YACHTS AND YACHTING. HI 



Mr. George Charlton of the S.Y.C. has kindly furnished the following further 

 particulars : — 



" The Haven is essentially a yacht houseboat and in no sense of the word a racing 

 craft. She represents the best, if not quite the latest, development of this style of craft and 

 her fittings and conveniences (or appointments rather) are not surpassed by those of any 

 regular houseboat known to the writer. 



"In the writer's opinion the Phyllis represents the most suitable type of yacht for 

 local sailing ; as combined with fast sailing qualities (exceeded by only the purely racing 

 machines) and seaworthiness she has a comfortable house with two bunks, and all 

 necessary lockers for food, stores, etc. thus affording ample accommodation for two men in 

 an up-country trip and protection in the case of wet weather." 



The F/W^^ emanating from the able and experienced brain that designed the Thistle, 

 Britannia and the three Valkyries, has not unexpectedly proved herself the best average 

 performer of the fleet, her strong point being to windward, especially against a tide. She 

 is the only one of the fleet except the Winifred that has up to this time raced with home- 

 made sails, and there is little doubt that to this is due a considerable portion of her success. 



The good sport provided is attracting more and more attention, not only for the 

 racing but for the pleasures of cruising. Any fine summer evening a great part of the fleet 

 starts out between 5 and 6 o'clock, and it is seldom that boats cannot get as far as The 

 Point Hotel (nearly 5 nautical miles from Shanghai) and back before dinner-time. Cruising 

 round near the Public Garden on band nights is a pleasant way of passing the evening, not 

 to mention excursions during full moon. The all-day summer outings are perhaps even 

 more enjoyable. Several of the boats often arrange to go together : each carrying a party 

 of say three to five or even six friends. The course is as far as possible arranged so as to 

 get the tide fair both going and returning. Sometimes the journey is up river to that fine 

 stretch of water, the Seven Mile Reach. On another occasion it is down river beyond 

 Woosung on the broad mouth of the Yangtze. The place of anchorage depends mainly on 

 the tiffin hour. When that happy time arrives the leading boat anchors and the others come 

 alongside, lashing one to the other broadside on : awnings are rigged up to keep off the sun 

 and then commences a general interchange of visits and hospitality. If the sun is not too 

 fierce a swim is sometimes indulged in — then tiffin — perhaps a short siesta, after which up 

 anchor for the return journey, all greatly refreshed and invigorated by the thorough change 

 of air and scene. There are few who realise until they have the actual experience how 

 much real health-giving pleasure is to be derived from trips like these. 



Regarding the adaptability of a 2\ rater for sporting purposes much can be done by 

 those who do not mind roughing it a little. By the exercise of a moderate amount of 

 ingenuity a removable cover for the cockpit can be arranged which will give perfect 

 protection in any weather. A small screen can easily be fixed at night to separate the 

 " fo'ksle " from the " cabin." A couple of thick quilts with blankets, etc., complete the 

 furniture, and when after a hard winter day's sport the skipper and his mate are seated one 

 on each side of the centre-board case, with their backs against the thwart, sipping hot grog 

 and discussing the events of the day, they will unanimously vote that they are as happy 

 and as comfortable as they could well wish to be. A small kerosene or spirit-stove, with 



