—— 
_ a 
Duc. 26, 1884.] 
435 
Plareksheer— 
Hank sheep 
OPEN CENTERBOARD BOAT “CRUISER.” 
CRUISER. 
4 pete long warfare which Forrest AND STREAM has waged against 
the blind worship of the sandbag model that has so long pre- 
yailed among American yachtsmen.is well known to our readers. 
This model, the joint outeome of local surrounding in the shape of 
mud flats, and the narrow and illogical rule of length measurement, 
has made its influence felt throughout the entire yacht fleet, many 
even of the boats of greatest tonnage being simply enlarged cari- 
catures of the 16 to 20ft. open boats in model, ballast, and as nearly 
as possible in rig. Almost all types of boats, however, have some use 
for which they are specially fitted, some purpose, usually the one for 
which they were first designed, which they fill better than any other 
eraft can, and it is only when diverted from this end to one for which 
they were never intended, that the harm begins. 
Thus it has been with the type inquestion. Intended first for speed 
in shoal water, regardless of an occasional capsize or of the size of 
erew reguired to man them, they have won a placeamong the fastest 
light-weather craft in the world, being widely known in England 
under the name of Una boats, and on the Continent by the curious, 
~ but appropriate title of ‘‘Bobfish."’ They are special machines, as 
, 
much so as 4 trotting sulky or racing bicycle, and as such haye a 
well-earned place; but when they are, as they long have been, 
adapted to other uses. the trouble begins. In the hands of any but 
experts, or as a boat for family use or pleasure parties, she is a most 
dangerous trap; and for all the purposes of a cruising craft sheis en- 
tirely unfitted, the défects being increased, rather than diminished, 
as she adyances iu size, Asa model on which to build large yachts, 
the shoal, open boat has worked an injury to yachtdesign in America 
which it will take years to repair, while the type is directly responsi- 
ble for the absurd ideas on displacement, weight and depth even now 
prevalent in many s 
uarters. 
The boat whose lines are reproduced herewith is one of the be 
£ 
samples of the type of open racing boat, as her record for the past 
fourteen years proves, She was built in 1868, by C. A. Willis of Cow 
Bay, for Mr. 0. S. Lee, who, after sailing her successfully for several 
seasons, sold her to Mr. W.S. Alley, now owner of the Schemer, who 
in turn disposed of her to Mr, A. B, Alley, her present owner. In Mr. 
Alley's hands she has fully sustained her previous reputation, win- 
ning most of the races in her class in both the Seawanhaka and Larch- 
mont clubs. Several seasons since, the Boston cat Fancy was brought 
to New York to beat the local boats, but was defeated by Cruiser, and 
this season Mr. Alley determined to repay the visit, and try the East- 
ern boats in their home waters, - . 
Cruiser had already begun a successful season here, having won 
first prize in both the Larchmont and Seawanhaka matches, and in 
July, Mr. Alley sent challenges to eleven Boston yachts: Rebie, J. S. 
Poyen, Jr., Hoiden, Hornet, Black Cloud, Thisbe, Viva. Queen Mab, 
Amy, Spider and Seabird. Six of these accepted the challenge, and 
early in August Cruiser was taken to Boston, Messrs. W. T. Alley, 
Seott and Fisher accompanying her owner. The first race was on 
Aug. 16, that of the Hull Y. ©., in which Cruiser was beaten by Black 
Cloud one minute, but took second prize from a fleet of fourteen. Two 
days later she met Viva in the morning, in a very light wind, and beat 
her six minutes over a course of 514 miles. On the afternoon of the 
same day she met Thisbe for the second time, and beat her in a light 
wind. In the Hull race, Cruiser was rigged as a jib and mainsail boat, 
but in the other two races was catrigged. Wednesday, Aug. 20, was 
set for a match with Hornet in the morning and Hoiden in the after- 
noon, both catrigged; but a dense fog prevented the first race. Inthe 
afternoon she met Hoiden in very light weather and defeated her, 
the latter giving up, as the latter part of the race was a mere drift. 
On the next morning the race with Hornet was sailed ina strong 
S. W. wind and rough water, with the result that Cruiser won by 
twelve minutes. Thematch with Queen Mab was also to have been 
*Ziled this morning, but a disagreement in regard to the course made 
some delay, Finally Mr. Alley agreed to sail the course selected by 
Queen Mab’s owners, and the race was started, but not until the wind 
had gone down toa mere breath, and Queen Mab decided to forfeit the 
race. The finest race of the series was on Aug. 22, when Cruiser, 
under jib and mainsail, met the sloop Seabird in astrong wind. The 
race was sailed with stationary ballast, under the New England Y. 
R. A. rules, boats to carry mainsail, ji and topsail, Cruiser of course 
not being able to set the latter sail, having only the usual open rig 
of jib and mainsail without topmast. Seabird led over the course, 
but was beaten by one and one-quarter minutes on corrected time, 
she being ift. 3%in. longer than Cruiser. 
On Aug. 28 Cruiser sailed in the Beverly regatta, at Nahant, against 
Cricket, Countess, Bessie, Rita, Hornet and Spider, she being rigged 
with a jib, while some of her opponents were catrigged. Cruiser 
won again, taking first prize and one leg of the pennant. On Aug. 
30 Cruiser entered again in the Beverley sweepstakes, the wind being 
strong from §8. W. She was, however, overpowered and only 
captured fifth prize, there being 16 boats in her class. On Sept. 
6 she was home again, at Larchmont, and in a very light wind, 
beat Ada, Helipse, Fairy, Skibbereen, and Nymph, winning the class 
pennant, and Commodore Munroe’s cup. On Oct. 9 she was in the 
regatta of the New Jersey Y. C., on New York Bay, defeating 11 boats 
in her class, and winning easily, making a total of 14 races sailed in 
1884, with 10 prizes. 
While much of Cruisers’ success niust be ascribed to the boat, it is 
largely due to the thorough mannerin which she is handled, to the 
skill of her owner and the care taken in picking and drilling her 
crew. Mr. Alley has this season set an example which we hope to 
see followed by the owners of large yachts, in not being content with 
a few races at home, but putting his boat into allthe contests about 
New York, and also taking her into new waters, with well deserved 
success. The custom of making the rounds and taking part in all the 
matches possible is one which we are glad to see is growing among 
our yachtsmen, and its influence will be of the greatest benefit, 
widening the field of competition, doing away with many local preju- 
dices and ideas as boats of different types, and from different locali- 
ties, are brought into competition. 
Cruisers’ dimensions are as follows: 
Length on deck and waterline................... 20ft. 10in. 
Beam (extremreyia yf ela. s cages sateen leieitele dee > 9ft, Sin. 
Besin (waterline): ete fh 2-8. cane ey rae dean 8ft. 6in, 
sDSTIEELS ete GU cp ee eka Leas tirwe ee ecg Ae 2Qft, 
HELIS, ate, ete aie gam Och per nd nd Ep hee Ane Ae 1ft. 4in 
Draft (with board)..... ........ 1.0... sec eens 6ft. 
SLOOPS AND CUTTERS IN 1884. 
HE two decisive victeries of Bedouin over Gracie at the end of 
the season of 1883. following after the brilliant performances of 
Wenonah, and Oriva’s victories, served to convince all but the most 
extreme sloop men of the superiority of the cutter, and even forced 
unwilling confessions from the latter; but a badly sitting mainsail on 
Bedouin in the third race of the series, gave them an excuse for still 
prolonging the controversy, and a peg on which to hang absurd 
claims of the sloop’s supremacy. Though the question was not finally 
set at rest by the results of the season’s racing, the performance of 
four cutters against the entire fleet of American sloops, was such as 
to leave no doubt as to whatit would be when the odds were less 
uneven, and the season of 1884 was looked forward to for a final 
settlement of the lengthy dispute in favor of the cutter. 
» The building of large sloops has stopped, none haying been atded 
to the fleet sinc e Mischief’s advent in 1879, except Pocahontas. whose 
career was more brief than brilliant, and last winter no one was in- 
clined to put money in such a venture. The advocates of the com- 
Dee however, had more faith in their theories, and three new 
oats were built during the winter to test them. The first and least 
extreme was Dr. Barron’s racing sloop Athlon, built by Mumm at 
Bay Ridge, a deep centerboard boat of relatively large displacement. 
Her length on waterline was 52ft., beam 17ft, 4in,, and draft 6ft., with 
plumb stem, high round bowsprit and high side, but with the ugly 
sawed-off stern necessary under the Atlantic Y. C. measurement, 
The second new boat was built by Smith, of Boston, for Mr. Henry 
Bryant, and was a radical departure from the orthodox sloop. Her 
dimensions were 72ft. over all, 64ft. waterline, 19ft. beam, 8ft, 6in. 
draft, and with board, 18ft. 6in,, mixed rig, and a lead keel of 15 tons, 
making the most progressive compromise yet tried, 
The third yacht was really a cutter of moderate beam, the design 
of her owner, an amateur, and was built at Poillon’sin Brooklyn. 
With 62ft. over all. 51ft. on waterline, 13ft. beam, 9ft, draft, anda 
keel of 16 tons, the new boat might well be classed as a cruising cut- 
ter, in spite of her laced mainsail and American bowsprit. Ileen also, 
although launched late in the previous fall, wasto make her first 
essay as a racer this season, and much interest was felt in her per- 
formance compared with the different type of cutter represented by 
Bedouin and Wenonah. Little change was made in the old boats dur- 
ing the winter, except that Bedouin and Wenonah both had morelead 
added to their keels, and the former increased her sail area, adding 
214ft. to mast and hoist. Thistle was altered and rebuilt, and Maggie 
had more lead added to her keel. 
The opening sails on Decoration Day served to inaugurate the sea- 
son and nothing more, as there was no wind for racie and the first 
race, the ladies’ day of the Atlantic Y.C., on June 2, amounted to 
little as a trial. Athlon scored her first victory, however, beating 
Thistle, her only competitor, ina light wind, and on the next Satur- 
day, in similar weather, she was beaten by Hclipse 2}4 minutes over the 
22 miles of the Larchmont course, the latter winning the class pen- 
nant. The real work of the season did not begin until regatta week, 
which opened with the races of the Atlantic Y. C.,on June10. The 
weather was very light in the morning, with some wind as the yachts 
came outside the Hook, and blowing a good breeze when they ran 
home under spinnakers. Mischief took the laurels, beating Fanny 
by five minutes, with Athlon one minute later, both Thistle and 
Gracie being a quarter of an hour astern, and Fanita beating Roamer 
and Enterprise in her class. Two days later all the big ones except 
Thistle were in again for the New York Y. C. regatta, with Ileen, Hil- 
degarde, and Whileaway besides in the first class, and Vixen, Oriva, 
Keclipse, Isis, and Espirito, with Fanita in the second class, 
The race opened with a drift, in which Ileen went to the fore, taking 
first place until off Coney Isiand Point, where a shift of wind, the 
breeze having by this time come up, made her the leeward boat. For 
the next two or three hours flukes were inorder. The day finished as 
it begun, with fogs and calms, the result being that the finish was not 
reached within the time limit of eight hours, so there was no race. 
All but three—Isis, Whileaway and Espirito—were ready in the rain 
next morning to try again, and off they went with a light breeze that 
soon, however, proved to be all that was wanted. Outside the Hook 
was a lively sea and a tearing blow, and with it Ileen started off for 
the Lightship, which she turned at 3:06:28, ahead of her class; all but 
Fanny, Gracie, Oriva, Vixen, Wenonah, Hildegarde and Eclipse hay- 
ing turned back, Mischief losing achainplate. Ileenled home as far 
as Buoy 10, but her crew, bi ng shorthanded, were not able to get her 
sheet in promptly, and both Fanny and Gracie passed her, the former 
taking first prize and also the Bennett Cup. In the second class 
Oriva beat Vixen, Wenonah retired, having parted her shroudson the 
return; no others finishing. 
The day was one of the hard-weather ones of the year, and only 
nine out of sixteen starters finished, four giving up and running for 
home and three others being disabled. On the part of the cutters, 
Ileen did some spJendid work for a time, but was hindered by not 
having a regular racing crew; Wenonah was disabled, and Oriva, 
sailed of course by her owner and his Corinthian crew, defeated 
Vixen. 
Nearly all were entered for the Seawanhaka C. Y. C. races next day, 
as well as for the Long Island race on Monday, but on Saturday 
morning, with gear slack, crews tired and plenty of work to do for 
Monday, few were disposed to risk their spars in a beat to the Light- 
ship against the stiff gale blowing. Only Gracie and Athlon started in 
the first class, and Oriva and Isis in the second, both the new boats 
giving up when once outside the Hook and in the thick of it. Grarie, 
behind at the start, was stilltwo minutes behind Oriva at Buoy 10, 
but here the cutter stopped for a reef, and wasnot under way again 
until the sloop had rounded the point of the Hook, and held a lead of 
several minutes. From here to the Lightship was a grand battle, both 
vessels well manned and handled, a steady wind, equal for both, no 
flukes; accidents or chances of any kind, but hard windward work. 
Fifty feet against 70, narrow beam against wide, keel against center- 
board, While the flat sloop tossed about on the sea, the litule cutter 
went steadily about her work, gaining on every tack, until at 2:40 she 
had the big fellow under her lee, and at 3:06 she rounded the Light- 
ship one minute ahead, Unfortunately the times at which both 
passed the Hook going out were not noted, and thetime at Buoy 10 is 
deceptive, as Oriva, although she passed there first. laid to, as stated, 
to reef, and Gracie went on, gaining at least three or four minutes’ 
lead. so that Oriva’s time over the seven miles from the Hook to the 
Lightship was fully four minutes faster than the larger poat’s, and 
the statement lately made that Gracie beat her on actual time from 
Buoy 10 to the Lightship gives a very false idea of the race, as the 
latter passed the Hook first. Home with free sheet, lengta, of course, 
told more, and Gracie led by three minutes at Buoy 10, and nine 
minutes at the finish. Taken all in all Oriva’s work was remarkable, 
and a conclusive proof of what a cutter can do when properly han- 
dled, her elapsed time over the course being but nine nmiinutes more 
than Gracie. 
It was expected thatthe race around Long Island on June 16 wouid 
be a test of the various boats, and eight of the single stickers started, 
