64 CLASSIC BOAT SEPTEMBER 2016GORDON BENNETT
THE FIRST RACE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
Henrietta arrived off the Needles, Isle of Wight
at 5.45pm on 25 December 1866, winning the
race and making the run in 13 days and 22 hours.
Meanwhile Fleetwing arrived eight hours
afterwards – and Vesta 1.5 hours after thatO
n a chill December day in 1866, three yachts
swung restlessly at their anchor chains in New
York Harbour, awaiting the start of the first race across
the Atlantic. A more unpromising scene could not be
imagined; low clouds hurried before an icy breeze and
occasionally the shore was blotted out altogether by
snow flurries. Despite the conditions, a huge crowd had
gathered to see them off. The race had captured the
public imagination and huge wagers had been laid.
Fleetwing was the favourite, followed by Vesta and
Henrietta, but Samuels, prowling the deck in a huge
greatcoat and barking out orders, never doubted his
abilities. He knew the character of the foe, that old grey
widow-maker the North Atlantic, better than anyone.THE START AND GALE
The start from anchor was slow but the three schooners
piled on sail and were soon speeding away from the
gleaming lights of New York into the gloom and
unknown. Conditions were brisk, and soon the heavier
displacement of Fleetwing seemed to pay dividends
and, heading slightly to the south of the chasing pair,
she started to build up a lead. Meanwhile, Henrietta and
Vesta ran neck-and-neck for two days straight, reeling
off the miles as they went and running 12 and 13 knots
at a time. According to Samuels, the passage was
largely a fair weather one, with a fine leading breeze
meaning that Henrietta did not tack once throughout
the entire race. What constituted ‘fair weather’ for
Samuels may differ from most, however, for on day
eight, the trio of yachts, still close to each other, ran into
a SW gale and Henrietta hove to. “This is yachting in
earnest!” Samuels bellowed to Bennett above the storm
as the little schooner was brought to the wind. She
remained hove-to for the next 13 hours. It proved a wise
move, for, further south, Fleetwing opted to press on
and the results were catastrophic.
In worsening seas, Captain Thomas felt that his ship
was running away from him and ordered six men
forward to shorten sail. As the men struggled into the
screaming uncertainty of the foredeck, lashed with rainand spray that hit them with the force of buckshot,
Fleetwing took a tremendous sea aboard which tore her
two helmsmen from the wheel and hurled them forward
with malignant glee. The schooner was very nearly
overwhelmed, scooping tons of icy water down her
fo’c’s’le while the crew battled manfully to bring the
vessel head to sea, but when everything was finally
straightened out, six men were gone. Stunned by the
horrific accident, Fleetwing hove to and rode out the
remainder of the storm in sombre mood. Meanwhile the
lightweight centreboarder Vesta had not been able to
heave to safely and had been compelled to run many
miles north before the storm. This was to prove crucial
as the race entered the home strait. Fleetwing never
recovered fully from her misfortune and was always
chasing right up to the Needles Channel and while Vesta
harried Henrietta right to the finish line, she was
ultimately defeated, Henrietta arriving in Cowes at
5.40pm on Christmas Day with an elapsed time of 13
days and 22 hours. Her maximum day’s run was an
impressive 288nm and, by following a straighter course
than her rivals, she had defeated them. None aboard
knew for certain they had won until they arrived off
Cowes and heard the cheering of well
wishers on the waterfront. Samuels
and Bennett had beaten the odds to
win the race.
There was further drama to come,
however. Vesta had dropped behind
Henrietta as the pair passed the
Scillies and in the meantime,
Fleetwing had gained on her. Vesta