88-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS`AND
[February 1, 1902.
ROYAL HONGKONG YACHT CLUB Bonito unfortunately, through a stupid mistake
boat with Alannah about one length ahead: FROM A COTTAGE IN KOWLOON.
COMMODORE'S CUPS.
On Saturday, the 18th inst., the second rage for the Commodore's Cups was sailed in a steady easterly breeze of almost wholesail strength, the course being round a mark boat in Quarry Bay, Kowloon Rock, and the south buoy on the Cust Rocks.
Alannah got away with a splendid start, Iris being next on the weather of Bonito.. Alannah went marvellously, beating out to the first mark, which she rouuded 3 mins. ahead of Bonito, the latter beating the new boats, which were all in a bunch, by about half-a-minute. Iris was last. There was little material change in the relative positions of the boats for the rest of the first round. On the beat up the second time, Alannah increased her lead, and Erica, who held on well into Kowloon Bay before crossing, worked into third place. Under the weather conditions prevailing both Erica and Kathleon appeared to travel slightly faster than Colleen on all points of sailing, while Bonito showed that age had in no way diminished her speed, for on the wind she kept creeping away from the new copies of herself, although she was slightly slower off the wind.
The official timing at the finish was:-
H. M. 8.
:7 :0 31 07-
Alannah
Bonito
Erica
Kathleen
Colleen
Iris did not finish.
31 35
32 45
4 33 45.
Marks.
10 4
The Alannah would have been further ahead only she left out the buoy in Hunghom Bay on the second round and had to go back. Iris had to give up, as a junk got foul of her and broke her forestay.
ECOND CLAS
Only Maid Marian, Doreen, and Payne turned out in this class. Maid Marian was first over the line, with Doreen close under her lee, but on the beat out to the Dock point Doreen opened out a good lead; however, she made the mistake of carrying on far too long towards Channel Rooks before standing over to the Island shore, and lost her lead, Maid Marian rounding the first mark a minute ahead of Doreen, and 2 mins. ahead of Payne. On the broad reach to Kowloon Rock, Maid Marian increased her lead, and continuing to gain on the reach to Dock Point she rounded the buoy in Hunghom bay with a lead of 4 mins. from Doreen and 7 mins, from Payne. This time round, all three bouts stood over to the island shore, Maid Marian holding her lead from Doreen, whilst Payne dropped another minute astern before rounding the mark boat in Quarry Bay. From this point, Maid Marian gained steadily, eventually finishing 10 mins. 37 secs. ahead of Payne, thus saving her time with 37 secs. in hand-a most satisfactory tribute to the ability of the handicapping committee.
The official times at the finish were: —
Net time Marks.
Maid Marian'....
Doreen
Payne
.
..4.49.50 .4.5830 .....5. 027
4.49.50 10 4.57.30 1
4.50.27 4
of her skipper, who thought he was going back to Lyeemun again, overshot her mark by about a quarter of a mile, thus letting Alannah away and spoiling a most exciting race.
Official timing at the fin-h w-3 :
Alannah
Bonito Gloria
H. M. 8. Marks. Total 3 27 45 10
3 40 35 3 47 55
52
4 1
42 3
The One-Design class started at 1.10, Kathleen getting away with the best start from the south end of the line, with Min and Colleen about two lengths behind her. Erica started from the north end, but being on the port tack had to give way to Kathleen, but weathered the other two. Near Blackhead's Point, Min had the misfor tune to carry away her main halyards, and lay. to to refit. Shortly after clearing Blackhead's, Erica passed through Kathleen's lee, and got into first place, and rounded Kowloon Rock a few lengths ahead of Kathleen, Colleen being about a minn'a or so astern. In the beat up to the Lyeemun Beacon, numerous calm patches having to be negotiated, Colleen's light-weather qualities brought her to the front, and she rounded the tower with about 5 minutes to the good, Erica being about two lengths ahead of Kathleen and Min not far behind. In the run to Kowloon Rock, Kathleen went into second place. No further changes took place, but the boats closed up a little, and the line was crossed as follows :~-~
H. M. 8. Marks.
3 42 17 3)
Colleen Kathleen
Erica Min
3 43 40
3 44 4 did not finish
9
19
2
There were 5 starters in the Second-Class, Maid Marian being first over the line with Chanticleer, Gazelle. Payne, and Meteor close astern. Beating to the Dock Point, Chanticleer and Payne stood well into Hunghom bay and over the shoal, which just enabled Chanticleer to cross Maid Marian's bow as they came abreast of the point. At the first mark, however, Maid Marian was leading by a minute with Payne 2ud and Chanticleer 3rd. In beating to Lyee, mun, the 2nd class boats were able to pro- fit by seeing that the One-Design boats had the wind dead ahead when close under the shore, whereas it was freer when further out in the tideway, and this enabled them to draw up. Mad Marian was first round the beacon, Payne not rounding until 9 mins. later, partly owing to her having to make a short tack, to weather the mark, in a strong tide and practically a flat calm. Running to Kowloon Rock, Maid Marian further increased her lead, and came right up to some of the One- Design class. It was now merely a question if Maid Marian could gain sufficiently to save her time from Gazelle, and this sho was just able to do with the narrow margin of 31 secs., which might have been less had not a junk put Gazelle out of her course just before reaching the line.
Finishing times
Maid Marian (1) Payne (3). Clanticleer Metror
were:--
H. M. 8.
3
3 44 41 3 57 52
58 3 59 47
45
4 5 12
net times. 3.44.41 3.47.5!1
3 57.45 3.57.47 3,45.12
The first race for the Commodore's Cup was sailed on Saturday, January 4, but was not [Gazelle (2) finished within the time limit, and will be resailed on Sunday next, the First-Class and | HONGKONG VOLUNTEER CORPS. One-Design Class boats starting at noon and the Second-Class at 12 10 p.m.-time limit as before, 6 p.m.
SEVENTH CLUB RACE.
The Volunteer Corps had another outing on Saturday, the 25th inst., this time carrying blank ammunition and having some attack-and- defence work on the hills at the Tai bang rifle range, where two of the Field Battery's guns were mounted. The manoeuvres were of a very serviceable nature, and ended in favour of the defenders, who had previously been posted and commanded the approaches to the position to be attacked.
On Sunday, the 19th inst. Alannah and Bonito did battle for the Seventh Club Race. Gloria also started, but was completely outpaced. There was a fresh breeze from the East at the start, and the two cracks got away on very even terms, Bonito to leeward but sightly ahead. For a time it seemed that the old boat would hold her rival, but opposite the Docks Alannah took the The parade, considering the counter-attrac- lead, reaching Kowloon Rock about a minute tion provided by the football match, was a shead, but burst her mainsheet when round, strong one. General disappointment, however, letting Bonito up again. Bonito worked inshore was felt at the non-attendance of the baud, for, out of the tie up to Lycemun, and halfway as one member put it," there is no fun without between Channel Rocks and the Beacon appeared the band." On the way home the musical ones to have a long lead, the wind being very light, in the Corps did their best to atone for this but Alannah, in her turn, got a lift, and closed deficiency, although the effect was somewhat up round the mark, passed her on the ran down 'marred by the singing aad whistling of to Kowloon Rock, and the two started for the 'different songs and tunes at the same time.
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The Paris paper L'Echo de l'Armés, on the 8th December, published from its "Hongkong. correspondent" an interview of such exquisite humour that we cannot refrain from reprodno. ing it in translation in full. The article is dated Hongkong, 25th October, and runs thus
Learning that the Richet mission, had arrived at Hongkong by a Messageries boat from Ton- kin, I called on M. Etienne Richet to ask him to confirm the news already published about affairs in L10s. I found the traveller in a cottage in Kowloon, a suburb of Hongkong, very early in the morning, before h's work table.
"The Far Eastern papers," I said, "have commented on the various incidents of your journey in the Laos country. No one knows as well as you the course of events there."
Yes, last month I crossed the neutral zone separating us from Siam, the Bolovan plateau and re-ascended the Mekong by the Kemmaret rapids."
What are the facts of the case as at present known?"
"Few. Owing to the misdeeds of a body of men (who paid for them with their lives) some of the Bolovan villagers revolted-or rather it was hardly a revolt. The Khas never sub- mitted to French rule any more than the Sedangs. They are savage tribes which have taken refuges in the hills and resist all civilis- ing influences. A dangerous criminal, wanted by the French authorities, took advantage of the murder of Ménard to stir them up. When we get possession of Pho-mi-boun Bao-My, all trouble will be at an end."
"But the English papers, the Hongkong Daily Press, for instance, claim that the affair might have very serious consequences."
"Eh! Latissez moi rire. That's just like the English, that nation of exquisite bluffers Their principle is to exalt their own work and destroy (verbally, at least) that of their neigh- bours. It is thanks to this that we have so long believed in a power which is wholly imaginary. For example.-in event of war we could take Hongkong with a few Tonkinese battalions. On the other hand, could the English set foot in Tonkin so easily? Never! Thanks to M. Doumer's defence works, Generals organised with the as-istance of Borgnis-Desbordes and Dodds, it is too late to dislodge us from Tonkin now.
At this moment, M. André Fournier, second in command of the mission, and M. Miller, the secretary, entered the room.
The latter laid
on the table a voluminous portfolio labelled in large letters "Siam." At once I said to M. Richet:
4
"And what about the Siamese question ? How do we stand there ?"
"There isn't really any longer a Siames> question, and we're not doing anything there. But it is certain that before long some 'big', incident will occur to stir the Government, I imagine, to vigorous action."
M. Richet is a man of knowledge. Various circumstances have given him the opportunity of collecting on the spot very valuable docu- mentary evidence. But he keeps it to himself and will not speak about it. I did not insist and left M. Richet, thanking him for the in- formation which he was good enough to 13 had come. furnish. The hour of the "boat
I shook the hand of the master of Kowloon- house [sic, wishing him a pleasant_royago home. M. Richet will visit Ceylon, Bombay, Cairo, and Alexandria.
The H.K.V.C. will appreciate the threatened capture of this island by a few Toakinesɔ battalions.
An Osaka Mainichi telegram, dated London, the 16th ult., says :-A Russo-Chinese company has been ordered to undertake the construction of the Kiakhta-Peking railway, and a survey- ing staff bave left St. Petersburg.
The General Election which will take place in Japan in August next will be the first held under the new Election Law. The electoral districts have been largely extended under the new law and now coincide with the profectures. ·
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