FOREST AND STREAM 
955 
wlKin, but lost the prize to 0 K, on a protest for foul start, 
o'ci The last event of importance was the “ ocean race'’ for 
i’»- f the Centre Cup, by four yachts of the Seawanliaka Yacht 
fe Club •; Misrhir.f, Regina, lF»»«e and Blanche. It is very 
? much to he regretted that no full account of the race has 
been published, as. being sailed in open water, and dur¬ 
ing a part of the time, at least, iu a good Wind and sea, 
details of the behavior of the yachts would have been 
highly valuable at a time like this, when the question of 
sea-going yachts is being thoroughly discussed, As far 
as I have been able to learn, the sloop-rig did not show to 
great advantage in the southeast blow which caught the 
racers, and that the anti-cutter type, as illustrated by 
Blutushe, failed in that crucial test of a model — turning to 
windward in a sea. Mischief had things her own way all 
through : led from start to finish, and won as she pleased 
—managing, as did both Ratjiua and Wave, to get round 
Capo May lightship before it piped up from southeast, 
thus making a fair wind of that same breeze which 
played old hoots with Blanche ; that unfortunate craft, 
after carrying away the jaw3 of her gaff, parting her 
weather rigging, springing her bowsprit and spanking the 
seas in good fashion, with her decks washed fore and 
aft, had to uphelm and run for it—none"too soon, either, 
by all accounts. Regina made good weather of it under 
double-head rig arid" with reduced mast and boom, but 
she had the wind behind her, like Misch ief and Wave, 
the latter sailed by Greenwood of Sappho fame. The 
former was very uneasy as she ran off the wind for 
home, her huge spam being by no means so much ad¬ 
mired by her crew, as at every roll she slapped her boom 
under water, and threatened to play unpleasant pranks. 
She is of the deep displacement kind, and with her thirty 
tons lead ballast, would, no doubt, prove a splendid sea 
boat if her rig were modified. I' believe see has as much 
rigging and as many blocks about her as a cutter of her 
owu size, all oosting as much in preliminary outlay and 
rather more in running expenses. Changing her rig to 
cutter would assuredly improve her; and as Hoc Blanche, 
she is an example of the unhandiness of the sloop rig, as 
her top hamper pinned her down, and even reeling failed 
to relieve her. The moral of this race, as of the Vision- 
Oraeia one last year, is that our heavily-sparred, beamy 
sloops are not the craft for anything more than summer 
breezes and rippling seas. They cannot stand a blow that 
an Englishman will revel in, and shove a fifteen tonner 
through in safety. 
A goodly number of private matches were sailed 
during the course of the season, some of which I may 
note. There was one in July between Albcrtine and Lady 
Emma , for the neat sum of $3,000, won by Lady Emma. 
On tbe 14th of the same month, Charles Cohill and Josie 
Noreross, of Cooper's Point, Y. C., sailed a match for 
$25, which ended in a dead heat, and Watervcilch de¬ 
feated Fancy in a, $100 match the same day. Sloops 
Ella, of Oswego, and Katie (fray, B. Q. Y. O., met at 
Kingstown on the 15th, the stakes, $350, going to tho 
Belleville yacht. An exciting match for a $1,000 prize 
wassailed at San Francisco onthelOfch, between the crack 
Consuclo and Cornelinsff Connor, a new yacht built by 
Faruham & White expressly to beat Consuelo; just as 
A rmheuser was immediately afterwards. In a good 
breeze the new craft won as she pleased. White Bear 
Lake, Minn., was the scene of a yacht .duel on the 20th, 
Juniata and Nellie Tllsley sailing against each other 
for $100 stakes, that went to the former. The 23d saw a 
sweepstakes race for $100, between schooner Seafoam, 
sloops Petrel and Hc.be, R. N. S. Y. S., and sloop Secret, 
• won by Hebe iu a nice breeze. There was some heart¬ 
burning caused by this affair, and with some reason. The 
race was fixed for the 22nd, “play or pay." The sloops 
(lid not like the looks of the weather, ami cared not to go 
out to sea : in fact, their pilots funked it. The schooner 
was ready to start, hut the referee allowed himself to be 
swayed by the opinions of the timid pilots, and put off 
the race. Of course he had the right to do so, but clearly 
he should have sent the yachts oil, as the match was 
“play or pay,” and one, at least, of the contestants was 
ready, and quite capable of sailing five times the length 
of the course iu very much worse weather. On the 28th 
Mitchell'■ and Led yard sailed a match over the Chester 
course on the Delaware, the former capsizing. Lcdyard, 
a few clays before, in a match for $100 between five 
yachts of the Southwark and five of the Philadelphia 
yacht clubs had carried off the money and the honors 
for the Southwards. On the 5th October eatboats Haase 
and Pauline met on the Delaware ; stakes $100 a-side, 
won by Hasse. 
I have now reviewed the principal doings of our yacht 
fleet during the past Season, not as well or as fully as I 
could have wished, but as there must be a limit to all 
things, I have had to pass over the doings of many a club, 
not that they were unworthy of notice, but simply that, 
liad I systematically set to work to say something of 
each race sailed, I should have wearied my readers, if I 
have not done so already, and overtaxed the patience of 
Forest and Stream. I may later on, if these notes find 
favqj in the eyes of yachtsmen, and the editor can spare 
me space, establish a comparison between the perform¬ 
ances of some of our best known schooners and sloops. 
Meantime, in closing this rambling yarn, I will take oc¬ 
casion to address a few words to my fellow-writers, who 
keep us all posted in the doings of the various clubs. To 
give full value to an account of a yacht race, intended 
to be a permanent record in the yachtsman's organ, the 
following points should be carefully attended to :— 
1. Locality of race. 2. Description and length—actual, 
not estimated—of course should be given. 3. 
Names of starting yachts, with tonnage or water-line 
length, rig, and names of owners and builders should be 
carefully inserted. 4. Amount and nature of prizes 
should be stated. 5. Weather and direction and force of 
wind. Times of start and finish are generally given very 
fully. 
At present, as I have already had occasion to remark 
iu penning these notes, it is exceedingly difficult to trace 
the records of yachts, owing to the general absence of 
- owners’ and builders’ names, of lengths, and the awful 
confusion and multiplicity of classes. This militates 
strongly against a really useful comparison ol' perform¬ 
ances being made, and consequently against improve¬ 
ment. It would greatly facilitate matters if we had an 
“ American Yacht List” published annually, containing 
full particulare concerning each yacht, such as name, 
name of owner, club belonging to, rig, tonnage, length 
on water line, beam, name of builder. The names of 
yachts to be arranged alphabetically, aud a number 
placed opposite each, by which reference could be made 
to it. With such a list in existence, properly compiled 
Toiti authentic information supplied by owners and by 
secretaries of dubs, much labor would he saved in 
making out accounts of races, as all that would be needed 
would be to mark tho list number opposite the name of 
each yacht, and any one curious about name of 
builder and dimensions of vessels coukl find them by 
looking up the list. 
I am well aware that attempts have been made “ to 
supply this long-felt want," aiul 1 have “The Com- 
modoro's Signal Book and Vadc Mecum," of 1874, the 
“ Yachting Annual," of 1875, both published by Thomas 
Manning, and the issues for 1874 and 1875 of Niels Ol¬ 
sen's “ American Yacht List” before me as I write ; and 
I am also well aware that neither of these publications 
lived, chiefly, I believe, through want of support. Man¬ 
ning’s “ Yachting Annual ” was a very handsome hook, 
but failed in some essentials, while overburdened in need¬ 
less details. For instance, the numerous colored plates of 
private signals could have been dispensed with, and a 
different arrangement adopted for the body of tbe work. 
In fact, the whole book was got up too much as an 
edition da luxe. Olsen's book was better in many re¬ 
spects, and was arranged in the best possible way, the 
names of yachts being given alphabetically and num¬ 
bered consecutively. Hairing the. printing of club sig¬ 
nals, which was horrible, the 1875 list left little to be. de¬ 
sired, and I, for one, very much regret that Mr. Olsen’s 
venture was not continued. I believe that one Buch pub¬ 
lication would pay ; two could not, and two are not 
wanted. I am afraid Mi - . Manning got sick of his enter¬ 
prise, else I should like to see him start an “American 
Yacht List ” again, adopting Olsen's as a model instead 
of his own “Annual.” If the proposed Yacht Racing 
Association succeed, the List might be issued under its 
authority, and official approval thus given it. For my 
part, I shall be glad to do wliat I can to further the work. 
At present several clubs publish lists of theirown yachts ; 
hut unless a man belongs to them all, he has little or 
no chance of getting the books; and I confess that, valu- 
ble as the information would be to me, I cannot afford to 
pay some hundreds of dollars annuaily to obtain it. I 
have, in more than one instance, been favored by secreta¬ 
ries, who have sent me tlieir club books, and to these 
gentlemen my thanks are tendered, If more would fol¬ 
low their example, they would confer an obligation 
which I should be glad to reciprocate in some ether way. 
Of the desirability of adopting a uniform system of 
classification, I have already written, and I hope before 
long to see something done in this respect. Classification 
hinges on measurement, aud this has been a constant 
source of trouble, as nearly every club has its own rule and 
its system of time allowance. We want a uniform rule here 
also—a rule which shall, as far as possible, leave owners 
and builders unfettered, untramelled, and yet which shall 
give a fair idea of the size of the vessel. I see one beauty 
about the Thames rule, now known as the Y. R. A. rule 
of measurement, with the change of taking the water¬ 
line for length—that beauty is, that it enables yachts to 
be easily classed, I know very well its disadvantages— 
they have for years been dwelt upon by writers, not only 
here but in Britain. I am not sjieakinp' of its accuracy 
or of its effects on models of yachts ; all I aim at is to 
show its advantage in being uniformly adopted by Eng¬ 
lish yachtsmen. I think that the moment you apply the 
Y. R. A. rule to American yachts you commit an injus¬ 
tice—it does not measure them fairly, not only in com¬ 
parison with British yachts, but in regard of actual size. 
Therefore it will not do for us. We can never accept 
half the breadth as equal to the depth, and there is no 
earthly reason why we should. If depth is of value it 
should be taken into account. Neither do I consider 
measurement by lengtha just one—it is as had in its way, 
as it tends to produce over beamy vessels; and measure¬ 
ment of cubic contents, sail area, and similar systems. I 
reject equally. In measuring yachts for racing purposes, 
and it is only in racing that time for difference of size has 
to be allowed, I contend it is the external dimensions that 
are required and that should he taken. In my humble 
opinion, and I give it only as an opinion, the whole 
length on water line, the whole breadth at, above, or 
below the water line, aud the depth to bottom of keel 
should be the elements taken. An the rule must be sim¬ 
ple to be generally adopted, make no allowances what¬ 
ever in the way of reduction of beam from length. Every 
man might then build as he pleased, deep and narrow, 
broad and shallow, or moderately bo.uny and moderately 
deep. Classification would become an easy matter, and 
an American and a British yacht might be matched 
together on a rational basis and not on the basis of a rule 
which inflicts a heavy penalty on one or the other. 
I am not going, inviting though the subject be, to enter 
upon the vexata gucestis of cutter {us. sloop. I have fol¬ 
lowed the phases of the controversy very closely, and am 
still open to arguments. Personally I prefer the cutter 
to the sloop for its rig, which I believe to be better 
fitted for outside work or racing in anything like wind 
or sea. At the same time, I do not want to cram my 
belief down any man’s threat, or to say that the sloop is 
worthless. Itis very good in its place—smooth water, aud 
there, other things being equal, and a whole sail breeze 
blowing, with no necessity to reef, its single jib must 
be more powerful than a cutter’s foresail and jib, though 
my own taste is in favor of the latter. For cruising and 
all work in which the weather has to be taken as it 
comes, I do not hesitate to say that tho cutter’s rig is the 
seaman’s rig, and that the deep vessel is better than the 
shallow one. It is all very well to talk about sloops 
being dry in a seaway and cutters wet; but, after all, it 
is talk. Sloops arc very wet if driven, cutters are dry if 
sailed easy. Force a boat through a head sea, and if she 
is line forward, as many of our yachts are, she is bound 
to take water aboard. If she is bluff she will spank, anil 
will not go ahead. Of the two, the wet craft that will 
make a port or claw off a lee shore, appears to me superior 
to that which will only lay-to on top of the water, slide 
to leeward, like a crab, and refuse to be driven when 
driviugis the onl y safe course. The anti-cutter men say 
sloops are fast and cutters slow. What do they judge by V 
The Saxon 9 I know little of her performances, so leave 
her owner to answer, The Enterprise f That cutter has, 
I think, “ licked” sloops in sloop's weather. Was there 
not a yloop Sylvie, big enough, too, that tried it on with 
cutters, and was badly beaten 't But Mr, Centro settled 
that system of vilification of cutters by over-ardent en¬ 
thusiasts who know little or nothing of them. Take per¬ 
formances. not imaginary, but recorded, and compare— 
Ii ai is the right way to ilo. There is room on God's 
ocean for both. If a man believes in the sloop, why by 
all means let him stick to it, and be yachtsman enough to 
allow his neighbor to take Jus pleasure iu a decked craft 
fit to ride a gale out. There is no need to quarrel about 
it. The question of types andrigs can be discussed with¬ 
out that, and if tliecutler men do laugh when the breezes 
blow and the sloops remain in port, why what does it 
matter? Does it make the sloop any less the great Pan¬ 
jandrum craft that can go anywhere and do anything ? 
Not a bit of it. 
Dear fellow-yachtsmen, let us write and talk cutter, 
sloop, schooner anil yawl all winter — not much else is 
left us to do when Arctic weather prevails ; when spring 
comes let us fit out and amicably race and cruise together 
to the greater glory of that noble sport whose welfare and 
progress we have all at heart. I’d go to sea on a plank, 
rather than not go at all, and that next season may see 
all good Corinthians afloat in staunch crafts, no matter 
what model or rig, so long as each man is satisfied, that 
we may all have a jolly good season, and that Forest 
and Stream may long flourish to record our deeds on 
the briny, is the sincere wish of Rouge-Croix. 
Errata. —In the first paper on the Past Yachting Sea¬ 
son, page 889, line 47, read Pfaffs for G. Paffs ; line 86, 
read abroad for aboard ; line 95, read nothing for work¬ 
ing ; last line, read ten tonners for tonners. On page 
935, in the third paper, read Count Batbyauny, for Batch- 
quay, and T ’if for Fiji, also Arnona for Arizona. We 
are informed that the race of the Beverly Y. C., June 14, 
was given to Fancy in the second class, and not to 
Hoiden, as our correspondent “Rouge-Croix ” has it. 
U ntionnl pastimes. 
THE GAME OF CRICKET. 
ALTOONA CRICKET CLUB. 
Through the courtesy of the secretary of the Altoona 
Club of Pennsylvania, we are enabled to give the official 
report for last season. The organization is composed 
mostly of new players, who, until last year never handled 
a bat, but if they continue to be associated with the sev¬ 
eral old Philadelphia stand-bys, whose names appear at 
the head of the batting list, it will not be long before they 
are well up in the game. Of the three games played, ail 
were won. The following summary of matches witli 
averages speak for themselves :— 
SUMMARY or MATCHES. 
Date and Place. 1st Innings. Sid In nings. Total. 
May 30th, at BlairsviUe 
Altoona. .. 63 55 118 
BlairsviUe. 54 43 07 
Altoona won by 21 runs. 
June21st, at Altoona:— 
Altoona. 69 47 100 
BlairsviUe. 25 16 41 
Altoona won by 65 runs. 
Sept. 13th, at Columbus, Ohio:— 
Altoona. 52 04 116 
Columbus. 51 57 (Bwlok's) 108 
Decided by Urst innings in favor of Altoona. 
EATTlKd AVERAGES. 
Names. Matches. Innings. Rum. Times hoi owl. Averages. 
W. Hopkinson.... 3 6 120 1 24.0 
A. W. Muss. 3 0 49 0 8.16 
K. E. Pettit... 3 6 41 0 0.83 
J. Wood. 3 6 20 0 4 .33 
J. B. IIcleniHU.... 1 2 S 0 4. 
(J. McDowell.1 2 4 L 4. 
R. H. Fay . 3 6 20 1 4. 
C. Fluke . 1 2 7 0 3.60 
W. U.Bohrer.3 6 15 1 3. 
M. Rodgers. 2 4 7 1 2.33 
E. B. Taylor . 1 2 4 0 2. 
W. Knighton. I 2 3 0 1.50 
J. Hopkinson. 3 6 7 1 1.40 
J. W. Cloud. 2 4 5 0 1.25 
A. S-Woodle. 2 4 1 U .... 
W. Caldwell. 1 2 0 0 
BOWLING AVERAGES. 
Names. Ralls. Maidens. Rum. Wickets. Averages. 
\V. Hopkinson.. 380 31 49 21 2.33 
J. Hopkinson... 48 1 11 3 3 60 
A. W. Moss. 533 33 107 22 4.80 
E. B. Taylor.... 150 8 3 3 6 0.60 
ST. GEORGE’S CRICKET CLUB. 
Below will be found the record of the fortieth season 
of the St, George’s Club of New York, the Father of all 
cricket organizations in the United States. Of the twelve 
first eleven matches played, five were won, four lost 
two drawn on account of rain, and one tie game with the 
Albany Club. In the batting averages Mr. Moeran leads 
the van with 23.58, followed by Mr. Bance with 17.14. 
Mr. Moeran's score of 103 was the only century made in 
the country during last season. Appended will be found 
a summary of the matches, with averages, both batting 
and bowling, of those who took part in first class games : 
SUMMARY OP MATCHES. 
Mrs t Second 
Rale and Place. Sides. Innings. Innings. Total. 
May 17,at, Staten Island] 1^^;;.;; $ $ (5 w) jjg 
Lost by 5 wickets. 
June 4-5, at Hoboken.. j y onn^Afmerica.’lTS 1® jg 
Lost by an innings and 58 runs. 
June 2t, at Albany.Jg 
Won by 78 runs. 
Juno28,atHoboken...]fUS e ' 6 :::::.!Il l 33 (4w) 28 
Won by 60 runs on tost innings. 
July 4. at Hoboken. \ Z IS 
Tie match. 
Tiilv 10 at Hoboken I St. George’s.150 — 150 
juij, 1 U, at noooKcn... j j jUns:woo( j. 71 90 (6 w) 181 
Won by 79 runs on flrst innings. 
August 14. at Hoboken {..'so ™ (3 W> ^ 
Won by 37 runs on first innings. 
August 25, at Hoboken j .; ;.; g Z g 
Drawn ou account of rain. 
Sent 8 at Paterson I St. George's... . 35 29 64 
ctepi. ti, ar .raierson ....•( Patereon __ 34 33 (0 w) <W 
Lost by 4 wickets. 
1 St. George's. 25 35 6ft 
Sept, 12-13, at Hobokeu-< Gentlemen of Lre- 
I laml..184 — 184 
Lost by an innings tuid 124 runs. 
