174 



POOREST AND STREAM, 



LSept. 24, 1885. 



FIXTURES. 



Sept. 2^!-Pftntueket y. C. Characionship Regatta. 



Sep'. 38— Newatk Y. C, Open B«'eepstakes. Newark Bav. 



Sept. 30— Knickerbocker Y. 0.. Fall Regatta. 



THE BENNETT-DOUGLAS CUPS. 



EVBR\' nue knox\'s what tlie American navy amounts to— a long 

 striiiK of names oli the navy list and a lot of old hulks and \m- 

 Cortunate txiiei imerits, mostly tied up pcrmauently to the dociss 

 Merchantmen of Arocriean build are found in all ports and dot every 

 sea, but iinfoitmiateJy they sail under all flaps but the Scars and 

 Stripes. At least may be proud of cm- pleasure fleet: schooners, 

 ssloops. steamers, from the largest size downward are listed to the 

 Sumber of 2,000 m Olsen's; and yet a grreat race, not merely for val- 

 uable prizes, but for a question of national supremacy, sailed from 

 the fir.st yachting port in the Union iu the height of the yachting sea- 

 son, bring.s out three .schooners and one sloop, the latrertwenty years 

 old, to represent this great fleet, a proud showing ti'uly. For three 

 'week8_ our harbor has been crowded wit h the pick of Amei-ican yachts 

 In racing trim. Our yachts, it inust he understood, are not racing 

 maohines. but are used for cruising; nevertheles.s thej ai-ethe fastest 

 crafr in the world and always in racing order. !sow after three 

 wet-ks' idle looking <:in at a race they coula not participate in, at the 

 Orst symptom.s of an open contest they ail scuttle through Hell Gate 

 as fast as tugs can tow them, and air theu' sails at Newport, leaving 

 •tour of their number to repre.sent them against the British yacht. 



Howevei', there is one thing to be said m tavor of this proceeding, 

 it's not "Quite English , you know," but in marked contrast to the 

 action ot Genesta's owner is entering all the races open to him. 

 Nearly all the boats famous iu our yachting annals have been seen 

 on New York Bay this month. America, Dauntless, Dreadnaught, 

 Comet, Columbia, Viking. Ruth, Intrepid. Montauk. Clytie. Foam, 

 PUantom, Clio, Fortuna, Estelle, Norma, Nii-vana, Tidal Wave, Var- 

 una, Gitana, Nokomis, Wanderer, Harbinger, Albatross, iMohiean. 

 Speranza, Grayling, Vesta, N orseman , a fleet of thir. y large schooners, 

 most of which claim to be fast yacht*. The sloo .s of course were 

 fewer in number. Gracie, Mischief, Fanny, HUdegarde, PrisciUa, 

 Arrow, but on them more especiallv devolved the duty of meeting 

 the visitor from across the seas. Out of this fleet of nearly forty 

 boats we might expect a decent showing, but the starting whistle 

 found exactly four, three schooners and one sloop at the line. We 

 do not include the smaller craft, as they had no possible chance of 

 saving time from Genesta, but entered f<sr a handicap of their own. 

 On Monday's race the showing was even wor=e, as only one yacht 

 started, though the long course and absence of allowance give ex- 

 cuses that were not valid on Friday. For the final race around Cape 

 May Lightship, onlj Dauntless and the b'>ld little Athlon, 50ft. long, 

 have therefore entered against the cutter. 



While Genesta has failed to win the Cup she has been defeated by 

 a very different sort of antagonist from that which it was expected 

 here and abroad would meet her, and she has really had no oppor- 

 tunity to measure her power with the typical American boats. In 

 this race the chance was offered to the sloop men either to defeat 

 hex or to be beaten squarely on their merits, and with one exception 

 only they have backed out of the contest. The one boat that entered 

 was beaten badly and conclusively, but it is Ear more to her credit 

 than to have st,ayed at anchor inside the Narrow.s; and such a defeat, 

 the only one making a good fight to tbe last, is worth half a dozen 

 such victories as that of the Long Island race last year. Ther^ is 

 j-ealiy no excuse to be urged for the boats which in perfect condition 

 and manned by racirg crews, lay at anchor on a light weather day in 

 September, after a f jrinight of calm weather and smooth watw, 

 "while an important race for a valuable prize and in face of a direct 

 cballenge from a boat of a type whose powers they liold inferior to 

 their own, was being sailed wUhin 15 miles. The white en-^ign with its 

 red cross that has waved at the masthead and tallrail of Genesta 

 was a silent challenge that should have sent aloft every racing flag 

 in the fleet, but it waved almost unanswered. 



Though far less excUing and important than the great Cup races, 

 the race of Friday possessed a feature of special interest that the 

 other did not, as it was in reaUty a race between sloops and cuttexs. 

 Gracie, Athlon and Daphne are all sloop--, though with some modifl- 

 cations of rig or fittings, and Genesta and Clara are cutters of the 

 most extreme type. The results are conclusive, and such as to make 

 ample amends for the previous defeat of narrow beam and gi-eat 

 depth by large beam and moderate length. Gracie was beaten 2-^m. 

 over lier allowance on a coui se of 36 miles in loop weather, only 

 saving her time by .4m. from little Clara, a boat 18ft. shorter and less 

 tban half other beam. Clara went over the course easily and in good 

 time, while Athlon and Dapbne were so far astern at the end of the 

 ■windward work that the stakeboat had taken up the mark and started 

 home, so that Athlon withdrew, and it is uncertain just where Daphne 

 rounded. The two cups, valuidd at §1,000 each, were presented by 

 Commodore James Gordon Bennett and Vice-Commodore Win. B. 

 Douglass, for sc hooners and single-stick yachts respectively, to be 

 sailed for over a triangular cotirse from the Scotland Lightship, un- 

 der the New York Y. 0. rules and allowance. The four smaller boats 

 —Athlon. Clara, Isis and Daphne— sailed also for a sweepstakes of 

 8150 each. 



The entries were: Schooners— Dauntless, Fortnna, Grayling. Sloops 

 and cutters— Genesta, Gracie. Ileen, Clara, Athlon, Isis, Daphne. 



A triangular course is usually understood to imply an equilateral 

 triangle when it i i specially laid out in open water, but in this case 

 something had evidently fouled the headgear of the uiathematico- 

 geodetic department of the regatta committee, with peculiar results. 

 The first leg of the lu-mile course was given as E. by N. 13J^ miles 

 from Scotland IJghtsbip, the second leg was S.W. by W. M W. 13% 

 miles, and the third was supposed to be of the same length. Any one 

 who will take the trouble to consider the bearings will see that the 

 second leg ran back nearly to the starting point, the last leg being 

 only 6 miles, making the entire distance under 35 miles; iu short, the 

 course as laid out would have done credit to that eminent navigator, 

 the mate of the clipper Guyascutae, who goes down in history as re- 

 porting that "She heads to the east, sou' west by no'th; and the bin- 

 nacle lies abaft." As all the allowances had been calculated for 

 a course of 40 miles the committee were obliged to reduce them for 

 the shorter com-se of 35 miles, which took some time. The Lucken- 

 bach steamed down in the morning with the u-ual party on board, 

 passing (ienestaand Ileen in tow of the same tug. Ileen had re- 

 placed her broken bowsprit, but Stranger had not repaired damages 

 in time tc start. Bedouin was entered, but as Commodore Rogers is 

 in the West on a business trip, she did not start. 



Outride the Hook Gracie, Grayling, Dauntless, Fortuna. Daphne, 

 Isis and Clara were flying about with topsails set, before a fine S.W 

 wind. A few steamers and yachts were at the start, and the tug 

 Ocean King wilb Mr. Olsen and the two big floats on board was ready 

 as a markboat. The ( icean King started off E. by N. with her logs 

 towing, wiiile the Luckenbach dropped her anchor a short distance 

 north of the Lightship at 30:5J0. When the whistle blew at 11 A. M. 

 tbe yachts were to windward of the line, all with club topsails except 

 Ileen and Clara with jib headers and Genesta with a sprit. At 11:10 the 

 start sounded and the fleet came for the line in three chance divisions. 

 To leeward, close aboard the Luckenbach, went Clara with Deen not 

 lOft. astern to windward. Still nearer the middle of the line was 

 Genesta, while Grayling, setting big maintopmast staysail, and 

 Fortuna after her with balloon jib flying, completed the first division, 

 Lagging a tittle astern came a second lot headed by Athlon, with 

 staysail down ami spinnaker adrift as it went up. Dauntless under 

 her lee, liad all hands on the halliards as a great raaiatopmast st 'y- 

 sai( and balloon jili went ui;, while between the two was Gracie with 

 spinnaker hanging iu stops. Still another lot now came dow^n from 

 far a,st<;rn. Daphne brealring her spinnakix very iirettily on the line, 

 and well astern Isis. alread v under spinnaker. The times were; 



Ileen H U 03 Athlon 11 13 59 



Clara 11 11 0!) Gracie 11 14 48 



• Genesta ....11 11 30 Dauntless 11 14 48 



Fortuna -.11 11 47 Daphne 11 16 14 



Grayling 11 U 59 Isis 11 17 30 



Daphne and Isis were handicapped, tbe limit being at 11:15. 



The water was perfectly ^ 



mark, by which time there was some sea on. The wmd held steady 

 cn the rtm out, hauling near the mark to S. S. W. and later on to W. 

 S. W. near the second mark. At 11 :30 it was a fresh breeze, all carry- 

 ing sprit or clubtopsails easily. The order then was Grayling, wntli 

 Genesta 2.50yds. to windward on her beam. Ileen and Fortuna nearly 

 even with the leaders, then a short space betsveen them and Clara, 

 then Gracie astern of Clara a few hundred yards and just abeam of 

 Sandy Hook lightship, then Athlon a short distance astern. Dauntless 



was drawing, but still she could not hold the cutter, and at 11:50 Gen 

 esta beaded' her, whfie Fortuna was even with ber. Five minutes 

 more and Fortuna's jibboom was even with Genesta's archboard, 

 while a clear lenfftli of water opened between Fortuna and Grayling. 

 The tug was steering a parallel course with the yachts, and was even 

 with the leaders;, so a line across her showed theii- positions very ac. 



curately, Genesta lowered her jib, but still eontiriued to gain on 

 both, while little Clai-a was still leaving Oracle. 



At 13:01 Genesta's big jib went up in stops, but it was 19:07 before 

 it was broken out, the stops near the head holding for a time. A few 

 minutes before Grayling had made a sudden start, but a 12:10 Gen- 

 esta had dropped FortUia. and the latter in turn was leaving Gray- 

 ling. Genesta had taken in her topsail, but was still holding a good 

 pace. The boats were in a string. Genesta. Fortuna, Gfrayling, Clara, 

 Gracie, Athlon, Ileen, Dauntless, Daphne and Isis. At l'3:20 Fortuna 

 set her jibiopsail, and at 13:.30 Genesta sent up ber clubtopsail. The 

 wind came nearer now to the end of the spinnaker iiooms. and For- 

 tuna first slacked hers well forw.nrd and at 1^:30 lowered it entirely. 

 Grayling doing the same. Fortuna lowered her jib for a time, while 

 Grayling's balloon jib was helping her greatly now her spinnaker 

 was in. Her stavsail was also drawing. Between 12:.30 and 12:40 

 there was some lively shifting of headsails and to73Salls on all the 

 yachts and spinna'^ers all came in. Gracie was now leading Clara, as 

 she could lay a better course with fore and aft sails only, while Clara 

 held on to her spinnaker until 12:45, at which time Daphne, Isis and 

 Athlon lowered theirs also. At 18;4S Fortuna took in her maintop- 

 ma.st staysail, and at 13:18 Genesta lowered her jibtopsail, hifflng 

 around t"be mark, shakiuir for a moment in the wind, and then filling 

 away on starboard taelc. Nexr, cavi.e up Fortuna, but CJrayling cut 

 Inside of ber very nicely and turned with ber. Clara was jumping 

 into the seas as she luffed , hut soon se' tied down to an easy, reg- 

 ular swing. Athlon was indut kyin being covered by Damifless at 

 thetm'u. All took sLarboard i.:i'jk after rounding except Ileen and 

 Dapbni*. The times \\ ere: 



Genesta 12 49 14 Ileen 13 54 .38 



Fortuna 13 50 23 Athlon 12 56 .33 



Grayling 12 50 55 Dauntless 12 .56 48 



Gracie 12 53 23 Daphne 1 03 .30 



Clara 12 54 35 Isis 1 04 30 



Genesta ha'' gained nearly 3m in. on Gracie in 13}^ miles before a 

 fair breeze, while Gracie had gained nearly 5raui. on Clara in the 

 sametioae. Gracie is lift, shorter than Genesta, and 16ft. longer 

 than Clara. 



Once away there was a sea outside tbat tumbled the small ones 

 about. Grade's jibtopsail came in at 12:51, and her clubtopsail 

 followed at 13:.57. leaving her jihheader aloft. Dauntless took in her 

 big jibtopsail and Athlon her club at 1 P. M. Genesta walked rapidly 

 to wir dward and away from the schooners, holding the starboard 

 tack until 1:18. At 1:05 Ileen had gone on starboard tack, at 1:14 Isis 

 went on port tack, and at 1:21 Gracie, and 1:30 Athlon followed. 

 Grayling went on poit tack at 1:3 Fortuna 1 :.34, Dauntless 1:35, Ileen 

 1:38' At 1:42 Genesta went on starboard tack, standing toward the 

 south. About l:4.'i Genesta was far ahead to windward. Grayling and 

 Fortuna were close by each other but well astern, Clara and Gracie 

 were well to leeward of a line joininz Genesta and Gracie. Ileen and 

 Athlon were some distance astern of the fleet, whfie far down to lee- 

 ward, iu smoother water, were Daphne and Isis, the latter now ahead. 

 Darmtless was astern of the other schooners and gave tip before the 

 second mark was reached. Genesta was carrying jibheader and going 

 alon,^.' grandly, while Clara, under same sail, was rushing throiitrn the 

 seas very steadily with liiUe hobbyhorsing. She slid along over the 

 waves taking a wash along her lee channels and now and again a 

 splurge of water over the weather bow, but her motions were very 

 easy and regular and ber after deck shone out perfectly dry as the 

 tug passed to leeward. 



At 1 :44 Genesta shifted to a jibheader and at 1 :47 she wont on port 

 tack again. Heen lost her topsail sheet by its ehaflag off and soon 

 after her hafliards parted, so she gave up and started home. About 

 2 o'clock Isis and Daphne essayed topsails a^ain. the wind dropping 

 and the water growing smoother as the second mark, under the lee 

 of the Jersey hills, was reached. At 2:26 Gracie set her jibheader 

 that had be^n clewed down for some time. The two schooners were 

 stUl making a clossi fight of it in the distance. Grayling stUl being 

 ahead. At 3 P. M. Genesta came steaming along on port tack for the 

 buoy, but could not weather it by half a mile. At 3:03 she went on 

 starboard tack and at 3:07 she tacked azain, breaking out her jibtop- 

 sail as she turned at 3:07:55. No other boats were near, the schooners 

 were all astern, Gracie and Clara far to leeward. .'Vthlon, Daphne, 

 and Isis a long way off, and Ileen an il Dauntless withdrawn. Slowly 

 the sloop and cutter turned to windward for the mark, wdiile Genesta. 

 coming home fast, passed by them The wind and sea were both 

 ligaier and Gracie began to pick up. Only four boats were timed at 

 the second mark: 



Gracie 3 07 55 Fortuna 8 20 06 



Grayline 3 19 55 Gracie 3 35 45 



Clara rounded the mark and \vas not timed, Isis rounded the mark- 

 boat after the buoy had been taken in, Athlon found no mark and 

 Daphne tmn;d where i-he supposed the mark had been, hut both buoy 

 and tug had departt-d. Genesta came in flying, then came the two 

 schoouei-s, Gracie, Clara, Isis, and flaally Daphne. The timas were: 



SCHOONERS. 



Start. Finish. Elapsed. Con-ected. 



Dauntless 11 14 48 ... ....... 



Grayling 11 11 59 3 53 82 4 41 32 4 35 58 



Fortuna. 11 11 47 3 54 16 4 42 39 4 42 29 



SLOOPS AKn COTTERS. 



Genesta ...11 11 80 8 41 10 4 29 40 4 29 40 



Gracie 11 14 48 4 13 56 4 59 08 4 61 82 



Been 11 11 03 



Athlon 11 13 59 



Clara 11 11 09 4 33 34 5 22 25 5 00 57 



Isis 1115 00 4 51 46 5.33 48 5 13 50 



Daphne.. 11 15 00 4 48 37 5 33 37 5 07 16 



Graylmg beats Fortuna 6.31 and wins the Bennett Cup. Genesta 

 bpats Gracie 29.52 evtn and 21.62 corrected time. Gracie beats Clara 

 23 17 even and 9.23 corrected time. Genesta wins the Douglas Cup 

 and Clara the $6 ;0 sweepstakes put up by her with Athlon, Isis and 

 Daphne. 



ENGLISH YACHTSMEN AT COWES. 



COWBS during yachting week presents a sieht entirely novel to an 

 American. English fashionable life aU goes yachting ihis week, 

 just as it went to the Goodwood races last, and will go shooting on 

 the Scotch moors next week. The Prince of Wales came down last 

 Saturday and joined liis yacht. All the royal yachts are here, four 

 in number, and all great, clumsy, old-fashioned side-wheelers with a 

 large amount of gilt on them. There are about a hundred of the 

 royal family on them and an indefinite number of German princes, 

 including Prince Louis of Battenberg, the husband of the Princess 

 Beatrice. Prince Louis is a fine, soldierly-looking young man; but 

 what or where Battenberg is no one seems to know. The German 

 princes do not take any active interest in sailing and are transported 

 to and from the royal yacht in a little glass ca.se built, on the deck of 

 the Queen's steam launch. The Pi-lnce of Wales, however, does not 

 come in the glass case category. He is a thorough and energetic 

 pailor. He is commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron, takes a Uvely 

 interest in all the races, and on any race day for schooners may be 

 seen on tne Aline holding her tiller or haulmg at a rope, side by side 

 with his men. The popularity of yachting here is no doubt largely 

 due to the good natuied and plucky commodore of the squadron. 



We have nothing like a yachting week in America and we have 

 nothing like Cowes. It is distinctively a yachting town. Of the five 

 or six thousand inhabitants, there is probably not one who does not 

 gam his Uvelihood from yachting patronage. Up the river are the 

 shipyards where a hundred old worn-out racers are lying beside the 

 fi-ames of new boats not yet launched into life. Here is the famous 

 old Sappho, which ouco saved the Queen's Cup for America, lying 

 rottii]gin themud. Every business which caters to the wants of a 

 yacht, and there are not many which do not, is represented by excel- 

 lent shops, from the fashionable yachting tailor and an establish- 

 ment of Redfern's down to the bumboat woman and her stock of 

 sailor.s' kaick-knacks. To live at Cowes one would think that yacht- 

 ing was the only real business of the world. A yacnting atmosphere 



slope right on the edge of the water and commands a view of the 

 Solent for ten miles east and west. The house itself Is a picturesque 

 cast le of tbe time of Henrv VIII., the battlements now being armed 

 with spy glasses instead of guns, and the white club signal flying on 

 the tower in the place of the flag of ICngland . 



It is the proper thing to sit on the lawn ot the club house, and here 

 ma V be seen on any pleasant afternoon the Princess of Wales and 

 her daughters and all the faces seen at a party at Marlborough House 

 or in the royal inclosure at the Ascot races. In the harbor a hundred 

 little steam launches and cutters with crews of big, broaci-backed 

 sailors in blue jerseys and bright colored caps are, flying about, and 

 with the bright yachting costumes oC the ladles, on shore and on the 

 water, the whole place has put on holiday di-ess. You see no gaudy 

 costume.", however. They are generally of wuite or blue serge, or 

 flannel, simply made, but fitting exqui.sitely. This applies only to 

 the younger ladies The old ladies, of whom quite a number take 

 pari; in the sport, are generally dressed m a laded black dre.ss and 

 bonnet, and an aged shawl, following in this, perhaps, the fasnion set 

 by their Queen, and presenting about the same appear, nice as a re 

 spectable Irish widow who lakes in wasbmg. But they :n-e all good 

 sailors, youns and old. V'ou may see a young ^mi'I sLeeriua u si.v- 

 oared gig, giving her men orders and bringing her boat up to the 

 landing steps as scientiflcally as a naval officer, and you may see a 

 lady of sixty or seventy popped ut> on the windward side ot the 

 schooner, with the spray flying m her face from every wave. They 

 all know the history and merits of the famous racing yachts, and take 



the liveliest interest in their struggle— for this, too, is fashionable— 

 and it is not rare to see a couple of ladies sitting on the deck of a 

 cutter taking part in a hot race, and knowing how to keep out of the 

 way— something by no means easy to do when jibinp around a stake- 

 boat or setting a big spinnaker.— C. H. Halsey, in Brooklyn Eagle. 



ATLANTIC Y. C, PENNANT RACE. 



A PENNANT race between Class E boats of the Atlantic Y. C. was 

 sailed on Sept. 8 over a course from the club house to Scotland 

 Lightship and return, 32 miles.. The schooner Agnes, with Com. 

 Hogins and his wife, and the judges, Messrs. T. P. Flske and L. l-t. 

 Cress, sailed over the course with the yachts 



The start was given at 10:15;38, five minutes after the first signal. 

 The wind was fresh from S.W., and Romeyn housed her topmast 

 above the line, while her only competitor,' Ilderan, essayed a jib- 

 header. Romeyn stood over before the signil and was (■bliged to 

 recross. Ilderan was far above the line, and in s))ite of Romeyn 's 

 blunder the former was astern at the sta't, the times beine; RomejTi 

 10:16:00, Ilderan 10:16:50. Romeyn held a lead to windward, and 

 Ilderan soon doused her topsail but still fell astern Below the 

 islands she set it again— 11 ;45, Romeyn being far to windward. The 

 latter now sent up topmast and jibtopsail, and soon after her jib- 

 header, while Ilderan followed with a balloon jib instead of a jibtop- 

 sail. 



Romeyn led around Buoy 8 at U:">7:10, with Ilderan at 12:00:05. 

 Ilderan took in balloon jib and set jibtopsail again, losing some time 

 in the change. The times at the Scotland Lightship we're: Romeyn 

 12:39:22. Ilderan 12:49 Both came in free with booms to starboard. 

 Romeyn lowered her jibtopsail for a time, but set it ss,;u\). whde up 

 the bay Ilderan set her balloon jib. Both finished under spinnakers, 

 Romeyn still having a good lead. The times were: 



Start. Finish. Elapsed, Corrected. 



Romeyn 10 16 00 2 29 5S 4 13 55 4 17 14 



Ilderan 10 10 50 2 36 47 4 10 57 4 19 57 



THE REPRESENTATIVE AMERICAN SLOOP. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your i.ssue of Sept. 3 I notice under the above heading an 

 article signed "Loyaltv," from which I quote as follows: "I think 

 it would have been more fitting for tne committee having the 

 matter in hand to have selected as a contestant for honors in tbe trial 

 races a full-blooded Atnudcan sloop, without making a concession at 

 the start, which I claim the Puritan to be." I take the liberty of an- 

 ticipating the ■■comcnittee that had the matter in hana" and budt the 

 Puritan to en'er in the trial races, iu extending their thanks to "Loy- 

 alty" for his kind suggestion, and have no doubt that if he had com- 

 mtinieated with them personally and been just a trifle more previous, 

 as it were, they would have taken great pleasure in building him a 

 sloop after his own ideas, no matter how antiquated, provided he 

 would simplv furnish the draft. They might possible want the draft 

 made payable on demand, with the autograph of say Jay Gould, just 

 to show his acceptance and approval of the drawing. Under the ex- 

 isting circumstances, I hope ' Loyalty" will not be too hard on the 

 committee, although their only excuse is they were paying all the 

 bills and were under the impression that they knew what they 

 wanted. Trusting ''Loyalty" will accept ibis apology. I quote again: 

 "1 do not believe in meeting the Englishman with anything that has 

 any English in it. I do not believe in shining with a borrowed hght, 

 which a defeat of Genesta by Puritan would virtually be." Now, as 

 a rule, I never interfere with any one's belief. It is sure to lead to 

 an argumeut, and an argument, especially on the sloop cutter ques- 

 tion, makes me weary. For my part, provided the Pm-iian wins, 

 "Loyalty" may jiay his mousy and take his cboice— call her sloop 

 or call lier cuttar. If the former, the American sloop is fa.ster than 

 the Eeglish cutter: if the latter, then an American designer, an 

 American builder and an American sailmaker have turned out an 

 American cutter, to order, on six mouths' notice, that outsails the 

 best cuti er England has produced after years devoted to the improve- 

 ment of that special type. Viva la America. Yankee Doodle. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your last issue I read a communication from Mr. Clapham 

 in reply to my communication of the 3d inst. In it he either 

 shows ignorance of what he talks about or an intention to mislead 

 instead of enlighten others. He evidently does not kndw the differ- 

 ence between a sloop with a double head rig and a cutter, and does 

 not know the difference between a one-masted yacht with long main- 

 mast well forward, short bowsprit, short topmast, and headsails run- 

 ning on stays, ballast all inside and short overhang with houSe on 

 deck (Gracie), and a one-masted yacht v/ith short mainmast well 

 amidships, long topmast, long bowsprit, two headsails on stays, one 

 set flying, deep keel with leacl on it, long overhang to stern with flush 

 deck" (Puritan . When he talks abouc the likeness of the one to the 

 other, in regard to the stern and big jib, his concessions are all I claim . 

 In regai'dto ballast, location and not quantity is myargumem;. As 

 to discarding this low weight he evidently is unaware of the location 

 of the ballast of Fortima, which did so well at Newport. The like- 

 ness of the Shadow to the Puritan shows how he jumps at conclusions. 

 The Shadow is a jib and mainsail yacht with very httle keel, ballast 

 all inside, short overhang to the stern, long mainmast, weU forward, 

 short topmast, short bowsprit; in fact an ideal American sloop (no 

 mongrel). Judge for yourself as to likeness. You will find more of it 

 in Fortuna's stern and after part. Evidently twelve years of yacht- 

 sailing has been of uo benefit to Mr. Clapham or else he has moved 

 about with his eyes shut, as shown by his argument, which is as 

 shoal as his sharpie. Loyalty. 



Lynn, Sept. 14. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Your yachtiiig friends would now be glad to hear from your late 

 yachting editor, Mr. K. We would like some nautisal loie from him 

 "regarfling cutters soaking out to windward and centerboard traps 

 falUng off in a sea way; also about sloop yachts having to lay at 

 anchor wdien cutters are carrying full sail. Anything of that kind 

 would be very interesting at the present time from such high authority, 

 from one who knew so much and furnished so much wisdom free of 

 cost to yachtsmen of America. Deep Centerboard Sloop. 



New York. Sept. 17. 



[Our correspondent will bear from Mr. Kunhardt as soon as he re- 

 turns from a short cruise. What the Forest and Stream has asserted 

 in regard to the weatherly powers of the cutter compared with the 

 shoal centerboard ho&ts is as true no was when fii-se wrifen. Witness 

 the performance of Genesta and Clara with Gracie. Athlon and 

 Daphne on Friday; and the question is in no way affected by tbe 

 performance of a raiicaUy ddlerent type of boat from the "center- 

 board trap" our corre,spondent mentions. Of sloop yachts at anchor 

 there have been plenty of late. Where were Mischief, Fanny, Arrow, 

 Hildegarde, Priscilla on last P^i-idav? All have backed out and left to 

 old Gracie and little but plucky Athlon the difficult task of upholding 

 the prestige of the real American centerboard sloop. Where was 

 the American sloop in the Goelei Cup races, what part has she 

 played in the work of this season, and where would the Cup have 

 been now if Boston brains and entei-prise had not made the cutter rig 

 and lead keel a controlling factor in the fight? We have heiird a 

 good deal about the American sloop of late years ana there has been 

 a deal of boasting over our racing fleet. Now, in the finest racing 

 weather, on a clear pleasant day, an important race for a valuable 

 prize brings out three sloops, two of small size, and one of these fails 

 to sail the coui-se. A splendid showing for our fleet, and not the only 

 one. The Goelet Cup races did not fill, only three large sloops, one 

 from Boston, have shown up in the year's races, and now their 

 friends and defenders seek a tardy salvation by hanging on to the 

 white counter of the Boston centerboard cutter. It's too late now. 

 Ohl centerboard sloop men; the mere prefixing of the word "deep" 

 will not bring you in to share in Puritan s victory. What you nave 

 said about cutter rig hits her as hard as it does Genesta; your scoffs 



di.sastei- was to the real Simon pure American sloop when Puritan 

 was chosen to meet Genesta.] 



The result of the races f Dr the America's Cup must be satisfactory 

 to every patriotic American, but it is doubly sweet to the advocate 

 of the sloop-built boat as opposed to the cutter. Yet it behooves 

 them to be moderate in their rejoicing, for the "white horse of the 

 hifiows," as some enthusiast has called the Puritan, is far from being 

 a typical American sloop. Her comparatively great depth, her lead 

 ballast on the keel and her long, overhanging stern make her at least 

 first fousiu to the Kngl'sh cutter, and ir she doe-4 belong to the family 

 of Amerii:an sloops, stxe cannot he said to resemble the rest of the 

 family very much. Nor does the rig help to identify her. The di- 

 vided' headsads lire copied from EuKlish models, while the mamsail 

 is Ameriean in beiug stopped to the boom along its whole length. In- 

 stead of tieiuij- altaened at the corners ouLv. 'the main point of na- 

 tional difference (and it must be atlmittea to be an important one) Is 

 the monldiue of the sides, which in the English cutttr are straight 

 and hi-h, tumbling iu suddenly toward tbe keel, while in the Ameri- 

 .-au sloop they darn broadly out amidships and taper gradually 

 toward the stern. The centerboard of tbe Puritan is also peculiarly 

 Ameriean, ami the deep keel, althouf,'h rarely found m sucn develop- 

 ment in the centerboard vachts of om' Southern waters, is a charac- 

 teristic feature of the stanch Uttle fishing boats of the Maine coast. 



