Zuleika, Shrimp, and Moonbeam. The following are the names of The starting gun was fired at 10.30, when, notwithstanding that it was blowing quite a gale from the eastward, the little fleet were instantly alive with canvas, and dashed into the waves with a courage and determination which showed the true spirit of British yachtsmen. The Folly, Pearl, and Laura led off on the port tack, whilst the Ladybird had started on the opposite tack, made a reach to the northward, and, on putting about, weathered all three of her opponents off the Sandheads; and on rounding The Nab was 3 min. 20 sec. ahead of the Folly, which was second, Laura being third, and Pearl last. The Nab was the easternmost limit of their course, and after rounding it the little fleet returned past Ryde Pier with wet, flowing sheets, and looked the very picture of hard-sailed clippers; more especially the Pearl, which had her foresail split. After running before the gale to the west buoy of the Middle Bank, they hauled their wind and worked back to Ryde, thus completing the first round; the Ladybird being 15 minutes in advance, Folly second, Pearl third, and Laura fourth. It appears that the Ladybird received some injury to the iron work of her bobstay, and under the impression that the match was only once round the course, after completing the first round, lowered her sails and proceeded to her moorings. The contest was then left entirely to the three lesser craft, which boldly kept on in the teeth of the gale, each vessel being under very able seamanship, in which the Pearl passed the Folly and took the lead. The match was concluded in the following order and time: It will thus be seen that these three little clippers were very evenly matched. A protest was lodged against the Pearl for some infringment of the sailing rules, and the decision was, that the Folly be awarded the first prize, and Laura the second. The first class cutter match, announced on the card, did not come off in consequence of the withdrawal of the Thought: the other two yachts entered were, Arrow and Amazon. The schooner match for a first prize of the value of £50, and a second of £10, not being completed before sunset on the day of the event, it was re-sailed on the following Saturday, when the same yachts contested it as those which sailed on the previous occasion, viz. : On this occasion the weather was all that could be desired, a splendid breeze such as just enabled the vessels to carry all their sails without reefing. The Ella did not start, but the other four got away in capital order, Rackrent slightly leading. On rounding the middle buoy the Vestal was first, Zouave second, Wildfire third, and Rackrent last. On returning through the Motherbank, the Zouave appeared to have the lead, but the Vestal was close on her weather-quarter, the Wildfire also very near, and Rackrent a very good fourth. On passing Ryde pier, Vestal and Zouave were nearly abreast, but on luffing for the Noman buoy the Zouave appeared to be about a minute in advance. On passing abreast of the Warner, it was observed that the Wildfire had passed the Vestal and taken the second place, but so close was the race that there were not more than two minutes between the first and last of the three leading vessels. The excitement became very great as the match gradually drew towards a close, and the advantage of the leading yacht being only slightly increased. On rounding The Nab, Zouave was 3 minutes 30 seconds in advance of the Wildfire; and shortly afterwards the wind dropped a little, and thereby gave the Wildfire the advantage. On returning through the East Channel the tide was hard against them, and with a light wind, the struggle became very severe; the Wildfire was most beautifully handled, and contrived, under the greatest difficulties, to weather her formidable opponent, and thus wrench from her the advantage that yacht had hitherto held throughout the race. The time of their passing the flag-ship was as under: 30 Vestal 3 31 40 The Wildfire was accordingly the deserving winner of this beautiful match, which may be truly said to have been one of the most exciting ever witnessed. At the Royal Welsh Yacht Club Regatta at Carnarvon, a very interesting match was sailed for a cup of the value of 50 guineas, by the Enigma, Genii, North Star, and Isabella, in which the North Star proved victorious, and showed an evident superiority over her rivals in turning to windward. The Isabella, which was second, arrived half-anhour later than the winning yacht. At the Swansea Regatta the Vigilant, J. C. Atkins, Esq., won the Yacht's race, beating Vesper, Leander, Norma, and Blue Bell; the Vesper being a very good second, was entitled to the second prize. The grand feature in the Swansea regatta was the match for the Ladies' Challenge Cup value £100, which was again won by the Vigi lant, and this being the third year of her winning it, it became the absolute property of the deserving owner of that Yacht, Mr. J. C. Atkins. At the Tenby Regatta of this season several excellent matches were sailed. For the Tenby Cup, value £50 gs., the four following clippers were entered: This was a time race, the course being from a starting vessel moored off Castle Hill round a flag vessel off Pendine, thence outside Woolhouse Rocks, then between the buoys abreast of Caldy Island and Giltar, returning outside the Sker and St. Catherine's rocks; twice round. Оп starting, the Surge took the lead, which she held until reaching the Pendine station vessel, when the Aura began to forge alongside her, and drew into the first place, and on passing Woolhouse Rocks had so far improved her position as to be one minute in advance of the Surge; the Vigilant was about ten minutes astern of the leading vessel at this point, and the Scourge eleven minutes. On rounding the starting vessel the first time, the Surge had evidently recovered a portion of her lost ground, as there was only half a minute difference between that vessel and the Aura. A splendid race then took place between Aura and Surge, the latter struggling to the utmost for the lead, but the skilful handling of the Aura enabled her to maintain her position to the last, which she gradually increased, and finally closed as follows: The Aura was therefore the winner of this beautifully contested race. On the second day of this regatta another match was sailed for a prize of the value of £50, by the Aura and Surge, in a strong breeze from the S.W., thus giving these two rival clippers another opportunity of contesting their laurels over a longer course, or rather three times over the same course instead of twice. On starting, the Surge, as before, took the lead and maintained it round the Pendine mark vessel, when the Aura began gradually to gain upon her rival, and eventually passed her, completing the first round two minutes in advance. They continued in the same order throughout the second round, on the completion of which the Aura was six minutes in advance. On the completion of the third and last round the Surge had decreased the time between her and her rival by two minutes, but the Aura had still an advantage of several minutes, which all the efforts of those aboard the Surge failed to take from her. The Aura was, therefore, again the victress of a well contested race, with one of the fastest cutters afloat, and 8 tons her superior in size. The Silver Cup, value £25, was won by the Vigilant, beating Scourge and Vesper, beyond the allowance for tonnage. The prize for yachts under 12 tons was won by the Ariel, beating Arrow and Gipsey; the former of the two by time only. The Weymouth Regatta of this season came off under favourable auspices, and a very strong wind. For the Members' Purse of 50 sovs., for schooners, the following sailed: .... Wildfire .... .... .... J. T. Turner, Esq. From first to last the Wildfire had the race all her own; the Fairy Queen gave up on the first round, and the Lancashire Witch on the second. In the third round the Wildfire sailed an isolated race. The Fairy Queen, however, was not in racing trim, having her boats aboard, and being just fitted out for a long cruise. The Purse of 30 sovs., for yachts not exceeding 35 tons, was won by Secret, beating Ladybird. The Purse of 20 sovs., for yachts not exceeding 25 tons, was the best race of all; six little clippers contested it, viz. : Of these, the Gipsy did not start; and the Quiver, having carried away her bobstay early in the race, gave up. The others made a most excellent race; and being so evenly matched, the excitement of the contest was considerably increased. The Little Dorrit and Folly sailed a very even race, it being very doubtful throughout which of the two would win. On the completion of the first round there were only a few seconds' difference between these two little clippers; the Firefly was third, and the Rara Avis fourth. The second round was equally exciting; the Folly running the Little Dorrit very close, and occasionally obtaining a slight advantage. The race was concluded by the Little Dorrit beating the Folly one minute only. It may truly be said that this was by far the best and most attractive match at this regatta. For some reason or other the Torbay (alias Torquay) Regatta is not near so attractive as it used to be. There were no entries for the first prize this year; and last year there being only one or two entries for the same prize, it was not then contested for; and the year before that there were only two entries. It appears that the prizes offered at this regatta are not large enough to attract the notice of yacht owners; besides which, a heavy entrance fee is always imposed, which, with the enormously extravagant price charged for everything at this favourite, but insignificant little watering-place, and the lack of amusement, are the causes why yachtsmen do not care to go and compete at the Torquay Regattas. At the present day, when the facilities for travelling are so great, and other watering-places are so rapidly rising into favour, Torquay will get into disrepute through these failings. No match of the smallest public interest was sailed this year at the Torbay Regatta, there being an utter absence of the clipper fleet, with the exception of the Secret, which, as usual, won the £30 prize in a race in which her rival competitors stood not the smallest chance from first to last. A tamer affair than the Torbay Regatta of this season has not been met with all around the coast. Having now brought our review of the yachting season of 1859 to a close, it only remains to say, that the sailing matches have been as numerously and spiritedly contested, at most places, as on any previous year. The chief honours of the season are due to the Aura, a new yacht of only six months' existence, which has made such rapid succession of victories as have never been known since the triumphs of the clipper Glance. The Aura is the property of W. H. M. Ellis, Esq., and was built by the Messrs. Wanhill, of Poole. As a perfect racing cutter she appears to have no equal. THE MILL FORD. ENGRAVED BY JAMES WESTLEY, FROM A PAINTING BY J. POLLARD. With sullen plunge. At once he darts along, It was March last; shooting over; our double well oiled and laid by for another campaign; the old Squire's harriers had had their last day of the season, and the members their annual wind-up with a jolly good dinner, ending, after "jolly good fellowing" each other all round, and that jolly good song of a "Southerly wind and a cloudy sky," We had had been sung at least fifteen times, in a jolly good row. looked all through the meets, în vain, for a chance day with the fox and stag hounds, before putting "Sandcrack" in a clay-box for a month or two—It was in March, we say, that we took our trolling tackle, and wended our way to the old Mill Ford. It was a cloudy morning, just breeze enough to ruffle the surface of the swift gliding stream. The trees and hedge-rows were showing signs of "coming out" in their spring costume; the sheep tinklers were jingling amongst the rushy grass, and the ignorant, toiling, honest, "noblest work of God" contented clod (in these days of strikes, with his nine shillings a-week, three pounds at Michaelmas, and perhaps a ribbon stuck in his break-'aday at some neighbouring ploughing match, which he carefully removes as a "Fairing" for Molly Dumpling, of whom no doubt he is thinking), crawls after his team, bellowing, as he goes, something about, "the fairest gal" "Down, down, in yander willage." But, hark! What do the Hargrave bells proclaim? striking up such a ding, dong. Some happy clown and village wench's wedding day, "down, down, in yonder village." Whiz-z-z-z-z-z goes the bait to the far side, and comes back spinning and hesitatingly on the water. "Ah! happy, clever fellow to keep a wife on nine shillings." WhizZ-Z-Z-Z-Z. "Poor girl! she'll find out the difference in the grubbing department to her late berth at the Squire's." Whiz-z-z-z-z-z goes the |