IPSWICH REGATTA - The sports incident to this Regatta, promoted under the auspices of the Orwell Yacht Club, took place on the Orwell on Wednesday last, and notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather, drew a large concourse of spectators.
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At one o'clock, the yachts to contest the prize, took up their positions along side a warp, extending from the Stewarts yacht, towards the shore, in the following order:- Louisa, (Pownall,) Petrell (Bischoff,) British Queen, (Wright,) Midge (Lawrence,) Salus, (Leith,) Eliza (Tovell,) and the Albatross, (Head,) it being stipulated that the yachts should round a boat, stationed off Downham Reach. On the signal gun being fired, the yachts left the warp, but the Midge had a very bad start, owing to her coming in contact with another boat, being obliged to pay off on the wrong tack, and to go round a boat moored close by the station, which threw her back a quarter of an hour. The match was won by the Eliza the rest coming in, in the following order:- Albatross, British Queen, Petrell, Louisa, Salus, and Midge. The latter again encountered another misfortune. The weather being very very squally, and the wind veering occasionally from N. N. W. to S., the Midge ran foul of the Shannon brig, lost her top mast and split her mainsail, by which she was delayed nearly an hour. The owner was placed in imminent danger; and had not the Shannon just before, been brought up in the squall, the Midge would have gone under her bows, and been irrecoverably lost. The Petrell was also driven on a point of land by the squall, opposite Downham Reach, and it was twenty minutes bvewfore she could again be got afloat.
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Source: findmypast - The Ipswich Journal 11 August 1838, Page 2