A Becalmed Regatta on Puget Sound
Seattle yachtsmen battle a dying wind and a frustratingly tedious afternoon during a club regatta on the Sound.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Seattle Yacht Club regatta turned into a drifting disappointment due to the wind and a tedious course. No time limit was set for the race, and this caused some of the yachts to cross the line after dark, while others had given up in disgust. The race was slated to start at 11 o'clock, but due to delays, it did not begin until 12:30. The wind, which had been promising in the morning, moderated significantly, forcing the boats to drift slowly under a hot sun. The Oracle Felitz eventually proved the swiftest in the light air, pulling ahead when a stiff breeze from the south finally arrived late in the afternoon, bringing rain and joy to the fleet. The regatta was followed that evening by the housewarming of the new Seattle Yacht Club house across the bay, where society members enjoyed dancing despite the unfinished state of the building.
“The fleet began a slow and tedious drift, during which time it was impossible for the judges to distinguish one from the other.”
The Seattle Yacht Club has been a fixture of the local waterfront for over a century, though the 'new' house mentioned in 1893 has long since been succeeded. It is a recurring local irony that a city defined by its proximity to water often deals with the fickle nature of the Sound’s winds, just as yachtsmen did 130 years ago.
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