Yacht Club , Wilkes Booth assassina1ed the mos1 famous Presidenl America ever had , Abraham Lincoln ' { 1806-65 ).
The first functionoftheclub ( if we accept 1867 as the true foundation dale ) 1ook place on 7 December 1867 . The Sydney Morning Herald of 1he following Monday , 9 December 1867 , said :
Prince Alfred Yacht Club . Nothing can be more indicative of 1he aquatic tendencies of the residents of Sydney than the marked success which has anended the formation of this club , the 1hird of its kind in Australia . It is hardly 1wo months since the project was firs1 mooted and already the PA YC nwnbcrs 20 yachls and 80 members .
Their opening took place on Saturday . 7 December 1867 , and at the appoinied hour the Australian , Gllana . Daisy , lxion , Emma , Lurline , Royal Oak . Irene , Galatea . Dora and Spray were at and aboul the rendcvous in Lavender Bay flying the club colours . white pennant wi1h blue cross , and while ensign wilh blue cross . The laner so large as 10 render the flag being mistaken for the white ensign of the Royal Navy , a maucr of impossibility . Vice-Commodore Strickland on board tl1e A11.11ralia11 signalled · make sail ' and stood out of the Bay- the yachts following in two
divisions .
Off Dawes Baneryorders were given 10 follow
in line and thou that were fonunsue enough to be able to weather 1he poinl kept 1heir positions very respec1ably , bu1 some of the yachts getting too close in . had LO tack . werecaugh1by 1he flood tide and thrown astern , and joined later by the Captain Cook . On passing Fon Macquarie , the leading yachts ran under the stern of HMS Challenger , saluting the Commodore ' s pennant as they passed , and af1er iacking olT Mrs Macquarie ' s Chair . stood in10 Neutral Bay and then went about . When nearing Bradleys Head ! he signal to wear in succession was cleverly obeyed and those who bad not before paid much ancntion to the state of the weather now saw the wes1ern horiion bank up in u manner por1ending a squall of the
blackest description .
The order to part company was followed by a general lowering of sails and making snug for a buster . Close-reefed mainsails and storm jibs speedily took the place of fine-weather sails which were spread a few moments before . The north-east breeze died away and almost simultaneously a light puff from the southward followed . The scud broke over the city as if the next instant would see Port Jackson lashed into a white foam . and then strange to say . ! he storm went off in a north-westerly direction . Some took out their reefs and sough I moorings , while olhers , believing the worst had not yet come , kept under snug canvas . It was at the worst only a thunden ; torm and after the wind hauled round 10 the north-cast it blew rather sharply and sent down a deluge of rain such as must have benefited the land , even though it made those afloat without waterproofs veryuncomfonableandeffcctuallydampeoedthe termination of the day · s sport . rendering the intended visit to 1he Vice-Commodore a proceeding honoured in the breach than in the observance .
At the first Annual Meeting of the club , held on 2 January l 868 , Richard Hamett . a well-known and experieoced yachtsman was elected Commodore . and T . M . Strickland , Vice-Commodore ( there were no Rear-Commodores or Captains in 1hose days ).
There seems to have been some confusion in regard to the ensign and burgee to be allocated to the club . The ensign and burgee of the Mosqui10 Yacht Club were not ad0pted by the club : instead a decision was made to adopl a white ensign with a blue cross and a similar burgee . The coloninl stars were not 10 be displayed . These were the Mosquito Club ' s colours and arc now flown by the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club . They were worn by club vessels at the first clubeveot tha1 took place on 7 December 1867 . However , problems were to follow as a meeting in April 1868 resolved that :
Application be made to ! he Admiralty for permission to fly our present ensign and that as a memorial of the visit of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh to
Ausuuliu und his providential escape froo1 the hands of an assassin theensign be known in future as Prince Alfred Ensign .
During his visit to Sydney ( 20 January 1868 to 6April 1868 ) the Duke of Edinburgh had been sailed around to Oontarf 10 an end a fund-raising picnic for the Sailors ' Home . He was watching a group of Aborigines who had collected together for a corroboree when he was anacked by an assassin , an Irishman named O ' Farrell . The Duke was shot , at very short range . Sir William Manning saved the Duke ' s life by fighting wi1h O ' Farrell . The Duke was tranS · fetred back to Sydney in ! he paddle steamer Morpeth . Unfortuna1ely Morpeth came foul of Charybdis , carrying away her jib and flying jib boom before the Duke could be put ashore at Government House . He was anended by Surgeons of the Fleet who found · that the bullet bad pcnctraled ! he Duke ' s back . about half an inch to the right of the vertebral column , on a level with the ninth rib , had lodged in the flesh , not fur below ! he surface and within two inches of the breastbone . It had traversed ! he course of the ribs '. It was a most lucky escape for the Duke bu1 it kepi him under care at Government House and delayed the depanure of HMS Galatea .
The Admiralty evidently ignored the request concerning the white ensign , which was at ! hat time , and is today , reserved for ! he Royal Navies .
However . as will be seen from the following lener , the Admiralty did grant permission to fly the
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