114 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LSept, 3, 1885. 



THE ISSUES IN THE COMING RACES. 



ATRIAL of sldll between two great nationp, whether it takes the 

 form of horse r?.cinf?, rowin,^. j-acht; v-jcing, ritlc shooting:, or 

 even the iower snides of sport fomul ou tlie cinder track and iu the 

 prize ring, must always- excite a deep interest on both sides, even 

 when the question inyolvcd is nierelv uatioaal supremncv and no idea 

 or principle involved. TliiH is larecl.v the case in hotW racing, riui- 

 nine; and M-alkiria:. where the methods are verr similar ; hut there is 

 another class of contests where the interest is trebled bv the fact 

 that ii principle is at stake. Thin has frcquentlv been the erne In row- 

 ing, where tlic su olce. i;he methods of trainins; and I lie boats of both 

 side.-- were totallv different .and U has still more frequent! v been the ease 

 in mtciiiational yaohting. Of the five contests for the America < !up, 

 three have far surpassed ihe other two in interest, from the fact that a 

 question of principle -svas involved. In the hrst race in 18.51 the issue 

 was t)etwccu the old aud new, bctN^ een the bluff -bowed hookers with 

 their bclfviuK wiudbags of sails, on (he one 'land. and the eleandined. 

 sharp bowed clipper with flat sails and sini,e: rifr that had crossed the 

 Wesreru ucean from I\',> v York to .vu. Aarain, twenty years later, 

 came two snnilar contests, on the one hand the deep-keel schooners 

 of F.cfflish l>uild ami vi-r and on the other the shoal, wide centerboard 

 yacljtt-. of the .New York Y. C, Deep or shual, moderale or irreat 

 beam, keel or ccnrcrhoard. Lapthorne's hemp or Sa.-^vycr's cotton, 

 were (he issues tliat made these naval baltles so famous. ' After these 

 followed two .'■erica of races, between schooners in 187B and sloops in 

 1881. neither of which created much exciiement, partlv, no doubt. 

 Isecause the challentrers were Canadians and so Americans, hut 

 luaiui v- b'^canse I he boats were identical in type with their opponents, 

 all iieing of ,.\moricau model, ri.e.- aud build. 



At (He date of the latter of these races another contest came off in 

 Amei-icau -.vaters the like of which has never been seen since Amer- 

 ica saUed at Cowes— a, race of little boats and with none of the im- 

 portance tLui t attaches as a. matter of course to a contest between 

 larg-e and stately schooners, but wliich attracted the attention of 

 every American yacntsman from the mapiitude of the questions at 

 issue. At no time iu all internatiou.-i] .vachtiuij had tlie i>oiid.s in 

 dispute been st* mam and so different. Almost eVery detail of yacht 

 desian and construction -ivas embodied iu a directly opposite form in 

 Madge .and her advcsaries, and in no single point did tney resemble 

 each other. Great or little di.splacement, bia;h or low ballast, lead or 

 gravel, keel or centerboard, 8ft. or Ift. draft, 7ft. or 14ft. beam, dead- 

 rise or flat tloov, through the water or over the water, jib and staysail 

 or single jib, a loiimast as long as the short lower mast aud'that 

 could be quickly housed, or a lof t.\- stick with a little pole fixed on 

 top; a maiosnil loose on the foot or laced to the boom; half a dozen 

 jibs of -various sizes set tlyin.s, or one big- jib on its Ptay to he 

 ••bobbed" if ab-olutely necessary , sails of heavy hemp held Hat -with 

 runners on backstays, or of liffht cotton on swaK)?ering spars; all of 

 these points were staked oa tlie result of the seven races, of which 

 Ma1se won sis. 



The interest in Ihe^e races wa.s intensified by the fact that they 

 came at a time when a bitter and stuljborul.y fou^ht controversy had 

 been caj-ried on for four years over the points mentioned above; by 

 which time the yachting world of America, after ijpioring as long as 

 possible and then recognizin.E? only with ridicule and contempt, the 

 claims of the British cutter, was at last prepared to weigh tbem care- 

 fully and fairly, and accept or reject them on their merits. The 

 wonderful performances of Madge aslonislied all, convinced many, 

 and lirought home even to tlie most conservative sloop men tire 

 conviction tliat their favorite boats were not quite all they so long 

 inia.tcined them to bo, and that there misht oxi.st facts in yacht archi- 

 tecture as well as in practical sailing that their philosojahy had not 

 yet dreamed of. 



Since the contest has gone on steadily-, less bitterly and acri- 

 moniously thari at fli'st, but no less earnesti.y, the victories one and 

 all being in favor of the side that the Forest and Strioam has so long 

 championed. Tlie single jib has virtuall.y disappeared from om- 

 .yachts, lead ballast and low ballast are soug-ht for by all to the 

 greatest extent allowed by local requirements, depth stops only at 

 the same limit, beam has breu chopped off with no unsparing hand, 

 the stubby fixed topmast now proclaims at once that under it is a 

 working sloop and not a yacht, the reform iu sail making, rigging in 

 all minor details aud in i)ractical sailortziug is no less markedr Cut- 

 ters, even of the extreme type, are too common with us t.o-da.v to ex- 

 cite any remark, the full cutter rig is' seen on all models of single 

 stick boats quite as frequently a* the old. original sloop rig. while 

 ever,v yacht of aii.\ pretension has appropriated some of its leading 

 features until ji lias becom,^ imjjossioie any longer to class a boat by 

 a look at the rig. Whether or no the cutters outsail the sloops on all 

 occasions has less to do with the dispute than it would at first seem 

 since nearly aU the elements of the cutter are practicall.y accejited in 

 the modern sl^op 



Ko issue any longer exists on the question of keel or centerboard, 

 but it has settled down to a consideration of adaijtability, and the 

 argument on both sides may be briefl.y summed up in a form that 

 ■will permit any one to decidf^ for himself The main point, ability to 

 windward, has been settled by a complete collapse of the once gen- 

 eral belief that a keel boat woiild not point or stay and was slower in 

 every way tliaa a ccntci board, Tiie pert irmance of all types of cut- 

 ters has demonstrated most convincingly theu- weatheiiy qualities, 

 and it is to windward that their victories are mainl.y won. The old 

 ideas of depth and resistance tliat so long fm-nished arguments 

 against the keel, have also been banished from the minds of all intel- 

 ligent yacbtsmen, aud it is I'nlJy understood there is no natm-al law 

 by which the deep boat um-r ho slower than the shoal. The superi- 

 ority of the keel in deep water i."^ gencrall.y conceded now, and depth 

 is li'egii.niua- to tie rated at its proper value as the prime factor of 

 safety, insuring a rainst a capsize and also giving that ability to wind- 

 ward that utak^-s ir unnecessary to seek a harbor every time it blows. 

 Structtn allv the keel is far superior to the centerboard, the keel boat 

 being stron'firer than one that is cut in t\s-o in rlie spot where strength 

 is mo-st requisite, while ilie room inside is vastly greater in the 

 former. On the one side then are ail the advantages that a sailor 

 would prize, a good .sea lioat, strong, rootny and with little or no i>os- 

 sibility of capsizmc; lasting longer and less liable to leakage, and 

 above all, weatherlv to the highest degree. On the other side is the 

 fact that for some waters a shoal draft boat is absolutely necessary, 

 consequently the centerboard must take the place of the keei. 



Which a man shall chose in any given case is not a matter of prin- 

 ciple, but simply of expediency, to be decided according to his re- 

 nuii-ements. The question has graduaUy settled into this shape: the 

 keel boat is equal to the centerboard craft in all requisite qualities, 

 and superior in some essential ones, but iu some waters its use is im- 

 possible, in which ease the other offers a eonvenient makeshift. 

 These facts have ijeen prriven in the last few years and no interna- 

 tional race can alter them. 



While 50 many points tiave been conceded by adopting them bodily 

 in the sloijp and the ]joints at issue have gradually disappeared from 

 the controversy, both sides have looked forward to agrandtinal batile 

 between iIiH Aniericau sloop and British cutter as a fitting termina- 

 tion of Ihe dispute; and while an international race would in any case 

 be an r-vi-nr of some moment, tlie importance of the present one has 

 beCQ uiucli iucfcased bv the feeling that it would be the greatest bat- 

 tle yfi fotigijt between' the two opposing types. There is absolutely 

 nothin'--- to prohibit UK from building an English cutter to meet the 

 yacld, from across the sea, except the feeling that it would be a sur- 

 render of the stand we liave so long taken and a very hollow victory 

 should the (.'up be retained by such means, and this feehng has been 

 strongly shown in the correspondence o£ last winter over the biiildiug 

 of a large yacht At the time the challenge was first forwarded the 

 most success-ful yacht of the season, the successful opponent of our 

 best sloops was Bedouin, on ISnglish cutter in design, model and 

 build, though constructed iu this country, and from her successful 

 record it was felt by many tliat she would be more certain of defeat- 

 ing the coming cutter than any sloop we could muster; but in spite 

 of this, though discussed, the idea.of putting her to defend the Cup 

 was at once dismissed as impossible. 



None hnt the most conservative sloop advocate, blinded liy mis- 

 dh ected patrioiism, expected that we should go back to the ante- 

 cut'jftr davs aud build a big Vision, Fanny or Arrow, with cobblestone 

 lialiast and bricK sioop rig, to meet Genesta, but all expected that the 

 new boat would be an exi)onent of American ideas and the practice 

 of to-day, an enlarged or improved Mischief or Gracie, an American 

 centi-rhoard sloop Ruch a yacht has been built— a centerboard sloop 

 of distinctively i^merican model, an embodiment of modern ideas, 

 an la marked improvement on the sloops of leu or even five years 

 since. In rig the new boat is also a sloop, and though with many 

 details borrowed directly from the cutter, she is in every sense a rep- 

 re.sentative American sloop. This boat has been sailed and tested in 

 a most thorough manner with other boats, but for good and sufficient 

 reasons she hits not been selected. The choice is based on no senti- 

 menlal id'-as or unsubstantial theories, buton the hardandiiTesistible 

 logir- of tact- and flg-uJ-es:, the chosen defender of the Cup has beaten 

 the \nieru-uu sloop, and proved herself faster, ablerand better fitted, 

 m the opmion of tne entire American yachting world, of meeting 

 Genesta ne.'it Mouday. 



Let lis look at this new .yacht selected solely on her merits to repre- 

 sent American ideas and progress, theevoluriou of fifty years' experi- 

 ment with the centerboai-d sloop. Of course she is a centerboard 

 craft, otheivvise she would not have been chosen; but her claims to 

 affinity -with American models begin and end witli the possession of a 

 cloven foot, ller beam is too great for a modern cutter, but iu that 

 respect she represents a stage in the evolution of the latter dating 

 back to America's time, before the Thames rule had exerted any great 

 pressure on beam, and when cutters were wide as sloops. A single 

 look at the hull -whea hauled out -wlil convince any one that she has no 



affinity to the American centerboard model, and as for American keel 

 sloops, there have never been enough of tlieui to constitute any 

 decided type. Looking at Priscilla on the dock a glance is enough to 

 convince one of the justness of her claims as a typical American 

 boat; but the loneer one looks at Puritan the more difficult it is to 

 trace relationship to an.ythiug but the modern cutter. The superfi- 

 cial details are all present, the plumb stem, rounded forefoot and 

 decided rocker, the raking .sternpost and long counter, but be.yond 

 these, and far more conclusive, is the keel of lead, atl tons in a piece 

 loin, wide on the bottom, 3,2in. on top, and 18in, deep. Not only is 

 the weight there, but there is a substantial depth of keel proper, 

 shaping fairly into the form of the hull. It is easy enough to say that 

 the bow is taken from Ellsworth or the quarter from Steers, or that 

 there is a look of Una about the bottom: but iu spite of such idle 

 comments Puritan is a copy of no previous boat and of no man's 

 models. Her rig is purely cutter, except that the mainsad is laced to 

 the boom aud that her bowsprit is fixed. What, then, does Puritan 

 represent iu the coming contest'/ Certainly not .A.mericau sloops nor 

 American ideas, nor is she in any way an'embodiment of any of the 

 principles we have so long contended for, but that at last have dis- 

 appeared, no one quite knows when, where or how. What she dots 

 embody is Tankeo gumption and enterprise and a disposition to seize 

 every new idea, to weigh and test them, and. if possible, to improve 

 upon them, that is. fortimately, more truly American than the 

 Chinese method of condemning on sight all innovations, that did for 

 so long characterize our yachtsmen. Her designer has been brought 

 up in a new school, untrammeled by the dogmas and traditions that 

 weigh so heavily on all once under their fafluence, and he has started 

 out boldly on a course of his own, thus f.ir, it must be confessed, with 

 good results. 



It is most curious now to look at the strange way la which events 

 have shaped themselves. The long looked for contest between the 

 typical sloop and cutter seems destined not to come oft and the issue 

 to which the mam interest in the race was due has entirely disap- 

 peared on the eve of the battle. Another and most unexpected 

 feature has, however, been added, the centerboard sloop has suc- 

 cumbed to a new type, the centerboard cutter, aud now another new 

 issue arises that was not dreamed of at the beginning. For forty 

 .years over three-fourths of the entire yachting tonnage of the world 

 has been under the domination of a rule that, urged on by compe- 

 tition and the impidse of racing, has each year exerted a greater in- 

 fluence in two du-ections. Under its coustanfl.y increasing pressure 

 beam has decreased and depth increased. Fifteen years ago a halt 

 was called and progress seemed barred by impossibility of carrying 

 sail with less beam under the old ss'stem of ballasting, but the 

 obstacle was soon overcome by a method of construction which per- 

 mitted an indefinitely great weight of lead to he hung under the boat, 

 and again the narrowing process went on with renewed vigor. Again 

 a baltmg place has been reached in Irex and Genesta with 70 tons of 

 lead under them, and the smaller boats vdth still gri'eater weights in 

 liroportiou, and it is admitted that a limit has been reached beyond 

 which further progress is not practicable under the present system of 

 building and rigging. 



Opinions are greatly divided as to the value of the great influence 

 the Thames rule has exerted on yachting. Whether it is responsible, 

 as some assert, for all the evils against which the British yachtsman 

 raises his voice periodically in a good old-fashioned Biitish growl, or 

 whether, on the other hand, it is the safeguard that has prevented 

 them from running to tne opposite extreme fostered by a length rule, 

 and kept them from building Mohawks and Sophias in the hunt after 

 speed. It has certainly exercised a most powerful influence on de- 

 sign, and has limited the designer to a smgle type of boat, prevent- 

 ing experiment or improvement in any but one du'ection. Under 

 its pressure the problem before him has not been to produce the 

 shape of aU others best adapted to the requirements of yachting, but 

 rather it has substituted the problem in engineering of hanging 

 securely on a form whose invariable proportions it lays down itself, 

 the greatest possible weight of lead. Whatever n-ught be said against 

 it, however, it must always be remembered that the boats built under 

 the Thames rule in its various forms have, above all others, excelled 

 in the essential points of safety from capsizin g, wea herliness and 

 good sea-going qualities, coupled with great sptied. For some years 

 past there has been a decided opposition to the rule, an attempt to 

 pacify which has been made by an alteration in the details in 188^ and 

 last year by the adption ot an alteniative rule based on length and 

 sail area, which may be used at wUl ; but it has been evident for some 

 time tl'iat the extreme limit of depth and lead had been reached, and 

 the issue must some day be fought between extreme and moderate 

 beam, say ol4 to 6 beams on the one hand and 3}^ to 4 on the other. 

 Such a contest was not possible in British waters, as no wide boat 

 could race under the present rule, and there seems no immediate 

 prospect of it here, as the battles between the ordinary sloops and 

 cutters have involved so many other features besides that of relative 

 beam that a comparison has been difficult. 



Suddenly and most unexpectedly, however, the contest of next 

 week has lost its intended character and assumed a novel form. It 

 is no longer a battle between tiie distinct and well-marked national 

 types known as sloop and cutter ; but the battle of beam, instead of 

 being fought abroad, is to be decided here. What is really on trial 

 is the Thames or Yacht Racing Association rule that, embodied in 

 Genesta with her narrow beam, will contend on the neutral ground of 

 length and sail area rule with a boat of similar length and rig but 

 with unrestricted beam. The question of keel or centerboard enters 

 but little into the contest, but has been fully settled by previous 

 races, and had Puritan a deeper keel instead of her board, the result, 

 in all probability, would be little affected. The main point at issue is 

 beam, and in this we Americans have a certain interest as direct sup- 

 porter.s of the value of beam in:aaval design, while we have a second- 

 ary interest from the fact that the wide boat is the product of an 

 American designer; beyond these we have no dii-ect concern, but can 

 only stand aside and see fair play. If Puritan wins it is a victory for 

 what' For great beam and shoaJ draft, for ballast high up, for a flat 

 floor Willi no keel, for a tall mast in the eyes and a single jib; in short, 

 for an American slooji? By no means. It is simply a victory for a 

 wide cutter with deep hull and lead keel, over a narrower cutter 

 which compensates for her diminished beam by a deeper keel and 

 more lead. In either case, the principles for which the Forest .wjd 

 Stream so long contended are victorious, though the battle has been 

 decided differently but no less conclusively than we anticipated. The 

 vital issue was disposed of when Puritan defeated Priscilla, and was 

 acknowledged by the press, the yachting public and the authorized 

 custodians of the Cup as supei-ior to the big sloop; for the rest we are 

 content to await the results of next week's racing. 



We have alwa.ys advocated the narrow and deep boats in place of 

 the wide and shoal, the craft that was absolutely non-capsizable 

 against the flat and dangerous trap, and we have upheld the claims 

 of the former as safe, able and fast sea boats as against boats whose 

 only recommendation was speed in moderate weather, but the 

 present contest is not between such extreme types. 



Genesta is indeed a thorough cutter, but her opponent is of a form 

 that is practically safe and uncapsizable, and what she has done 

 thus far warrants the behef that she will prove an excellent boat in 

 any weather, though we believe inferior to her narrow and deeper 

 rival when once off soundings. Until she has disproved it thoroughly 

 we shall stUl continue our belief In the deep and narrow cutter rather 

 than in the wider and modifled type which Puritan represents; but 

 granted the value of the principles for which we have so long bat- 

 tled and which the trial races have fully sustained, if any further 

 proof was needed, the considerations of a little more or less beam or 

 the choice bettveen a keel and a centerboard are of comparatively 

 small importance and may safely be left to the individual judgment 

 of each man who builds a yacht, with Uttle fear that he will do any- 

 thing worse than build a slow boat. 



HULL Y. C. LADIES' DAY. 



ON Wednesday of last -week the Hull Y. C. sailed a race in which 

 the crew of each yacht was partl.y composed of ladies, the al- 

 lowance being 6 in first class, 5 in second and 3 in the others. With 

 a reefing breeze over a 9 mile course in rough water the crews were 

 well dampened before the race was over, but all enjoyed the sail. The 

 times were: sbcostd class cbnterboabds. 



Length. Corrected. 

 Atalanta, J. R. Thomas 88.04 l 20 00 



SECOND CLASS KEELS. 



Banneret, J. F. Brown 25.02 



THian CLASS CENTERBOARDS. 



Queen iMab ,,..22.06 



THIRD CLASS KEELS. 



Kittr, E. H.Tarbell 23.09 



Thelga, A. P. Thaver S2 07 



FOURTH CLASS. 



Niobe, Rayles & Ch.adwick SO.Oti 



Thrasher, G. G, Gan^away 30.02 



Tartar, F. L, Duime 



Gisela, H. A, Born 20.11 



Joker, George Coffin > 80.08 



Amy, E. W. Baxter i -2.1 .03 



,/eweU, W. E. SherilT 19.09 



FtFTH CLASS. 



1 03 38 



39 10 



39 31 

 40 48 



49 35 

 53 39 

 53 46 

 65 22 

 55 04 

 58 28 

 57 49 



Em EU Eye, P. M. Bond — • ....19.09 



Wildfire, H. A. Keith - ,...,i.MM 



Myrtle. K. C. Poor 19.06 



Siiie. D. Follett 19.00 



SIXTH CLASS. 



Mirage. L. M. Clark 17.10 



Prizes were given to the members of the winning cx-ews. The 



58 11 

 .0 55 19 



67 48 



1 00 58 



i 03 33 



judges of the regatta of Aug. IS, Messrs. Chas. V. Wliitten, chairman; 

 Peleg Aborn, C. F. Harrington, H. P. Stanwood. B. W. Kowell, F. C 

 Brewer. Walter Starbuck, O. A. Ruggles, L. M. Bouvc, have decided 

 the protests and awarded the prizes as follows: First class, center- 

 boards, first prize, .Tj.'jO, sloop MaEic. E. C. Neal, of Lynn; flrst class, 

 keels, flrst prize. $50, sloop Hera, Geo. K. Howe, 6f Hull, Second 

 class, centerboards, flrst prize, sloop Eva, Daniel Sargent, of 

 Boston; second prize, $20, sloop Atalanta, Isasic P Thomas, of Hull; 

 keels, first prize, $40, sloop Banneret, J. F, Brown, of Htdl; second 

 prize. $20. sloop Carmen, B. L. M. Tower, of Hull. Third class, 

 centerlioards. flrst prize, $35, sloop Queen IMab, Burwell & Litchfield, 

 of Ffull: second prize, $-20, sloop Expert, Lawrence Whitcomh, of 

 Marblehead: third prize, $15, sloop Seabird, C. L..Joy, of Hull; fourth 

 prize, $ 0, sloop Alda, W. H. Willdnson, ad, of Hull; keels, flrst prize, 

 $35. sloop Kitty. E. H. Tarbsll, of Hull; second prize, $:20, cutter 

 Thelga, A. I'. Thal er, of HuU; third prize, »lo, sloop Witch, B, B. 

 (.'rowuinshield. of Jlarblehead; fourth prize, $10, sloop Shanraer, 

 Geo 0. Broome, of Hull. Fourth class, flrst prize. $30, oat Em -Ell- 

 Eye, P. M. Bond, of Hull; second prize, $30, cat Nettle, W. M. May- 

 bury, of yuuif^y ; thii-d prize, $15. cat Tarftr, F. L. Dunne, of Hull; 

 fourth prize, $10, cut Niobe, Sayles and I'hadwick, of Hull. Fifth 

 class, first prize. $30. Wildfire, H. A. Keith, of Hull: second prize. $20, 

 Hornet, HardiuE and MerriU, of Hull; third prize, $15, Flora Lee, T). 

 H. Lincoln, of South Boston; fourth prize, $10. iiismet. A. P. Thayer, 

 of Hull; fifth prize, S5, .Tessie. W. B. Smith, of South Boston. 



BEVERLY Y. C. 



105th REGATTA, THIRD CHAMPIONSHIP. — SWAMPSCOTT, AUG. 29. 



COUKvSE for first class; Leaving Spindle Eock on port, stakeboatoff 

 S. W. breaker. Grave's whistling buoy and Egg Bock on star- 

 board, and return, 13% miles. 



Course for second and third classes: Leaving atakeboats off Little 

 Nahant and l>i miles E. by S. of Egg Rock on port and return. B 

 miles. Judges: B. W. Crownlnshiela. W. Lloyd Jeffries. Judges' 

 boar, D. 



In the second class only Witch and Spider appeared; Witch wisely 

 decided she could do better with light sails against larger boats, than 

 with working sails against catboat«, and .'o went with first class at 

 the minimum length. This left Spider a walkover, but a joint race 

 was arranged between her and the third class boats, and all started 

 together. 



The preparatory gun was fired exactly at 12, a fresh N. W. wind 

 then blowing, and the flrst class gun was fired at 12:05 Witch was 

 flrst over the line but was slow with her spinnaker, then Entrenia with 

 everything drawing, and Expert close on her heels, and .Vtalauta 

 with a huge spinnaker just behind; Expert came next, aoiug very 

 fast and breaking out her light duck very handsomely on the line, 

 while Bessie brought up the rear, being very slow in setting a 

 wret;Ghed httle old-fashioned spinnaker. 



Considerable interest was felt in Bessie, this being her first race 

 since she was changed from a schooner to a sloop. 



On the one-quarter mile run to the Spindle, Witch held the lead, 

 pretty well pressed by Expert., while Bessie was abreast and to wind- 

 ward of Atalanta, and Gem, after getting by Atlanta, had fallen back 

 again, and Eugenia was on Bessie's weather q^uarter. 



N.W. winds here are puffy and vary three points in direction, and 

 just as the boats were at the Spindle a weste'-lypuff suddenly jibed 

 Bessie's and Gem's mainsails, and things were livel,y for a minute. 

 It looked as if Bessie and Eugenia would be driven ashore. Bessie 

 scraped by, however, but Eugenia was to windward of tJie rocks and 

 had to go about and follow the others, losing sotne two or three 

 minutes. 



From the Spindle to the stakeboat all spinnakers came in except 

 Bessie's. Witch held the lead, but Atalanta was picking up and 

 Bessie was doing well. 



At the stakeboat they got a calm, and shortly a light easterly breeze 

 sprung up giving them a quartering wind across to the Graves. Witch 

 led till half way over, when Atalanta got by and steadhy increased 

 her lead. Expert was huntmg Witch pretty hard, witn Bessie close 

 astern, and Gem, who had tost the upper half of her topmast, was 

 left far in the reai" before she got her topsails set on the stump. 

 Eu.genia did not round Graves Buo.y. 



The stretch from Graves Iio/ne was intendeil to have been to wind- 

 ward, but the shift in the wind, whicli by this time was pretty fresh 

 S. B. sent them to Egg Rock dead before it, and they carried spiu' 

 naker over the home line. Result as follows: 



Length. Actual. Corrected, 



Atalanta, sloop, J. R. Thomas 29.0114 2 54 28 2 « 19 



Bessie, sloop, Chas. P. Curtis 27.01 2 .^8 12 3 46 05 



wntcb, sloop, B. B. Crownmshield..28.06 2 .58 46 2 40 OS 



Expert, sloop, L Wlutcomb 24.10 3 00 30 2 43 59 



Gem, sloop, H. W. .Savage ....28.09 3 28 3 17 36 



Eugenia, cat, J. S. Palmer 28.03 withdrew. 



Expert protested .atalanta for carrying one person more than rules 

 allow. It appeared that her owner had taken some ladies aboard, 

 thinking they would not count; she was ruled out, thus giving pen^ 

 nant to Bessie, who ties Expert and Atalanta. First prize goes to 

 Atalanta, second to Expert. 



The gun for second and third classes was fired at 1S:10. Psyche 

 was on the line at the instant, then Spider. Wraith and Jlirage. All 

 went off on starboard lack with sheets a trifle lifted. They rotmded 

 the first boat close together, and as wind was now almost entirely 

 gone, they slowly drifted down the Nahant shore before the wind 

 all in bunch. 



Half way to second boat they got the wind B.S.E and had a beat 

 for the rest of the way. Spider stood out to sea on a long reach on 

 starboard tack going to leeward otf Egg Rock, while the other.s took. 

 several short tacks inshore and Anally passed the rock, to windward. 

 Mirage a trifle ahead, the others close together, a nd aU three crossed 

 Spider's bow. 



The run in was doad before the wind with booms to port. Mirage 

 just ahead of Psyche who had "VVraith lapping her starboard quarter. 

 At the Spindle Mirage and Wraith jibed, and the latter shot abreast 

 of Psyche, and the two boats came for the line exactly even, but as 

 Wraith had the inside end of the fine and Psyche was not pointed 

 as exactl.y at it as her competitor. Wraith s mast got over of a 

 second aliead. Mirage takes third class prize and the joint prize. 

 Psyche second prize on allowance. Spider had a walk over in her 

 class: 



Length. Actual. Corrected. 



Murage, cat, L. M. Clark 19.01 1 ^22 17 1 10 43 



Wraith, cat, J. B. Paine 19.05 1 23 OB 1 11 38 



Psyche, cat, H. M. & P. S. Sears 19.04 1 23 1 H 83<J4 



Spider, cat. Walter Abbott 20,00 1 27 58 1 17 01 



ONE HUNDRED AND FtPTH RACE, SWAMPSOOTT, ADO. 29. SAIL OPF SPV. 

 FIRST CLASS PENNANT. 



After the championship race was over, it was decided to sail off the 

 tie in flrst class at once, course being round Graves Buoy and return, 

 12 miles. Bessie did not start, and Atalanta and Expert were sent 

 off at 3:56. Atalanta beat Expert badlj' iu the dead beat out, round- 

 ing buoy 12% minutes ahead. Spinnakers were then set and they 

 came home flying dead before it and running exactly alike, Atalanta 

 crossing at 6:53;00, Expert, 7:05:30. Judge, W. Lloyd Jeffries; judges' 

 boat, D. 



Wind light N. E , increasing at finish; a purely local wind which 

 did not extend down the bay, so that several boats fi'om a tUstahce 

 were becalmed and unable to get up in time. 



Judges, F. Elliot Cabot, Bionard Codman, A. S. Hardy. Judges' 

 yacht, Maude, B. Y. C. 



Course for flrst and second classes, round Scragg Neck Buoy. Bird 

 Island Buoy and return, ll miles. For other classes, leaving Black 

 Buoy No. 3 on starboard. Dry Ledge Buoy No, 12, Abial's Ledge Btio.y 

 and Black Buo.y No. 3 on port and return, 7},i miles. 



The start was delayecl 25 minutes waiting for boats to get up, 

 finally the preparatory gun was fired at 1:25, and first class gun five 

 minutes later. Whisper was first over the hne. closely followed by 

 Almyra, then Prize, Mattie, Bubble, Alice and P. D. Q. Myth, Sur- 

 prise, Qnissot, Myrtle, Elite and Sirius started late and were all a 

 little handicappe^d ; Quissec is the boat entered in 97th race as Hard 

 Luck, and P. I). Q. is the Jumbo. Myth had a large piece added to 

 head of sail, increasing the leach 8ft. In the run down Mattie took a 

 good lead and dropped the others. Then came Myth, Surprise, Alice 

 and Quisset in a bunch. Myth's big sail keeping her a trifle ahead, the 

 balance weirastern. and this position was held through the reach to 

 Scragg Neck. From here up it was a dead beat; Mattie with a lead of 

 12 minutes ^vent over to the north shore aud was out of it; M.yth, 

 Surprise, Alice and Quisset went over toward the Marion shore aud 

 did much better; AUce and Surprise dropping the other two, while 

 Myrtle, going well on toward Marion, was becoming dangerous; and 

 Mary, not in the race, who had stood clear in to Marion shore came 

 out ahead of the fleet. Surprise finished first, 3 minutes ahead of 

 Alice, and 7 ahead of Myrtle. - 



in second class Good Luck had it all her own way and Nellie W, 

 was an easy second. In the third class the race was very close and 

 exc.ting. Scud was becalmed aud unable to get up on time, and Dolly 

 was unlucky enough to have the n'a,ys break umler her when clean- 

 ing bottom for the race, and was unable to get off in 'ime, but It'anny, 

 Mertie, Eleanor and the new Petrel were on hand. Eleanor went off 

 with the lead. Mertie close behmd her, then Clara, Mystery, Fanny, 

 all in a bunch, and Petrel oringmg up the rear. Running down to 

 Dry Ledge Fanny took the lead, Petrel second, Eleanor third, but 

 Petrel gained nolhmg on Fanny. Reaching over to Abial's Ledge, 



