1914-07-20tyys

“Despite the fact that the weather was somewhat  threatening on Saturday afternoon, many hundreds went to the Beach to see the Ladies’ Regatta and they were well-rewarded..

Hamilton Times.  July 20, 1914.

Hamilton has always been the home of many boaters. With a large somewhat-sheltered bay, and with an easy connection through the Burlington Canal to Lake Ontario, boating enthusiasts had ample to room to learn their sport.

Also, the Hamilton Beach, the narrow sand strip between the lake and bay was a perfect location to watch any of the many regattas in which the top boaters from the Hamilton area and beyond could compete.

The Royal Hamilton Yacht Club had a beautiful club house located directly beside the canal where club members and their guests could not only watch the regattas, but do so in luxurious comfort.

On July 18, 1914, an annual regatta took place in which the organizers were women, the Ladies’ Regatta.

As described in the Hamilton Times, the Ladies’ Regatta was as well-run and as successful as any the men had put on:

“An afternoon of the cleanest and most pleasant sport was the result of the able efforts of those in charge.”¹

¹ “Ladies Had an Eventful Time at the R.H.Y.C. : Huge Crowd at Beach On Saturday to Watch the Gentle Ones in Aquatics.”

Hamilton Times. July 20, 1914.

The Times reporter vividly recorded what he saw when taking in the crowd which had gathered to watch the regatta:

“The decorated balconies of the Yacht Club building were crowded with ladies dressed in the most attractive of summer colors and modes, attended by their escorts in boating flannels.

“The crowds which lined the shore of the bay and crowded the quay also added to the attraction of the white sails of the pretty boats glistening on the bay and the quick flashing of the splendid motor launches which sped from one point to another, all combining to present a sight which made one feel with Browning, ‘God’s in His Heaven, all’s right with the world.’ ”¹

The regatta was not without a few mishaps:

“In the ladies’ dinghy race one of the boats was overturned and the fair maid was picked up in the motor launch which was on the course for such purposes.

“In the ladies’ tandem canoe race also there was an upset, and the victims, Miss Moore and Miss Lynes, proved to the onlookers that they could glide as gracefully into the water from a canoe as they could ably handle their canoes under favorable circumstances.”¹

In defense of those who lost control of their canoes or dinghies during the regatta, the Times reporter noted that the weather conditions were not ideal:

“The fresh breeze which had arisen, though it added much to the pleasure of the regatta in that it did away with the excessive heat, made the waters of the bay somewhat choppy, and it was a matter of difficulty to successfully manoeuvre a light canoe in the restless waves.”¹

There were a wide variety of competitions besides the traditional sail boat races, rowing boat and motor boat races . One event that was particularly fun to watch was the row boat tug-of-war in which two men in one rowboat tried to pull two men in another rowboat across a stretched boat.

However the events that attracted the most interest involved a new water sport that many spectators found to be not only novel but exciting:

“The aquaplane contests gave more spectacular delight than any of the other events.

“The mode of procedure is for a person to stand on a polished board, about four and a half feet long and two feet broad, which is attached to a rope held by a man in the stern of a fast motor launch, and the laurels of victory fall to the lot of the person who can keep on longest before disappearing in the cold, cruel water.

“In these races, the ladies were ahead of the gentlemen, and exemplified the fact that in the rushing currents of life, they are by far the most difficult to unbalance.”¹

The 1914 Ladies’ Regatta on Hamilton Bay was an enjoyable, entertaining experience for who attended:

“There was plenty of fun arising from forcible dunkings of those in the ‘rescuing row boat, and others also, but all was done in the best of spirits and there was no suggestion of roughness of any kind.

“Afternoon tea was served during the races on the balconies of the R.H.Y.C. and many stayed to dinner afterwards, which was served on pretty, decorated tables.

“The day’s pleasure was enhanced by the sweet strains of Lomas’ orchestra, which gave pleasant selections both afternoon and evening.

“Much credit is due the officials in charge of the regatta for the excellent way in which everything was so smoothly carried out and for the little delay which occurred between the different events.”¹

As the war clouds over Europe were becoming ever darker and threatening, the Ladies’ Regatta was a pleasant diversion and something which would not be so carefree in the coming years.