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In the summer of 1905 Guy B. Hiltz went for a spin on Louisbourg harbour in his new yacht. Crowds from town gathered along the shore to watch him. The yacht, designed and built by Wylie Stacey, was 20 feet long on the deck. Stacey was operating a small boat building plant in Louisbourg. By 1906 he was employing 3 people and had completed 5 boats since starting his business a year earlier.
In mid September 1906, there were formal races on the harbour. The course was from Z.W. Townsend's wharf, around a buoy off the Old Town then round the bell buoy off the lighthouse and back. Wylie Stacey won the race. There were plans for a sloop-rigged fishing boat race to be held on Thanksgiving, October 18, 1906.
That fall was an exciting time for Louisbourg because the Maggie, built by Wylie Stacey, won the fishing boat race in Baddeck. This was the first time that someone from Louisbourg had won a race outside the community.
Boat Races were planned for Dominion Day, July 1, 1907. Many visitors came to town by the morning train. They came to visit the ruins of the Fortress and the monument erected in 1895 by the General Society of Colonial Wars. They could also look at the work being done by D. J. Kennelly who was stabilizing the casemate ruins of the French colonial fortress. Unfortunately, in spite of the eager crowds, the yacht races were cancelled because of insufficient wind.
But the enthusiasts were ready for Labour Day races encouraged by one of the boats designed by Wylie Stacey winning in Baddeck for the second year in a row. There were three races planned for Labour Day in Louisbourg. There was a race open to all fishing boats no more than 35 feet long, a race for yachts and a fishing sloop race. The price for the yacht race was a silver cup. to keep the cup it had to be won two years in a row. In addition, it was planned to have a 4-oared boat race and a tub race. The prizes for the tub race were $1.00,.50, and .25. To prepare for the race all the towns that might send entries were contacted by telegraph. There was also a single-price ticket arranged with the Sydney and Louisburg Railway from all points coming to Louisbourg. The train was to arrive in the morning and leave by 5 P.M.
Labour Day, 1907, began ominously with a downpour of rain. Luckily, by mid morning the sky cleared with a fresh breeze from the north east. The first race was the doubles rowing match. The course was from the head of the Freight Wharf around a buoy located about 1 mile away and back. There were five entries and prizes of $5.00, $3.00 and $2.00. D. W. MacDonald and George Wadden came in first followed by William Grey and Patrick Lahey. The other boats were crewed by Captain Jenner and Henry C. Verner; Charles Hunt and Charles Beaver; Fletcher Townsend and Bert Wilcox.
In the schooner-rigged fishing boat challenge there were only three entries racing for prizes of $20.00, $12.00 and $8.00. The first prize went to the Maggie owned by A. Kennedy of Little Lorraine and sailed by its builder Wylie Stacey. Second place went to the boat owned Arthur Severance of Fourchu sailed by Gordon Stevens and the third prize was won by the Fearnot sailed by Samuel Tanner.
There were 5 yachts in the 1st class race. They were: Marion owned by John A. MacDonald and sailed by Fletcher Townsend, Louisa sailed by Dan Fleet, Ivanhoe sailed by Duncan Crowdis, Vera sailed by Dr. F. O'Neil and the Sharp sailed by G. B. Hiltz.
The Ivanhoe was fresh from winning the Commodore's Cup in Baddeck in July and seemed to be the favourite. But it was Fletcher Townsend in the Marion who won the silver cup in Louisbourg. An interesting feature of the race for sailors and spectators alike, and adding to the suspense, was the fact that three of the five yachts were of the same size and design and constructed by Wylie Stacey.
The Ivanhoe was to suffer another defeat of sorts in September. Crowdis along with Enoch Townsend and Tommy Dickson had been sailing on the harbour on a Saturday afternoon and were returning to the dock. About 200 yards from the Freight Wharf a squall struck, laying the Ivanhoe over until she filled with water and sank to the bottom. The three sailors were picked out of the water by a boat from a nearby schooner. The Ivanhoe was raised later that evening.
There were 15 entries in the Labour Day fishing sloop race. The course was from a boat off the Freight Pier, out and around the bell buoy off the lighthouse and back. Fraser Wilcox won first prize, followed by Bert Wilcox, Dave Tutty and Charles Dickson.
The tub race was the final race of the day and had 6 entries. All tubs left the starting line but after several minutes two sank. Fletcher Townsend finished first followed by Able Wilcox and Charles Dickson. The prizes were presented by Mayor Lewis that evening at the S&L station where the Citizens Band played a number of selections.
The Labour Day event was so successful that later in September the Louisburg Yacht Club was formed. There were 26 citizens who joined the first night. A week later the By-Laws were accepted and officers appointed. They were Dr. Freeman O'Neil, Commodore; W. W. Lewis, Vice- Commodore; Duncan Crowdis, Rear Commodore; and A. Martel, Secretary-Treasurer. The governing board consisted of those named above plus Captain P. J. Wilcox, H.C.V. Levatte and Joseph O'Toole. The Racing Committee included Capt W. P. Cann, Fletcher Townsend, Wylie Stacey and G. B. Hiltz. At this meeting the commodores were directed to draft designs for flags.
In October the fourth local Louisbourg race took place with the Ivanhoe finishing first. In the other races the Marion won two and Louisa came first in one race. There were two additional races planned for the fall.
The creation of the Louisburg Yacht Club opened the door for more than racing. In early October the Club sponsored a "very elaborate ball" in Peter's Hall. The event was open to members and friends. There were dances of various kinds and music was provided by local talent.
In the fall and winter of 1907/1908 there were several Yacht Club balls held in Peter's Hall on Main Street. At the one held in November it was noted that, " a large number of strangers from neighbour towns attended the v function."
On Dominion Day of 1908 the weather was good but the wind was light so the races did not prove as interesting as they might have had there been a stiff breeze. The course for the yacht race was from Townsend's Wharf to a flag buoy off Pope's wharf in West Louisbourg around the bell buoy and back along the same course. There were six yachts in contention though Fletcher Townsend's was the best by 10 minutes. In addition to the yachts there was a sloop rigged fishing boat race.
This was only the beginning of the summer. The Baddeck Yacht club races were coming up and members of the Louisbourg club planned to attend the races there in mid month. They were encouraged by the win in 1908 by Duncan Crowdis' yacht, Ivanhoe. There were four yachts from Louisbourg at Baddeck: John A. MacDonald's, Marion; Duncan Crowdis', Ivanhoe; D.P. Cann's, Donald and the Aeolus owned by Fletcher Townsend.
The visit to Baddeck was a successful one for Louisbourg. Fletcher Townsend's yacht the Aeolus won the 8 mile race on each of three days.
The racing went on during the summer in preparation for Labour Day. At the same time the captains of the Ivanhoe and the Marion along with several others were preparing to go to Sydney to race for the Cibou Cup at the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club. On their return, the tug E. M. Cates towed the Grayline, Aeolus, Ivanhoe and Marion from Scatterie Island into Louisbourg. The boats were met at Townsend's wharf by an enthusiastic crowd. According the newspaper, " When the steamer and her yachts rounded the point there was a great screaming of whistles from the power house, the coal engines and the steamers in port. Flags were displayed from many buildings and the Norwegian steamer Hermod were gaily dressed up in bunting. The yacht crews were given a great ovation on landing."
The events for Labour Day 1908 included a schooner-rigged fishing boat race, fishing sloop race, yacht race and a tub race. In preparation for the event the club held a ball in Peter's hall. But the weather on Labour Day was not pleasant. There was a south wind with occasional rain squalls and fog. Still, the morning train brought visitors in from outlying areas and the races went on as planned. But there seems to have been some problem with the fishing boat races. Though there are no details the news correspondent wrote that, " There is considerable dissatisfaction in some quarters over yesterday's races and it is said that there will be few if any fish boats compete in any races here in future."
The gossip that fall as the yachts were taken ashore for winter was that the Marion, owned by John A. MacDonald had been sold. There was speculation that the new owner of the Marion was also going to have another yacht built to compete against the Aeolus.
On Dominion Day of 1909 the harbour races were on again, and once more the weather was bad. The sloop race included Fraser Wilcox from Big Lorraine, Archie MacDonald's sloop Helen sailed by Fletcher Townsend and Michael MacKenzie's, Idle Hour sailed by Arthur Townsend. As in 1908 Wilcox won the race. There seem to have been only three yachts racing in rainy weather. They were the Aeolus, the Marion and J.J. Dillon's yacht. During the race the Marion broke a mast and the Aeolus won. The third race that had been scheduled, a motor boat race between W. W. Lewis and A.W. Stacey's boat, was cancelled because of the bad weather. The Methodist Ladies provided dinner at Wylie Stacey's boathouse for visitors.
At the end of July the Aeolus, Marion and Cann's yacht left Louisbourg to participate in the Cibou Cup race in Sydney. From there it was expected that the yachts would go to Baddeck for races to be held on August 4, 5 and 6. It was anticipated that the Aeolus which had won the Cibou cup in 1908 would win again.
Sure enough the Aeolus was an all round winner, gaining the Cibou cup in Sydney and the Commodores cup in Baddeck. The Sydney Record opened its column by saying, "Hats off to Captain Fletcher Townsend his sturdy crew and gallant little craft Aeolus, a jolly combination from the Louisburg Yacht Club which on Saturday afternoon successfully defended the Cibou Cup against all comers in an invitation jaunt for 17 footers over the R.C.B.Y.C.'s fifteen mile course." There were six yachts in the race which took place on a warm sunny day with a stiff north west wind blowing. John A. MacDonald and the Marion crossed the finish line in second place.
Back in Louisbourg there were expectations that yachts would race on the harbour for a cup donated by James Ross of the Dominion Coal Company. The raced had to be cancelled, however, since bad weather would not permit the yachts from Sydney and North Sydney to get to Louisbourg. It was hoped that the race for the President's Cup could be held on Labour Day. On that day as well there would be a race for the Citizens Cup for yachts and the Fishermens Cup for schooner and sloop rigged fishing boats.
The President's Cup race was eventually carried off on Labour Day 1909, though only three yachts sailed over the course. In first place was the Aeolus, then a yacht owned by Mr. Kerr and then the Marion. There were also races for schooner rigged and sloop rigged fishing boats.
From the annual meeting of the Louisbourg Yacht Club in June 1910 we have a list of the Executive and other officials. They included the following:
Commodore Freeman O'Neil, M.D.
Vice-Commodore W.W. Lewis
Rear Commodore Porter J. Wilcox
Secretary A. A. Martell
Treasurer Neil Murphy
Sailing Committee G. B. Hiltz, Alonzo Tutty, George Lewis, Roderick Kerr (flag captain) and A. W. Stacey ( official measurer).
Managing Committee: H.C.V. Levatte, Norman McRury, D.J. Matheson, D. W. MacDonald and Joseph MacDonald.
There were motorboat races on Dominion Day in 1910 with three entries: W. W. Lewis, A. Stacey and Lewis Cann. The Lewis boat won.
Again in 1910 for the third year running Townsend's Aeolus won the Cibou Cup in Sydney. Two other Louisbourg yachts, the Argo and Marion, participated and placed 3 and 5.
It was not until 1912 that the Cibou Cup was returned to the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club. That race, on Sydney Harbour, was won by S. J. Dobson, ". . . thus bringing to Sydney the cup, which ever since its donation has remained at Louisbourg." The Aeolus which had won the trophy in each previous year placed third in 1912.
This copyrighted article by:
William A. O'Shea, Louisbourg Seagull, November 1993
and December 1993. (From newspaper reports)
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