Samuel Rogers racing trophies

                                                                        ice conditions

We've wrapped up the 2 week display of ice yachts at the FDR Museum & Library in Hyde Park. On the last day we had a pleasant surprise with a visit from the great-grandson of the builder of the Allons. Tim & his son Leo came by and brought a collection of Club trophies won by his great grandfather Samuel R. Rogers. 

       Photo courtesy of Brett Kolfrat 

Not only was Rogers a builder of ice yachts, he was also a skilled skipper, winning many races over a decade of racing ice yachts in Hyde Park.   

Samuel R, Rogers was a charter member of the Hyde Park Ice Yacht Club, (HPIYC) which organized Feb. 16, 1899. He built the yacht Allons, for Henry Sleight in 1899. He also built Ogden Mills' yacht Beatrice; and his own boat Bessie (also built in 1899), a sloop rig with 241 sq ft of sail.  Other yachts I believe Rogers' built include Trouble and Aeolus. 

        Rogers sailing Bessie (R), with Henry Sleight at the helm of Allons (L).  

Rogers won the first ever race of the HPIYC, on February 1, 1900, finishing ahead of 4 other boats. This is his winning Edward H. Wales Cup: (Wales was also a charter member of HPIYC and later Commodore) 

In that first year of Club racing, in 1900, Rogers was awarded the Bird Point Cup, for highest place finishes over 5 races, in his yacht Bessie I.  (Rogers built a second boat Bessie II, which he raced in 1902).

He continued to win races over the next 12+ years.  More of his winning race cups follow, cared for by his great-grandson Tim. 

                      This was for an open class 10 mile race with 5 other boats, on February 8,1902.  

First race of the 1905 season. This is the Club cup. Interestingly (well maybe...) Rogers had sold Bessie II in 1903 to George Paulding who renamed it Scat. Rogers sailed Scat for Paulding during the 1903 season. He repurchased Scat in 1904 and gave it back its' original name - Bessie.  S.R. Rogers also raced Comet, for William Coleman Rogers during that 1903 season. W.C. Rogers was one of Archibald Rogers sons (no relation to S.R. Rogers)

 

Ice yachting in Hyde Park grew considerably in the first decade of the 1900s. The Club started with 22 members and 7 boats in 1899, and by the beginning of 1903 had 53 members and 25 registered yachts! The Club ran 12 races successfully in the 1903 season.  

January 10 was the only day of racing in 1910. This was the A. Rogers Cup, won by Samuel Rogers in his 6th class boat Trouble. It had 197 sq ft of sail.  In other races that day with Trouble, Rogers came in 2nd in the free for all - racing against boats with much larger sail areas, showing his skill as an iceboat racer. In the 6th class race for the Club trophy he lost to Archie Rogers sailing his cat rigged yacht Mink. Same day still, lastly, Rogers sails Rebecca (owned by Ralph Foster) to a third place finish in the 5th class race, among 7 boats.  

I could't find any record of this 6th class race in 1912.  I have used records from Club books in 1909 (HPIYC) and 1908 (HRIYC); and from the comprehensive record compiling of Harry Briggs, who was long time secretary of the HPIYC.  His write ups on Ice Boating on the Hudson are found at the Dutchess County Historical Society.  

What I do see is that on March 4  Rogers raced in several races as skipper of Silas Lane's Ice Yacht Storm King. In the 4th class club race he beat 3 of the most successful ice yacht skippers of the day: Archie Rogers, sailing Otter; Norman Wright sailing Dutchess; and Willie Smith, sailing FDR's lateen rig Hawk.  

All 3 of those racers had been winners in Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant races in the past.   

Snow Squall belonged to John Hopkins, who was a charter member of both the HRIYC (1885) and HPIYC (1899). Hopkins was secretary of the HRIYC in 1908 when FDR was Vice Commodore. Rogers skippered Snow Squall for Hopkins in several races in 1911.  

 

There are several other cups awarded to Rogers that are out there. One is at the FDR Library & Museum. Another belongs to a long time member of the HRIYC.  Go to this post to see those cups, as well as photos of Samuel Rogers.