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Monaco |
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Monaco Power Boat Regatta |
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Monte Carlo: The Exhibition |
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Monte Carlo: Monaco Fortnight |
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The Monaco Meet of 1906 |
1906 Monte Carlo
Monaco : The Exhibition
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When the Monaco exhibition of motorboats, or outdoor show, opened on April 4, instead of April 1, as planned, a number of boats were undergoing final touches or were yet unplaced. Some of the exhibitors had worked all the previous night, and yet were hardly ready for the entrance of the highnesses who were to formally open the show. The day had been dark and gloomy, but at 2 o'clock, the opening time, when the Prince of Monaco, accompanied by his aides and M. Ritt, the Governor of the Principality and aide-de-camp of the Prince, entered the enclosure, the sun appeared and looked down upon 67 boats of various classes.
The location of the exhibition grounds is particularly suited for a show of this kind, as it is close to the water and from it an inclined railway makes it a simple matter to launch the boats when desired. The whole enclosure is also covered by an enormous traveling crane, powerful enough to pick up even the largest boat and move it without apparent effort. Comparing the exhibition of this year with those of previous years, the boats are fewer in number but the average quality is much better, and numerically even the losses have not been very great. In 1904, 80 boats were shown, of which 34 were racers, 33 cruisers, and 13 boats devoted to commercial purposes. In 1905 the figures were: racers, 38; cruisers, 53; commercial boats, 14. This year the racers number 35, cruisers, 52, and the others, 12.
The illustration of the exhibition spaces shows the arrangement of the boats which were located according to their classes, to make it easy for any interested to take in almost at a glance all the different boats of any class. The Mercedes W.N. is the only freak boat in the exhibition. It is a racer, entered in the 18-meter class, built at Bremerhaven, with steel hull and eight-cylinder, 250-h. special Mercedes motor, designed to run at between 600 and 700 revolutions per minute. This boat had been unfortunate, as in the trials previous to the exhibition she had had a collision which injured the hull to such an extent that it was thought impossible to repair her in time, but by almost continuous work she was put into shape. Her hull reminds one of the under body of a water bug. The midship section is V-shaped, and, indeed, this form is carried from bow to stern, but the keel line is tapered up from its greatest depth amidships until it is above the water line at both bow and stern. It is said that she is capable of 30 kilometers per hour, but carries an enormous wave. Yarrow-Napier, in transit from England on the deck of a steamer, was very nearly destroyed by a wave which boarded the vessel. The wave was of such proportions as to bend the heavy iron hoisting bars about the hull as though they were hoops. The stern was smashed, one side stove in, and it was though that the hull was so twisted as to throw the motors out of line. With characteristic energy, Mr. Edge dispatched a corps of workmen from the yard of the builder, the Saunders Patent Launch Building Syndicate, and by working night and day put the boat into such shape that she made a good showing in the races which followed.
Siola has an enormous propeller which her six-cylinder motor drives. Between the posts which support the deck is situates a glass top which covers the station of the engineer who controls the motor, while just back of it is a large ventilator to furnish air and ventilation for the motor.
Mercedes Paris, equipped with two six-cylinder 180-h. motors, was entered by the Paris representative of the Mercedes company, and is a racer with wooden hull and thorough protection against the elements. Her hull is full and yet easy in form, and has a turtle back deck running back to the end of the cabin, through a part of which, however, the roof is stopped off just short of the side and port lights inserted. The form is very deep from bow to stern, and the sections are a pronounced V, but there is a possibility of considerable drag, due to the deep transom.
Caflit is a 12-meter racer, built by Tellier, and equipped with an Italia motor, or rather, motors. The hull is of the type perfected by Tellier, and has the usual sawed-off transom of the French racers. The interesting part of this boat, aside from her performance, is the construction of the motor, or motors, there being two 90-h. motors, with four cylinders each mounted upon a common base plate and operating twin screws. By this means considerable weight is saved and the structure made more rigid. These motors are of approximately 7-inch diameter and 5.9 inch stroke, and run at high revolutions. They are placed back to back and both screws turn outboard.
Dubonnet has two 120-h. De Dietrich motors, which were described in the last issue of THE MOTOR BOAT. The motors are efficiently protected. The exhaust passes through funnels and the hatch for ventilation is located between them. With this equipment she has proved more successful than with that of last year.
Antoinette IV has double rudders which make her quicker in turning and throw less strain upon the hull. This boat is equipped with the two motors used in Antoinette III last year; that is, two eight-cylinder motors mounted on the same shaft. The space occupied by the motors can be conjectured from the location of the steering wheel, which is at the extreme end of the cockpit. The depth of hull at the stern has been cut down to very nearly the extreme limit, and the sheer is a pronounced hog.
Mercedes D.L., to which we referred in the last issue as the forerunner of the motorboat for naval purposes, is illustrated as she appeared just after being placed in the water ready for a trial. The cockpit space is protected by a removable canvass covering, so that all that appears above deck when the boat is in motion is the head of the steersman.
Full particulars of the racing have not yet come to hand, only the cabled reports of the results being available, but in the next issue we will be able to print full details of the results and of the successes and failures of the meet.
(Transcribed from The Motor Boat, April 25, 1906, pp. 10-13. )
[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page —LF]
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