Aug. 17, 1895.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



147 



Bhe goes through the water much more easily, especially in a sea, she 

 carried a larger sail plan in a very satisfactory manner, and she has 

 proved that from a had berth under the* other's lee she can walk out 

 clear across her bows. 



Thus far the new boat must be set down as a success; she is evi- 

 dently a fast and able vessel, with no very bad faults and some remark- 

 ably strong points, notably with sheets hard in, and she is capable of 

 further improvement. We were by no means the only ones who were 

 deceived by her light bilge and have been surprised at her stability ; but 

 it is evident, now that she has been seen under her largest sail plan 

 and with her keel exposed in dry dock, that her draft, sail area and 

 displacement were all understated in the figures published prior to 

 the launching. That advance of sail plan which has been visible on 

 every new defender from Mayflower to Vigilant is not seen this year; 

 in fact, we doubt Whether she has 500sq. ft. in excess of Vigilant 



How much faster or slower she may be than Valkyrie III. we have 

 no means of knowing; in which case we are no worse off than many 

 who have already settled the whole matter. Never was less known 

 about a Cup challenger by her own people than in the case of Valkyrie 

 HI., and, little as is known by those who watched her races with 

 Britannia and Ailsa, yachtsmen on this side know still less. There is 

 every reason to doubt the stories of excessive beam; the true figures 

 are probably about 25ft. 6in., or fyi beams to length as compared with 

 Vigilant's 8J-6; this extreme beam being in Valkyrie, as the photos 

 show, considerably diminished at the waterline amidships and rapidly 

 disappearing forward and aft, and not, as in Vigilant, the indication 

 of an abnormally full and round side. What stops Vigilant in a sea is 

 not a few inches too much of extreme beam, but a full bow from the 

 waterline upward, such as has seldom been seen on a fast yacht. 



The stories about Valkyrie's lack of stability and bad performance 

 may be quite true, though even this is not certain ; and yet there is 

 every reason to believe that these defects have already been partly 

 remedied and will still further disappear, especially if the hew steel 

 Bpars prove lighter than wood; while it must be remembered that this 

 display was made in such weather as has troubled few of the Oup 

 races. 



In praising Defender and condemning Valkyrie one very important 

 fact has been overlooked. If any American yachtsman familiar with 

 the Cup races of the last decade were asked off-hand which of the 

 two yachts would be most likely to win over the Cup courses in Sep- 

 tember, both having the same length, about the same draft, displace- 

 ment and ballast, and one having 26ft. beam to the other's 23, and 

 12,000sq. ft. of sail to the other's 11,500, he would give a prompt reply 

 in favor of the wider and more heavily rigged boat. 



We can fully indorse the newly made discovery that too much beam 

 is a bad thing, that form counts for something, and that over-canvas- 

 ing does not always pay. We knew all this long ago if it is against the 

 laws of nature; but at the same time we submit that, on a waterline 

 of 90ft., a beam of even 26ft. is by no means excessive, if skillfully 

 handled, and is far more appropriate for the special work in hand 

 than 28ft. The fact is that while much is known about Defender that 

 must be highly gratifying to her owners and designer, the third Val- 

 kyrie is an unknown quantity, in a measure to her designer and 

 owners, to a greater degree to British yachtsmen and entirely so to 

 those on this side. Not until the pumps suck in the east dock of the 

 Erie Basin some time about the end of the month will anything 

 definite be known about her. 



In lamenting the passing away of the June regattas, it has been the 

 custom of New York yachtsmen for some years to point to the grow, 

 ing importance of the August cruise and the Newport races as more 

 than offsetting what is generally recognized as a loss. After the very 

 mild and uneventful "Jubilee" cruise of 1894, and the expedition of 

 this year, we are forced unwillingly to the conclusion that the owners 

 of all save the smaller yachts, these being outside the requirements 

 for representation in the New York Y. C, do not want to race in any 

 way, either in June or August. The cruise of this year has been well 

 planned and well managed; business is better than in the last two 

 years, and yet the past two weeks have been sufficiently quiet in the 

 great business centers to allow yachtsmen to absent themselves; there 

 are very many yachts in commission this year; the racing of Defender 

 and Vigilant has awakened a keen interest among yachtsmen; the 

 generous and spirited efforts of the club's officers and some individual 

 members have provided many prizes in addition to the very liberal 

 offerings of the club. Apart from the Vigilant-Defender controversy , 

 which is entirely an outside matter, the annual cruise of 1895 is justly 

 entitled to beset down as a success. The fleet has been large, the 

 weather perfect, free from storm and rain and with at least a working 

 breeze on every race day, with special good luck on the hard run of 

 the cruise to New London; with abundant sociability and good fellow- 

 ship and no delays or mishaps; but looked at, as it really is, as the 

 major port of a whole racing season, what does it amount to? 



The cruise lasted just nine days.^oing to pieces most suddenly and 

 unexpectedly on the evening of the ninth. It included four squadron 

 runs with races for all who chose to enter; three special races, one 

 practically limited to the largest yachts and two open to all classes; 

 and two lay days, one a Sunday. The four days of special races off 

 Newport for all classes, which were actually a part of the cruise and 

 intended to increase the importance of this annual yachting carnival, 

 were scorned by the yacht owners in a way that must be intensely 

 disappointing to those who have given time and money in the interest 

 of yacht racing. The largest number of starters in any race of the 

 cruise was twenty-six, while thirty-two yachts in all took part in the 

 racing. 



The schooners were stronger than usual this year, with the new 

 Amorita. with Lasca returned from abroad, and with Loyal and 

 Neaera racing all the time. The single-stickers were notably weak 

 outside the largest class, which at best only numbered four and 

 oftener two boats; but with such famous craft as Vigilant, Defender, 

 Jubilee and Volunteer one does not look for a very large fleet to make 

 keen racing. The smaller classes, which should be well filled, included 

 a handful of boats covering a wide range of sizes, so that there was 

 hardly any class racing. It is a sorry consolation to think that yacht 

 racing is but little more active abroad than here, and that even 

 Cowes week has failed to galvanize it into more than an appearance 

 of vitality. 



One contributary cause of this state of stagnation on both sides is 

 the building of the great syndicate racing craft and the consequent 

 discouragement given to the individual ownership of usable and race- 

 able yachts; such a craft as at least, if in no sense cruisers, may be 

 raced without an attendant steam freighter. The whole question of 

 extreme size, cost and draft, racing construction, big crews and fin- 

 keels, presents many and serious difficulties; but it is at least safe to 

 say that one of the most effectual steps toward a healthier condition 

 in yacht racing would be the removal of the America's Cup compe- 

 tition to a class of single-stickers of not over 70ft. l.w.l., with crews 

 berthed and fed aboard, and under certain wholesome restrictions as 

 to construction, cruiBing trim in ordinary races, etc. The steam 

 freighter and boarding house, the fish hook anchor and string cable 

 on the bows, the flimsy racing hatches, and the absence of staunch 

 ground tackle and fittings in an emergency such as that in which Vigi- 

 lant was nearly lost in 1893, have come naturally enough and there is 

 no use now in mourning over them; but it can hardly be denied that 

 the progress from Genesta in 1885, with owner, captain and entire rac- 



ng crew living comfortably aboard day after day through the whole 

 series of postponed races, down to Vigilant, Defender and Valkyrie 

 III., empty shells like an old-time sandbagger and utterly dependent 

 each on her steam tender, denotes that the fin de siecle. decadence is 

 not confined exclusively to music, art and the drama. 



Whatever the destiny of the America's Oup next month, we should 

 like to see a new challenge tendered and accepted not later than the 

 last of October, and an order placed with every prominent designer 

 American and British, for a possible challenger or defender as the 

 case may be of not over 60 to 70ft. waterline; the national representa- 

 tives to be selected by trial races next season off Sandy Hook and 

 about the Isle of Wight. Such a condition of affairs might con- 

 fidently be counted on to produce a fleet of half a dozen boats on each 

 side, leaving a strong fleet to continue the home racing after the chal- 

 lenger was withdrawn for the ocean voyage. All this may be vision- 

 ary in the extreme, and may even shock some who believe in the 

 special consecration of the syndicate 90-fooTer as the only thing good 

 enough for international racing, but we have no fear that it will fail to 

 commend itself to the majority of earnest yachtsmen as something 

 too good to be true. 



Removal of Markboats. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In the recent regatta of the Indian Harbor Y. C, sailed on July 27 

 last, quite an interesting point was raised, a question that I do not 

 recollect ever having come before a committee. 



The course sailed over by some of the classes was from the starting 

 line almost southeast to a buoy placed by the committee near Center 

 Island, turning the same and returning to final line, then over other 

 portions of the course. Shortly after starting the wind, which had 

 come in from southwest, had increased until something like a gale 

 was blowing. When the yachts that had to turn the mark in question 

 reached the place where it should be, they discovered that it had been 

 carried away. The regatta committee, however, anchored the tug 

 used as a committee boat, and raised the signals on her, denoting her 

 to be a mark to turn. 



Several of the boats turned the tug, among them the cabin cat 

 Mary, belonging to Mr. W. E. Elsworth. Mr. Elsworth, with much 

 pluck, sailed the entire course, finishing in good shape. A protest was 

 lodged against Mary on the ground that she did not turn the mark as 

 laid down in the sailing instructions. 



Rule 15 of the Indian Harbor Y. C. reads as follows: "Instructions . 

 —Each yacht entered for a race shall, at the time of entry or as soon 

 after as possible, be supplied with written instructions as to the con- 

 ditions of the race, the course to be sailed, marks, etc. Nothing shall 

 be considered as a mark in the course unlesR specially named in such 

 instructions. * * * The regatta committee shall have power to 

 change the course or amend the instructions on or before the day of 

 the race; provided notice of such change is given to each yacht be- 

 fore the preparatory signal is given." 



Rule 20 reads as follows: "Removal of stake boat.— Should any 

 stake boat, buoy or other mark be absent or missed from its proper 

 position during the race, the question of the necessity of resailing the 

 race shall be decided by the regatta committee." 



In this case, however, the regatta committee made a mark of the 

 committee boat, and several of the contesting yachts, including Mary 

 and the one that lodged the protest, rounded in good faith. 



The question remains, was the committee justified in doing as they 

 did and should the protest be sustained or disallowed? 



I have examined most of the club books and gone over their racing 

 rules, and all of them from the New York Y. C. down are similar to 

 those of the Indian Harbor Y. C. A short preamble heads the New 

 York Y. C. rules, however, as to the decision of the committee being 

 based on the rules so far as they will apply, and as no rules can be 

 framed capable of meeting every incident and accident of sailing, that 

 all attempts to win races by other means than fair sailing shall be 

 discouraged. I do not find such a preamble in any of the books I con- 

 sulted, save the racing rules of the New York Yacht Racing Associa- 

 tion, which has a long article concerning the "management of races" 

 at the head of their rules. 



It strikes me that, in view of the coming races for the Cup, this is 

 rather an important question. In such races it is usual for the com- 

 mittee to give the course to a tug that logs it off, anchors a mark, and 

 then hoists club signal and anchors near the mark. In the event of 

 the mark carrying away before a new one could be placed, and of both 

 Cup contestants, or one of them, rounding the tug, if a protest were 

 lodged against the winner because of the removal of the mark, as in 

 the case referred to, has the regatta committee of the New York Y, 0. 

 power to declare the tug a mark? 



New York, Aug. 7. 



[The question raised by our correspondent is an important one, and 

 so far as we know there is no record of a decision covering it. We 

 should say, in the case of the Indian Harbor race, that the regatta 

 committee acted within its powers in making a mark of the commit- 

 tee boat; and that if, as stated by our correspondent, the protesting 

 yacht suffered no material loss from the change, there could be no 

 ground for protest. Had it appeared that the chances of any yacht 

 were injured by the change of marks, however unavoidable and ne- 

 cessary such change might have been, there might be a ground on the 

 part of such a yacht for a protest. As we understand the case, the 

 regatta committee acted in good faith in availing itself of the only 

 possible remedy for an accident that could not have been foreseen; 

 this action of the committee being understood by the contesting 

 yachts which rounded the mark. Under the circumstances as stated 

 it would be unreasonable and unfair to decide the race off on a purely 

 technical objection. It is quite possible for a case to arise in which 

 one boat may be placed at material advantage or disadvantage by 

 such a change of mark; but it is obviously impossible to guard against 

 all contingencies, and such a provision as that quoted above from the 

 Indian Harbor Y. C. rules seems a wise one, the regatta committee 

 being presumbly qualified to decide as to the best course. No such 

 provision exists in the New York Y. C. rules.] 



The Definite Article. 



The propriety of using the name of a yacht without the definite 

 article prefixed has frequently been questioned in this country there 

 being no . recognized standard of authority. The use of the' name 

 alone, without the article, was severely ridiculed here only a few years 

 ago as an English affectation; but. so far from this being the case the 

 usage of British yachting writers differs, many using the article inva- 

 riably and others not at all. Only a short time since we read a report 

 of a race by a regular yachting writer in which the article was used in 

 one sentence and omitted in the next, at random. 



Under the heading '"The Defender' is Correct," the New York 

 Herald attempts to settle the matter forever in a rather dogmatic 

 manner of its own, as follows: 



"A plea for the definite article is in order. This little word is one of 

 the most potent and significant in the English language, and should be 

 used and honored accordingly. Common sense, euphony and the laws 

 of grammar demand this. 



' 'It is incorrect to speak of the Cup defender as Defender. She is the 

 Defender. There is more in this small monosyllable than appears on 

 the surface. William the Conqueror, William the Silent, Richard the 

 Lion-Heart ed— all such names gam in dignity by this apparently 

 trifling prefix. In like manner, though there are many O'Donoghues 

 there is only one man who has the right to style himself The O'Don- 

 oghue. 



"For valid reasons, then, it is desirable that this forcible little word 

 be used with the names of all vessels and with all other names except 

 such as are distinctly outside its domain. While there may or may 

 not be hidden virtue in words, it is certain that our admirable mother 

 tongue is too often rendered cacophonous by an incorrect use of the 

 definite article." 



So far as the strict laws of grammar are concerned, the Herald is 

 correct, but as to both common senBe and euphony we must differ 

 from it. To the landsman who looks upon a yacht as a mere inani- 

 mate assemblage of wood, metal, canvas and "ropes," it may seem 

 but righj, a> id proper that the strict rules of grammar should be ob- 

 served, a8 tnuch in this case as in speaking of a trolley car or a type- 

 writer. To the yachtsman, however, a yacht is a thing of life— swift, 

 sensitive, lovable and almost possessed of intelligence. Such craft as 

 Volunteer, Vigilant or Britannia have an individuality of their own 

 which the true sailorman has quietly and unostentatiously recognized 

 by the long established custom of naming them without the prefix. 

 No one would question the propriety of this nomenclature as applied 

 to a horse or a dog; we claim that it is quite as appropriate and 

 euphonious in the case of a sailing yacht. In speaking of merchant 

 ships and steam vessels the custom of the sea and the rules of gram- 

 mar are as one; the exception in the case of sailing yachts may cer- 

 tainly be excused as a tribute to their special characteristics. 



So far as the Herald has made any argument in order to apply it to 

 yachts it would be necessary to speak of "Puritan the Defender," 

 "America the Winner," "Genesta the Challenger," etc. With such a 

 construction as this no one would dispute the introduction of the 

 article, but it would lead to an absurdity this year. 



To us a yacht possesses a vitaiity and individuality that is most fit- 

 tingly recognized by giving her a distinctive name of her own; and 



we have no sympathy with those who would destroy or deny this in- 

 dividuality by coupling it to the definite article by using "It" in place 

 of "she" in speaking of her, or by making it necessary to affix a long 

 string of Roman numerals to distinguish her from others of the same 

 name. 



American Y. C. 



MILTON POINT— LONG ISLAND SOUND. 



Saturday, Aug. 10. 



The American Y. C. sailed a special regatta on Aug. 10, the weather 

 being hot and sultry, with barely enough wind to carry the yachts 

 once over the following course: 



From off Milton Point around white spar buoy off Parsonage Point, 

 i% miles, leaving same on starboard band; thence around white spar 

 buoy off Red Springs Point, Hempstead Harbor, 3% miles, leaving 

 same on starboard hand; thence around southwesterly stakeboat off 

 Larehmont flying American Y. O. flag, ?,% miles, leaving same on 

 starboard hand ; thence across finish line off Milton Point, \% miles; 

 total distance, 10% nautical miles. 



The start was made at 12:10, Minerva being handicapped 4m. and 

 Gossoon lm. The 15ft. classes included two new boats —Trilby, built 

 for Com. Tyson by Wood & Son. from a design by Chas. Olmstead, a 

 fin-keel boat of wide beam and Ethelwynn, built by the St. Lawrence 

 River S., O. & S. L. Co., for Mr. C. J. Field from a design by W. P. 

 Stephens. The latter boat was under sail for the second time. She is 

 23ft. over all, 15ft. l.w.l., 6ft. beam and 7in. draft, with a manganese 

 bronze centerboard of 551bs. The rig is the same as Scarecrow, a 

 leg o' mutton mainsail and one jib. The times were: 



50FT. CLASS — CUTTERS. 



Length. Finish. Elapsed. Corrected. 



Minerva 45.63 3 59 25 3 34 25 3 34 25 



Gossoon 3 52 34 3 85 34 3 26 40 



43ft. glass. 



Eurybia 40.08 4 11 38 3 36 38 



36ft. class. 



Vorant II 34.00 4 13 20 3 38 48 3 39 24 



Dragoon 34.00 4 02 46 3 27 46 3 28 37 



Adele 34.00 4 26 36 8 51 13 3 50 54 



Coya 4 47 15 4 12 15 4 12 15 



30ft. class. 



Gavilan 29.97 4 45 32 4 11 09 4 11 38 



Barbara Did not finish. 



25ft. class. 



Needle 25.00 4 31 32 3 57 22 



36PT. CLASS— OPEN SLOOPS. 



Maud 30.95 4 25 43 3 51 03 



25PT. CLASS— OPEN SLOOPS. 



Iola 21.00 5 22 38 4 51 16 



CABIN CATS — 30FT. CLASS. 



Fannie 30.00 Did not finish. 



Mary 28.76 4 18 18 3 43 18 3 43 18 



Molly Bawn 28.00 4 24 01 3 49 01 3 48 07 



Weasel 26,3 4 23 22 3 48 22 3 45 28 



Oconee 26.00 4 58. 37 4 23 37 4 19 04 



CABIN CATS — 25 FT. CLASS. 



Caper 23.97 4 58 20 4 24 51 4 24 47 



Kittle 23.01 4 36 18 4 01 18 3 59 46 



Alice 20.00 5 37 15 5 02 15 4 54 53 



OPEN CATS — 25FT. CLASS. 



Angora 21.16 5 44 04 5 12 01 



OPEN CATS — 20 FT, CLASS. 



Terrapin. 19.98 5 00 11 4 25 11 4 24 32 



lone 19.97 4 36 32 4 01 32 4 01 32 



Willie 19.95 4 58 15 4 23 15 4 23 12 



Zelica 19.90 4 25 03 3 50 03 3 48 05 



Chas. T. Wills 19.6 4 43 01 4 08 01 4 02 19 



Presto 4 42 08 4 01 03 3 53 43 



15ft. class. 



Question 15.00 Did not finish. 



Ethelwynn 15.00 5 01 46 4 26 46 



Trilby 5 15 11 4 40 15 



21 FT. SPECIAL CLASS. 



Houri 21.00 4 54 58 4 14 56 



Vaquero 21.00 4 44 15 4 04 15 



Shrimp 21.00 Did not finish. 



The winners were: Gossoon, Dragoon, Mary, Kittie, Presto, Ethel- 

 wynn and Vaquero. 



Great South Bay Y. C. 



PATCHOGUE — OB EAT SOUTH BAT. 



Saturday, Aug. 10. 

 The seventh annual regatta of the South Bay Y. C. was sailed on 

 Aug. 10, resulting in a very good race. The most interesting of the 

 entries was a new boat very Bimilar to the noted English 1-rater Sor- 

 ceress, built for Mr. John L. Suydam by the St. Lawrence River S., C. 

 & S. L. Co., at Clayton, N. Y., from the designs of Mr. Linton Hope. 

 She is about 20ft. l.w.l., 8ft. beam and 1ft. draft, cat-rigged, with a 

 battened leg o' mutton sail. She has a centerboard trunk in which 

 either of two boards may be used at will, one of i|in. steel weighing 

 about 1251bs., and one of a similar steel plate with lead plates bolted 

 to the sides to. make a weight of 8001bs. In this race she carried a 

 cruising mainsail. The times were: 



SLOOPS— CLASS A. 



Start. Finish. Elapsed. Corrected. 



Bonnie Doon 12 06 20 2 39 07 



Class B not filled. 



CLASS C 



Howaboutit 12 06 21 2 07 46 2 01 25 1 52 57 



Marion 12 07 25 2 05 17 1 57 53 1 54 51 



Jean ....12 06 05 1 42 20 1 36 15 1 36 15 



CATBOATS — CLASS 1. 



Squaw 12 06 38 2 10 57 2 04 19 2 04 19 



CLASS 2. 



Parker 12 12 27 2 30 46 2 18 19 2 15 11 



Unit 12 12 23 2 30 54 2 18 31 2 12 39 



H. W. Beecher ..12 13 15 2 31 32 2 17 07 2 13 36 



Dolphin 12 11 43 2 21 54 2 10 11 2 10 11 



A Good Thing 12 13 58 Did not finish. 



Sybil 12 15 35 2 31 14 2 15 40 



Jupiter 13 15 43 2 30 30 2 15 47 



Beulah 13 13 40 3 24 46 2 11 06 2 06 05 



CLASS 3. 



Shore Acres 12 13 20 1 43 11 1 29 51 1 16 31 



Beatrix 12 15 30 1 56 40 1 41 10 1 40 10 



Zephyr 12 15 00 1 53 37 1 38 37 1 35 13 



Little John 13 13 13 1 50 05 1 36 53 1 36 53 



Lisa 12 12 40 1 47 35 1 34 55 1 33 46 



class 4. 



Eunice 12 13 52 2 02 03 1 49 01 1 43 21 



Cecilia 12 16 00 1 52 35 1 36 35 1 34 54 



Grace 13 16 00 3 03 53 1 47 53 1 44 44 



Outing 12 16 00 1 56 16 1 40 16 1 39 08 



Sharks 12 12 28 1 45 40 1 a3 12 1 35 12 



Nimrod 12 13 55 1 53 20 1 39 25 



West Hampton Country Club. 



WEST HAMPTON, L. I. 



Saturday, Aug. 10. 

 The annual regatta of the West Hampton Country Club was sailed 

 on Aug. 10 in a fresh S.W. breeze, the times being: 



FIBST CLASS. 



Start. Finish. Elapsed. Corrected. 



Madcap 3 05 00 5 42 04 2 23 04 2 37 04 



SybU 3 05 00 5 40 31 2 35 31 2 35 31 



Blue Wing 3 05 00 5 37 00 2 32 00 2 31 38 



Girl 3 08 00 



Thetis 3 08 00 5 07 40 1 59 40 1 59 40 



second class 



Jessie 3 08 00 5 07 40 1 59 40 1 59 40 



Surprise 3 08 00 5 02 41 1 54 41 1 59 21 



Meg 3 08 00 5 07 50 1 59 50 1 59 17 



Julia 3 08 00 



THIRD CLASS. 



Hironda 3 11 00 



Olive.... 3 11 00 5 14 59 2 03 59 2 03 38 



Enigma 3 11 00 5 04 53 1 53 52 1 53 17 



Sunbeam 8 11 00 5 08 56 1 57 46 1 57 46 



Flint 3 11 00 5 35 07 2 24 07 2 19 09 



Gem 3 11 00 5 87 85 2 26 35 2 21 37 



Julia broke her mast at the start and Hironda lost her mast. At the 

 finish of the race the dock, which was crowded with spectators, gave 

 way and threw a number of people into the shallow water, all being 

 rescued with but trifling injuries. 



The American Model Y. C. Trophy. 



Owing to the non-compliance of the Marine Park M. Y. C. to for- 

 ward a proper voucher, as required by the challenged club, and a 

 reasonable time having been allowed for the receipt of the same, the 

 race has been declared off. Great regret is felt by local model yachts- 

 men at this state of things, hut they hope for better results next 

 season. ' * v 



