty, first Lord of ..Ad. Yacht 15. Paget, Right Hon. Sir Arthur ........ 16. Yarborough, Ld. (Commodore) Falcon 17. Puleston, Sir Richard, Bart...Juverna.. 18. Sheddon, Colonel.. 19. Thomond, Marquess of 21. Weld, Joseph, Esq... 22. Weld, James, Esq. Merlin ........ ...... cutter cutter ...Lord of the Isles cutter 23. Fleming, John, Esq. M.P..... Elizabeth...... cutter 24. Perkins, Henry, Esq. 25. Williams, Thos. P. Esq. M.P. 26. Maxse, James, Esq. 27. Powell, J. P. Esq. No. Name. Vessel. Class. Tonnage, Port. 54. Rivers, Sir Henry, Bart.......E. St. Vincent.. cutter .. 41 Southampton ..Petrel.. .......................... cutter .. 98 Southampton 55. Ilchester, Earl of.... 56. Garland, Capt. J. G. R.N. 57. Thorold, Henry, Esq. 59. Johnstone, Major-General....Mary...... .. cutter.. 62 Southampton .. Clown...................... ketch ..156 Troon 60. Portland, Duke of 69. Murray, Alexander, Esq. 70. Byrne, Edward H. Esq. 71. Heneage, G. W. Esq. Portsmouth ....Rein Deer...... catter 68 Cowes .. .... cutter 67 Southampton cutter 45 London .. ...... .Therese.. .... cutter..121 Cowes .... 88. Kean, Capt. James, R.N.....Turk.......... cutter 57 Bristol 44 Southampton 40 London cutter 60 Southampton Albatross ... cutter ..... 75 Cowes. . Fanny.......... cutter 75 Cowes .Flower of Yarrow cutter..145 Leith JACK BETWEEN. 111. Call, George C. Esq. ..... .......... ...... cutter 81 Cowes 75 Cowes 31 Southampton 77 Cowes cutter 75 Cowes WaterWitch.... cutter ..... .... Columbine...... cutter 90 Cork ......... Xarifa ........ 140. Lane, Rev. Thomas Leveson 141. Craven, Hon. G. Augustus 142. Newborough, Lord ......... ........ cutter 36 Cowes ....Sapphire |