94 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 28, 1884. 



held by W. S. Perry, of this city, his opponent was D. A. Dickey, of 

 Boston. The judges wereG. D. DeRochmont, of Boston, atod Major 



L. G. While, of Worcester, with G. O, Tidsbury. of Ashland, as 

 ref eree. Each man shot at 50 pigeons, by the rules of the Massachu- 

 setts Association, in strings of Ave each.' The following is the score- 



Perry OllllllllllllllllllOmOlOlllllllinitllllOimilt— 45 



Dickey llllOlOOOlOOlllllllilOlOllOOOOOlOllllllOllOlOllOOt- -31 



After a. kinch there was shooting by members and visitors, but no 

 records we.ro given, although there were ten events, shooting for 

 sweepstakes. 



MICHIGAN GUN CLUB.— Detroit, Feb. 83.— The recently organ- 

 ized Michigan Gnu Club and Game Protective Society had their first 

 regular trap shoot upon Washington's Birthday— Feb. '.'a. The 

 weather was most disagreeable. A snowstorm raged during the 

 afternoon, and the wind blew fiercely. Notwithstanding the unfor- 

 tunate weather a large number participated in the shoot, and it 

 would seem that trap-shooting in Detroit, will soon, as of yore, be- 

 csotae popular. The scores would have been, under a different 'eon- 

 of the elements, far better: 



Thomas Wood's Side 

 Glass Clay- Glass Double 



Balls. Pigeons. Balls. Clav-Piir'ns 



Thos Wood 10 3 1-3 11011-4 00110-2 11 00 11-4 



W Schweikart. .10 11 1—4 1 1 1 0—3 10 111—4 00 00 00— o 

 10 111-4 01111-4 01 00 10-2 

 1110 1-4 10 1-2 01 11 10-4 



10 1 0—2 10 1 0—2 10 00 11-3 



1 -i 1 0-2 10 0-1 11 11 02-fi 

 10 0—1 11110-4 11 01 10-4 

 10 1—2 10 1 1-3 10 10 01—3 

 11 1—3 110 0—2 00 01 11—3 

 10 0-1 1111 1-5 11 11 12-7 



E A Davis 1111-4 



H s Worcester,, i l 1-3 

 Litnan Blakely.J 0—1 



ACS Havens. ..0 1 1 0—2 

 Geo Lark-ins.... 111-3 



LHlIilsendegenO 0—0 

 D Robiuet.......O 1 1 0—2 



J Jardine 1 0—1 



W H Ohudleigh.l J 1 

 .las Winters.... 1 1 

 LA Wilcox. ...ii 

 J E Patterson... 1 1 

 Or DC Stuart... 1 1 

 C M Havens.... 

 John Wanseh. . . 1 1 

 I A Rfanrje .-..1 1 

 G Bilsenricgem.O 1 

 W Donaldson. 1 1 1 



33 



W. H. 

 1 0--1 



1—3 



1 0-1 



1—3 



1-3 



1 1—2 



0—2 



1 0—3 



0—1 



1 1—5 



3(1 



Chudleigh's Side, 

 10 111—4 01010 

 110 1 1—4 

 0—0 

 110 1—3 

 11111-5 

 1-1 

 10 1—2 

 1-1 

 111-3 

 111 0-3 



29 



1110 0- 

 o 0- 

 1 

 1111- 







1 10 1- 

 11- 

 110 0- 



11111- 



36 



10 11 00-3 



11 00 10—3 



00 00 10—1 

 11 01 11—5 



01 00 11—3 

 01 00 11- 3 



00 01 11-3 



01 11 01-4 

 11 01 10-4 

 00 11 10-3 



27 26 22 35 



Delta. 

 PROVIDENCE, Feb. 21.— At the regular weekly contest of the 

 Narragansett Gun Club, the following scores were made: 

 Club Shoot, 10 pair Clay-Pigeons. 15yds. rise. 



G W Gary 10 10 11 10 11 II 



LMEddr 10 10 11 10 11 li 



E W Tinker 10 10 11 11 11 



HSPalmer ,11 01 10 10 11 



O M Putter 10 11 10 00 00 



W Campbell 10 01 10 10 11 



11 10 11 



11 10 11 



10 10 11 11 

 01 11 11 11 



11 01 01 10 10—10 

 00 00 10 01-10 



11—16 



11—16 

 11-15 

 10-14 



HI Anthony 00 10 10 11 10 10 01 10 10 10—10 



11 01 00 10 01 00 00 01— 

 00 00 00 10 00 10 00 01- 5 



J F Hartwcll 01 00 



C Gray 10 01 



Ties— Gary, 10 11-3; Eddy, 00 01—1. 



State badge match, 25 singles, 15yds. rise; five traps. 5yds. apart, 



fourth notch. 



E W Tinker -.1101111111111111111111110—23 



G W Carv 1111111111111111111111100— 23 



H L Palmer OOllOlllllillllllllll 1111—22 



E S Luther 1011011111011111111110111—21 



w H Sheldon nooiiiiioiiiiiiiiiioino— 20 



C F Baldwin 1011011111111011110010111— 18 



G T Anthony lOlllllllllOlOlOllllOllOO— 18 



nCGrav..-" 1000111110111100101111111—18 



W Campbell 0111101110111110111101010—18 



C M Sheldon liliioiiioonooioiilioon— 17 



LM Eddy 0101100111001110111111011— 17 



B F George 00111101001001 10101001100—12 



C B Potter 110010010101 11 011000010QO— 11 



F Curtis lOOOOlOninrieinOOif.OOOlOl— 9 



Tic. Tiuker 11111, Cary 11101. Mr. Tinker wins. 



St. valentine's Day was observed in a fitting manner at the grounds 

 of I he Narragansett Gun Club, there being three events— first, the 

 club badge match at pairs of doubles (clay-pigeons) ; second, a post- 

 poned match for the Ligowsky State badge, and the third, the regu- 

 lar weekly shoot for the last named badge, the two last shoots being 

 at twenty- five single clay -pigeons from five, traps. The weather was 

 cloudy and dark, with a heavy wind, and the scores as a consequence 

 rattier below the average. The following is (he score: 

 Club Badge Match. 



E W Tinker 11 00 11 10 10 01 10 01 01 11—12 



C C Gray 00 10 00 10 10 00 00 00 01 01— 5 



LMEddy 10 01 11 10 00 10 1.1 11 11 11—14 



G T Anthony 01 11 10 10 01 11 11 01 10 10-13 



C B Potter . 00 00 10 00 11 11 10 10 10 10— 8 



ESLuther - 10 11 10 01 10 01 10 00 01 11-11 



L. TM. Eddv won badge first time. 



Ligowsby State Badge. 



EW Tinker 1001011111010011111111111-10 



W H Sheldon ■ .10001111000101111111 w 



CB Potter 0011101011101010111111001-16 



ESLuther - 10010111101100001101 w 



Matbewson .oonooioiiomooiioioiioi— 14 



E Pratt. 100110000010011 w 



E. W T . Tinker won State badge. 



Ligowsky State Badge (postponed match. 1 



G T Anthony 1111111111011111110100011—20 



EW Tinker' 1111011110011111111111111—22 



W II Sheldon ...lllllllOOOlw 



L M Eddy 1001101111111100101111110—18 



C B Poller 1010110111001111111011111—1!) 



E S Luther 1011110111101111111111111-22 



C C Gray OOOlOlOOOOOlOiOOlOSOOOlil-- 8 



Matbewson - -..0101011101110010100111111-16 



Tie— Tinker. 10100; Luther, 10000. E. W, Tinker wins badge for 

 fourth time.— W. H. S. 



E VST PROVIDENCE, R. L. Feb. 19.— On Tuesday there was quite 

 a company at the grounds of the Watchemoket Gun Club, Riverside 

 being well represented, and quite a delegation being also present 

 from the Narragansett Gun Club. The day, though cloudy, was 

 quite favorable for shooting. For the clay-pigeon silver cup the fol- 

 lowing was the score, best out of twenty; ten single rises and five 

 doubles; singles, 15yds. rise: doubles, 12yds.: _,..„., JA „ n4 ,„ 



E W Tinker 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 11 10 10 01—16 



Isaiah Barney 1 1 l l 1 1 1 10 11 00 11 10— IS 



E S Luther 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10 01 10 11 11-17 



L S Winchester 0011100011 withdrawn. 



Smith Shaw 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 withdrawn. 



John Case 11 withdrawn. 



The temporary possession of the cup was awarded to E. S. 

 Luther. For the" glass ball cup the following was the score, best out 

 of twenty; 18yds, rise, from a Holden rotary trap: 



George Barney 1001111111111110111 1-17 



E S Luther 1 withdrawn. 



Isaiah Barney 11000011010111010 1—10 



I , S Winchester 1001111010 withdrawn. 



Smith Shaw 1 1 1 1 withdrawn. 



John Case 10 1 withdrawn. 



The cup was awarded to George Barney for the second time. 



MALDEN GUN CLUB SHOOT.— On Feb. 23 several members met 

 at Wellington to contest for the first and second class solid gold 

 medals for the fourth time. The rain storm during the shoot was 

 very heavy, hut nothing daunted, the clay-pigeon annibilators pep- 

 pered the featherless birds as well as they were able in so inclement 

 weather ; 



TC Field ....... ' 11101101111011110111-16 



.1 Bufftmi 11110101000010010110—13 



F LoriOg 10110111110010010110—12 



Second Class. 



a it adams OinioilOiioiiiliooi— 14 



jMchofls. oiiiiooinnoiooiiio—13 



R J Brown.' 01111001010101011010— 10 



There, are twelve contests for the Club's medals, which begun in 

 January and end in June. The regular badge days arc the second 

 and fourth Saturdays of each month, showing that four con tests have 

 already taken place and will run through the ensuing months in 

 seriatim, until the fourth Saturday in June, when the fortunate 

 rods who are then declared winners the greatest number Of times 

 can proud! v wear them as their own ad captaudum. 



Those who kave. already won in the contests for the first-class 

 medal are: T. C. Field 3, J ."Buff urn 1, F. Lorhig 1. Second class: A. 

 F. Adams 3, E. J. Brown J. After the contests, and in the pouring 

 rain, the shooters hegan to merrily bang away at the. motherless 

 birds, as they were gracefully propelled from Ligowsky's admirable 

 trap, like a beautiful and festive quail as she swiftly cleaves the" atr, 

 and then suddenly drops on terra firma to bide from the gunner's 

 luckless aim, crying out to her mates "more wet! more wet I ' After 



a comparatively enjoyable time in wet clothes the sportsmen took 

 train lor home, to meet again on Maiden Gun Club's spacious grounds 

 the next tournament day, March 1, when it is expected that a goodly 

 number of clay -pigeon slayers will be present to enjoy the interesting 

 programme of events. — T. C. F. 



LEATHERSTOOKIN* CLUB.-Oswego, N. Y.-At a recent glass 

 ball shoot on the fort ground, the boys had a pleasant time. Some 

 fine scores were made. Mr, Ed. Plank walked to the front in good 

 shape, and accomplished the difficult feat of smashing 28 bills 

 straight (thrown from a Card revolving trap) with his new 12-gauge 

 gun. The. members of our Leatherstocking Club are wide awake this 

 season, and the prospects are that they will make it interesting for 

 t he glass balls and pigeons.- Dan. 



BRIDGEPORT, Feb. 14.— Scores of second shoot for champion 



clay pigeon badge of Connecticut, shot at Bridgeport, Feb. 13, in a 



heavy fog. Some of the time we could not see the trapper. Next 



shoot takes place at Wallingford. March 12, as they won this time: 



Bridgeport. 



David Smith ...... 11101101010101 101001 10011— 16 



E Langdon 111111 1 110100011101 101101 -18 



R C Toueey 1001011 lllllillOlllllloi 1-20 



H Nichols 1101110101110011111101111—19—73 



AVallingford. 



J B Brogden 111111101 lllOllllOf 101101—19 



A J Goodrich OllllllOlllH 110111110111-21 



JAHall 1100111110011101111110110-18 



Alves 0111000111111101111010111—18—76 



iVteriden. 



G A Strong 101001 1001 IOOllllOlUOOll-14 



I L Bauer .' OllllllOillOOOlOlllllllil— 10 



E Birdsey 1101001110110110101 1 10100—15 



J F Ives 1111011101101111100110010-17-65 



New Haven. 



E A Folsom 1111111011111111111111111-24 



R T Smith 101000101 h 0100—13 



T J Beers 011101 1 1 11011110000001111-16 



Frank Smith 0110011101010110110111110— 16-68 



Winsted. 



V A Blakeslee 111110011011110001111111 1—19 



I Ferguson ,'. 1100101 111101110101111111—19 



E Peck - 0111011101110100111011000—15 



A Roberts HllllOlOOOlilOl 10001 0101— 15— 68 



BOSTON GUN CLUB— Third Tournament at Clay Pigeons, Feb. 

 20.— Weather conditions of the. most unfavorable kind, and prevented 

 the meeting being so well attended as previous tournaments. The 

 third tournament at Wellington, under the auspices of the Bos- 

 ton Gun Club, was held yesterday. Representatives were present 

 from the Brockton, Exeter, Newburyport, Massachusetts. Middlesex, 

 Worcester and Long Island gun clubs, and the shooting, considering 

 the weather conditions, was good. The following are the results: 



First sweep (7 clay pigeons, 18yds. rise)— D. Kirkwood won first. 

 C. Henry second, G. W. Crouch and C. H. Gerrish, even, third. 



Sceond sweep— D. Kirkwood and C. Henry first, Gerrish and 

 Crouch second, Allen third. 



Third sweep — Henry and Kirkwood first, Crouch second. 



Fourth sweep — Henry and Gerrish first, Kirkwood second. 



Fifth sweep — (only straight scores counting)— Gezrish took the pot. 



Sixth sweep— Gerrish and Henry first. Kirkwood second, Allen 

 third. 



Seventh sweep— Henry and Kirkwood first, Gerrish and Emerson 

 second, Sampson third. 



Eighth sweep— Crouch first. Gerrish. second. Kirkwood third. 



Ninth sweep (three pair double birds, 15yds. rise)— Henry first, 

 Gerrish and Emerson second, Allen third. 



Tenth sweep (same conditions)— Henry first, Gerrish and Allen sec- 

 ond, Emerson third. 



Eleventh sweep (5 single birds, 18yds. rise)— Henry and Sampson 

 first, Kirkwood second, Gerrish tbird. 



Twelfth sweep— Sampson and Emerson first, Kirkwood second, 

 Gerrish and Henry third. 



Thirteenth sweep — L. E. Johnson first, Gerrish and Emerson sec- 

 ond, Kirkwood third. 



Fourteenth sweep— Henry. Gerrish and Kirkwood first, Sampson 

 and Emerson second, Johnson and Crouch third. 



Fifteenth sweep (5 single birds, 5 traps, 18yds. rise)— Gerrish and 

 Johnson first, Emerson second, Henry third. 



Sixteenth sweep— Gerrish first, Sampson and Johnson second, 

 Henry and Crouch third. 



Seventeenth sweep (5 single birds, same rise)— Emerson and Ger- 

 rish first, Chambers second, Henry third. 



Eighteenth sweep— Gerrish. Kirkwood and Henry first, Sampson 

 and Evans second, Nichols and Emerson third. 



Nineteenth sweep— Emerson and Henry first, Gerrish and Sampson 

 second, Nichols and Evans third. 



Twentieth sweep— Kirkwood first, Sampson and Henry second, 

 Nichols third. 



Twenty -first sweep (miss and out, 21 yards rise)— Gerrish and Emer- 

 son divided. 



Twenty second sweep (same)— Sampson won. 



KNOXVILLE GUN CLUB.-For club medal a,t 15 clay -pigeons, 

 18yds. rise, fourth notch: 



C C Hebbard ... 1 1011111 1111110— 13 Mead 010000110011110— 7 



A H Hebbard.. 110101111111101- 12 Ross 000101010011110- 7 



Armstrong lllllllOlOOOlll— 11 Slocum 101001010010100— 7 



Dow 11000111 .1110010— 9 Wood 100010100111000— 6 



Eldridge 110100011011110— 9 Kohlhase 000000011101110— 6 



Jenkins 111100110101010— 9 Misser 101010000000000— 3 



Worsham 110011101001000— 7 



Election of officers— President, M. G. McCftmg; Vice-President, S. 

 B. Dow ; Secretary and Treasurer, Chas. C. Hebbard. Executive 

 Committee: J. C. Duncan, S. B.Dow, F. W. Armstrong. 



Jachting. 



May 24. 

 May 24. 

 May 30.. 

 May 31. 

 June 10. 

 June 12. 

 , June 14. 

 June 1G. 

 June 28. 

 July 12. 

 July 12. 

 Aug. 9. 

 Aug. 9.- 

 Aug. 23. 

 Sept. 18- 

 Sept, 13.- 



FIXTURES. 



-Oswego Y. C . Opening Cruise. 



-Boston Y. C, Opening Cruise. 



-Knickerbocker Y. C. Spring Matches. 



-Boston Y.C., First Match, Connor and Commodore's cups. 



-Atlantic Y. C Annual Match. 



-New York Y C, Annual Matches. 



-HullY.C., Club Meet. 



-East River Y. C, Annual Matches. 



-Boston Y. C Ladies' Day. 



-Hull Y. C, Club Meet. 



-Bostou Y. C„ Second Club Match. 



-Hull Y. C. Club Meet. 



-Boston Y. C, Open Matches, all clubs. 



-Boston Y. C., Third Club Match, 



-Hull Y. C, Club Meet. 



-Boston y. O, Second Ladies' Day. 



THE ENDLESS TOPIC. 



Editor Forest and Stream; 



Inotice in your last edition a tetter from "Guest" inrelarion to the 

 controversy upon the merits of Fortuna vs. Montauk. I was also a 

 guest aboard Montauk in the Goelet cup race, and I wish also to cor- 

 rect a remark of yours which follows "Guest's" communication. 

 You say that the wind shifted during the run in, thus favoring the 

 windward boats, and compelling those to leeward to "pinch." That 

 is a mistake. The wind shifted but once during the entire race and 

 that was within fifteen minutes after the start, from that time it 

 blew strong and steady throughout, the day, never varying even half a 

 point. The Montauk's superior position at. the finish was due, in a 

 measure, to the stretch she made to windward after rounding the 

 Sow and Pigs Lightship, but it was equally due to the fact that she 

 held on to proper sails only and did not attempt to carry, as Fortuna 

 did, a small maintopmast staysail; it was also due to her superior 

 pointing ability, which is easily seen when it is remembered that 

 about midway, she passed to leeward of the Tidal Wave, and after- 

 ward widely winded her, although the Tidal Wave had been fully a 

 mile further up in leaving the vicinity of the outer mark, To sum up 



that race on the facts, the Moi 

 ing 13 minutes and 30 seconds c 

 they been compelled to tack, woi 

 In regard to sailing "on edge,' 

 made, in my opinion, much the 

 tuna inclined fully two degn 



the Fortuna on even sail- 

 i the thrash to windward, and had 

 d have beaten her more. 

 . wish also to say that the Montauk 

 jst weather of the two; i hat For- 

 emost and pitched hearily many 

 times, while Montauk was "dry as a bone from the foremast aft, the 

 entire day. This can be proven by five well-known yachtsmen, whom 

 I will name it you desire it. 



Again, you speak of Montauk's getting "near the capsizing point" 

 vaguely. ' I don't know when she ever put her scuppers under, and I 

 sailed on her, or in company all lust season, The day that Grayling 

 capsized Montauk let sheets fly. simply as a precautionary measure, 

 not from any necessity, as her deck was not wet at any time. 



While I am on the subject, I should like to say something on the 

 question of keels vs. boards. Since -the first appearance of cutters in 

 this country, the above question has been discussed in every paper. 

 the opinions of a large number of prominent yachtsmen quoted, and 



yet no satisfactory solution of the prohlem has been reached even in 

 theory. This latter fact seems to be accountable to the very marked 

 prejudices which have biassed the minds quoted. All have been either 

 pronounced cutter or sloop men, and consequently entirely unable to 

 see anything but the most apparent demerits of the antagonistic 

 craft, and the very obvious merits of their own. I am a marine 

 artist, and in my profession have had to do about equally with both 

 types. I have studied both with equal closeness. I have painted the 

 Bedouin for Commodore Rogers, the Madge for Mr, Loew, ar.d 

 others too numerous to mention here. My interests lie with both 

 classes. I have witnessed all the races sailed in these wafers during 

 the past fourteen years, and have narrowly noted the results. I have 

 no bias, no prejudices, and am disposed to speak impartially. 



The question as to which is the superior type involves many other 

 issues, and cannot be answered in a breath. Cutter men have spent 

 large sums on their boats, and fitted them with every requisite. In 

 all their races the cutters have shown immense superiority in equip- 

 ment. Bedouin for instance has two f orestaysails, two or three ]ibs, 

 and at least four jibtopsails. No sloop has more than one of the two 

 first named and never more than two of the last; at least that is the 

 rule, and exceptions are very rare. Bedouin, in addition to her work- 

 ing gaff topsail has a small and a large sprittopsail; the former can 

 be used over the working topsail to advantage on the wind. No sloop 

 has anything of the sort. In a bght breeze to windward the cutters 

 can therefore set nearly one-third more sail than the sloops, and 

 every iuch of it can be trimmed flat and made to draw. Their bal- 

 loon fores taysails, No. 1 jibtopsails, aud smaller sprittopsails are an 

 immense advantage at such a time. The unwieldy club topsails or 

 bulky jibtopsails of toe sloops are almost back sails in comparison; 

 hence the defeat of Gracie last fall in two races out of three. The 

 sloops must be made to realize all this, and realizing, remedy it by 

 equal expenditure and equipment. Again, the cutters that we. have 

 seen here have been about the best that could be built of that type; 

 not so their opponents. We really have but three or four first-class 

 sloops, and they are so in size only. 



her _ . 



breeze, retarding her progress materially. Fanny is so shallow and 

 so immensely oversparred that a cap full of w T ind knocks her down 

 to her scuppers. Mischief, ditto, and yet the cutters have not won 

 the greater number of races; but they certainly will, if sloop 

 men do not bestir themselves and build something in which the 

 above noted obvious faults are remedied; and here lies the con- 

 clusion of the whole, matter to the bast of mv judgment: A sloop 

 80ft. long by 20ft. beam, drawing not less thai; 6ft. of water without 

 her board ; having no flaring bows, and very little sheer; with strong 

 bilge below and full equipment of sail aloft, wotdd successfully over- 

 throw every objection raised by cutter men, and fill every want 

 known to their opponents. She would be deep enough and broad 

 enough to carry a heavy racing rig in any kind of weather, and yet 

 could anchor within a reasonable distance off shore in any of our 

 yacht-frequented harbors. She could sail without any other pilot 

 than a competent sailing master. The item of expense in ballasting 

 would be no greater than the average sloop. She would require no 

 awkward cabin house, but like the cutters, be flush-decked and much 

 more roomy. Easy in heavy weather, owing to the depth and beam, 

 fast in light airs owing to lack of weight, she would whip any cutter 

 or sloop, now afloat, over cither of the New- York Yacht Club's 

 courses, nine times out of ten. F. Bassforo. 



No. 55 Concord Street, Brooklyn. 



[Mr. Bassford is very sanguine. He is very much in error in com- 

 mending light weight for light airs. Experience has settled beyond 

 any disputing the superior value of weight in light winds, providing 

 the weight is put in proper form and not in a tub. Beyond this Mr. 

 Bassford's conclusions are correct enough. They strike us in this 

 way. To make a sloop a good sloop she should be turned into a cut : 

 ter. She should have only four beams like the great majority of cut- 

 ters. She should have the depth and rig and sheer and straight side 

 of a cutter. But in place of a beneficial keel with low weight, Mr. 

 Bassford would adhere to a small centerboard. It would speedily be 

 discovered that low weights on the keel would make an abler boat, 

 whereupon the board would disappear and an out and out cutter of 

 tolerable beam would be the end of the story. To that we are now 

 fast driving in practice. Still further on it would be found that a little 

 more weight, that is displacement, is still a little better in light airs 

 and in a seaway, and to add that weight without making a tub, the 

 four beams would be cut down to four and a half, and the increase in 

 displacement put in depth. In other words, Mr. Bassford would land 

 right aboard another Bedouin, and it seems as though this might be 

 done at once as go through all the steps over again which other people 

 have already been through and which have, culminated in the modern 

 cutter. As it is, our correspondent proposes to go about nine-tenths 

 of the whole thing at a bound, and the other tenth may 

 be left to take care of itself, as the subject has been 

 thrashed too bare to enter upon further repetition of what 

 has been so often and extensively discussed in these columns. It is 

 easy to find fault with the Gracie, now that she has been beaten by 

 a cutter, and it is easy to build faster sloops on paper. But it is a 

 very different thing to doit in fact. The Gracie always has been, 

 ami for the present still is, the queen of the licet in America, subject 

 to the Bedouin's permission. The latter holds the Bennett champion 

 cup for single-stickers, won in fairflght in "our weather" and "our 

 waters. " No one can say whether she really is a good cutter or not. 

 For all Mr. Bassford knows she may be a very slow one compared to 

 regular racing cutters abroad. But we do know that Gracie tops 

 the heap of the sloops. The cutters as a class in this country labor 

 under immense disadvantage as to numbers from which to choose 

 the best as a representative. One hundred sloops offer a better 

 chance of a lucky hit thau two or three cutters. Many of the latter 

 are "compromises" of all sorts, some of them the first ever designed 

 by their authors, others from amateur hands, and with three excep- 

 tions, all sailed by persons new and green to such boats and their 

 ways. Given one hundred Orivas, ana is it not morally certain one 

 could be picked from the lot which would be a good deal faster than 

 the only representative in that class? For the one successful Vixen 

 there are a hundred sloops which are comparative failures. W r hy 

 should you expect so much more, even to the unnatural, the moment 

 you touch upon cutters? Every kind of an abortion called a cutter 

 must be capable of flying, or else the whole type is at once condemned. 

 The reasonable view of it is this: Certain few cutters of unknown 

 reputation have shown themselves about a match for the pick of our 

 sloops. Given equal chances for selection and it is certain that a good 

 cutter can now be accepted as at least equal to the light drafts on the 

 score of speed. Variations upon beam and depth will offer stiffness 

 with deck and cabin room in excess of what can be had in Grade's or 

 Fanny's. The cabins are also much cooler. Better performance in 

 light weather is a certainty, and as for draft, it is much of a bugbear 

 at best in large vessels, and in small boats it is too small to be of any 

 account for regular yachting purposes. In point of cost the modern 

 beamy sloop of large displacement is more expensive and has a 

 greater draft than the cutter. As for light displacement, centerboard 

 sloops, their day is past and it is no use referring to them in this con- 

 nection. This is all old ground, and oceans of ink have been spilt in 

 se i ling forth both sides of the question. The public has learnt to dis- 

 card Bght displacement and now the issue is practically reduced to a 

 question of how much or how little beam. We take it that weight, 

 keels and cutter rigs must be deemed already generally adopted and 

 that in the f utttre all good yachts will have those features incorpor- 

 ated, whatever then- width may be. As to beam, it can be allowed an 

 open issue, if desire*, to be settled by further experience, though we 

 are confident enough what the, upshot of the experience will he. Of 

 course we have no reference to makeshifts built to conform to ex- 

 e-vceptional surroundings or particular objects of limited application 

 as far as the general public is concerned. We may recur to the 

 Montauk's safety al sea later on The charge that Fortuna heeled, 

 two degrees more than Montauk will keep no one awake at night. 

 We have been informed that she was perfectly dry. It is also ex- 

 pected that a narrow.bOat with dead rise will see-saw more than a 

 Bounder bottom. It is one of her good points to lift readily to every- 

 thing.] 



THE LAKE YACHTING ASSOCIATION. 



WE learn with pleasure that the, move for an association promises 

 well, and permanent organization may soon be expected. The 

 Toronto Y, C.have appointed Messrs. G. H. IHiggan. W. H, Parsons, 

 G. G. Evans and W. Dickson a committee to confer with other clubs 

 in Canada and the United States, and a suitable call has been issued. 

 In response the Oswego Y. C. has selected Commodore John T. Mott 

 and A'ice-Commodore W. B. Phelps, Jr., to attend the convention. 

 The Bay of Quinte Y r . C. has also signified its adhesion to the move, 

 and Kingston and Cobourgare counted upon as well. Other clubs 

 will soon be heard from. 1'he chief objects of the association are 

 enumerated as follows: 



1. The confusion at present arising from the many different sys- 

 tems of yacht measurement and time allowance now existing would 

 entirely be obviated by the adoption of a uniform system. 



2 The dates of the regattas of the different clubs could be fixed by 

 the executive body ot the association in such an order that a yacht 

 would be enabled to attend all the events in succession in the course 

 of an ordinary summer cruise 



3. The establishment of a uniform code of signals might- also be 

 agreed upon. 



You will confer a favor by bringing the matter before your club as 

 early as possible, and forwarding the official result to the secretary 

 of tha Toronto Yacht Club. 



