OCT. 19, 1895. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



345 



IftchBttfj. 



In commenting on the Spruce-Ethelwynn races, the Yachtsman 

 says: "To liken small things to great, Mr. J. A. Brand has been no 

 more fortunate with Spruce IV. than was Valkyrie III. It is to be 

 regretted that the main point of similarity in these two series of 

 international sailing races is that there has been a protest in each 

 case, and in each case has the protest been decided in favor of the 

 defending boat. Mr. Brand's protest against Ethelwynn was on the 

 score of a breach of the sailing rules, and if we are to believe the 

 cabled reports, the manner of settling it was simplicity itself. The 

 sailing committee declined to uphold the protest because the alleged 

 foul sailing was unobserved by them." The Yachtsman should know 

 well by this time that the first cabled reports are in no way worthy of 

 credence; and in justice to a committee that has done everything 

 possible to comply with the wishes of the challenger, might have 

 withheld its ungenerous comments until the facts were known- 

 Mr. Brand's double claim, resting in each case on a matter of distance, 

 as no contact of the boats took place, was supported only by his state" 



portions of length and sail found in practice were as follows: 



^-rating 16ft. l.w.l.X 188sq. ft. sail to 17ft. l.w.l.X r?8sq. ft. sail. 



1 rating 18ft. l.w.l.X 334sq. ft. sail to 20ft. l.w.l.X 300sq ft. sail. 



'Z]/ 2 rating 25ft. l.w.l.X SOOsq. ft. sail to 28ft. l.w.l.X 53Gsq. ft. sail. 



5-rating 28ft. l.w.l. Xl071sq. ft. sail to 33ft. l.w.l.X 909sq. ft. sail. 



10-ratiug 34ft. I.w.l.xl765sq ft sail to 36ft. I.w.l.xl660sq. ft. sail. 



20-rating 45.5 l.w.l.x2637sq. ft. sail to 46.5 l.w.l.x2580sq. ft. sail. 



40-rating 59ft. I.w.l.x4067sq. ft. 



60-rating 64ft. l.w.l. x5625sq. ft. sail to 68ft. l.w.l. X5294sq. ft. sail. 



The new rule is L " + R + f + 5 V * A =Linear Rating. 



"Linear Rating," so called, is the racing length expressed In feet. 

 In this formula: 



L= Length on l.w.l. as now measured. 

 B=Greatest beam wherever found. 



G=Under-water girth of the vessel from l.w.l. to l.w.l., taken at ,6 of 

 the loadwaterline from its fore end and measured along the actual 

 outline of the vertical cross section at that station. If the draft for- 

 ward of that station exceeds the draft at that station, twice such excess 

 to be added to G. In the case of center boards the extreme drop of 

 the board to be multiplied by 1.5 and added to G. In taking these 

 measurements all hollows in the fore and aft under-water profile of 

 the vessel and centerboards to be treated as filled up straight. Bulb 

 or ballasted boards to be measured in the same way as fixed or fin- 

 keels. 



S. A. =Sail area. 



excessive speed at the expense of the other qualities of their boats. 

 The chairman stated that in reply to the circular pent out there 

 were sixty-five replies, thirty-five being in favor of the new rule and 

 thirty in favor of the old rule. Mr. Terrell considered on the whole it 

 would be better to adopt the rew rule, and regretted that it would 

 seem to interfere with vested interests. Mr. Bouse also spoke in favor 

 of the new rule. Mr. E. Fsckard, Jr., remarked that whenever a 

 new rule was passed some one was bound to suffer; but, as one of the 

 oldest members of the Y. R. A., he was jealous of the position which 

 that body occupied, and he was quite sure tl at the efforts of the 

 Y. R. A. in promoting sport had met with the approval of the yacht- 

 ing community at large. This attempt to introduce a rule which 

 should get rid of scnaeold extnme types of larger boats tbey all 

 hoped might be successful in promoting a tetter type of boat than 

 could be produced under the old rule, but he dissented from the views 

 of the last speaker, as to vested interests. He had seen racing on the 

 Clyde, the Solent ard the East Coast, and his experience was that 

 ** boats like the White Rose and the Arlette were admirable cruisers, and 

 could beat the 'skimming dishes 1 as frequently as the latter could 

 beat them. He hoped that the conclusion of that meeting would be 

 to refer the question to the Y. R. A. to carefully consider as to the 

 size of the boats evolved under the new rule, and whether the limit of 

 24ft. was the most desirable one. He hoped that they would fix the 

 limit of the two classes so as to make the size and expense practically 

 about the seme as at present.— Mr. W. P. Burton recommended that 

 a new class of about 35ft, should be established to take the place of 

 the present 0.5-raters. He considered that the new rule quite upset 

 tie existing classes.— Mr. E. T. Packard entirely agreed with Mr. Bur 

 ton's suggestion. He believed he was right in saying that the Y. R 

 A. intended the new 24ft, and 18ft. classes to take the place of 1 rater 

 and 5-raters, but it was clear that the rules applying to those classe 

 would have to be altered for the new rule, since it would be qui 

 impossible for three hands to manage a 24ft. boat, nnd still less cou 

 two hands manage an 18ft. boat. — After a little further discussion, th 

 chairman put it to the meeting whether the new or old rule should b 

 adopted, and, onlv one dissentient, it was decided to adopt the new 

 rule.— Mr. W. P. Burton then proposed, -That the Y. R A. be asked to 

 reconsider the number of hands allowed in the 24ft. and 18ft. classes, 

 and that this meeting suggests the number of four hands in the 24ft. 

 class, aod three hands in the 18ft. class. Further, that a 14ft. or 15ft. 

 class be recognized by the Y. R. A., with a crew limit of two hands.'— 

 Mr. Linton Hope seconded the motion, which was carried by an over- 

 whelming majority — It was further resolved, by eleven votes to four, 

 'To request the Y. R. A. to consider the desirability of appointing a 

 sub-committee to adjudicate and legislate upon the classes of 24 ft 

 rating and under.'— Votes of thanks to the chairman and to the con- 

 vener of the meeting (Mr. E. T. Packard) concluded the proceedings." 



A Measuring Dock for Yachts. 



The measuring dock here illustrated was designed and built for the 

 White Bear Y. C, of St. Paul, Minn., by Harry T. Brake, captain of 

 the club. It is well adapted for the accurate measurement of length 

 in any manner, and especially for the measurement on a line paralle 

 to and at some distance above the water. It is of inexpensive con- 

 struction, and where the tide does not prevent it will be found most 

 useful in clubs having many small yachts. Following are the specifi- 

 cations: 



1. Opening for stem of boat to lie in without interfering with bob- 

 stay or rigging in any way. 



2. Sliding bars that can be adjusted to the point where the cutwater 

 intersects the water, or 2in. above it, as in the White Bear Y. C, or 

 more. 



3. Wooden supports for bars 2-2, which are lowered or raised to the 

 desired position by means of the set screws, 4-4-4-4, which pass 

 through lugs in the pier. 



4. Set screws for raising or lowering the pieces at the bow and the 

 scale 6. 



5. Piece of 4x4 straight timber, the ends of which rest on and are 

 supported by scale 6 and which is moved along on the scale until it 



ment, and was opposed by an equally positive denial on the part of 

 Mr. Ball that Ethelwynn was at any time near enough to interfere 

 with Spruce. The two parties being equally trustworthy and equally 

 competent to judge distance, and their statements differing diametri" 

 cally, it then rested with the protesting party to furnish corroborative 

 proof of his statement. This he could not do, and the protest was 

 then of necessity dismissed. Up to the time of writing the Yachtsman 

 was evidently in ignorance of Mr. Brand's additional protests. 



Apart from the intense animosity displayed in these letters and 

 others of British origin, even worse if possible than that blustering 

 abuse which characterizes some American papers, and which we have 

 repeatedly condemned, most of the British criticisms display a lament- 

 able Ignorance of simple, every-day facts. We have no taste for an 

 international contest in abuse and vituperation, and it would be ab- 

 surd to attempt a sober technical argument with men who assume 

 from the start that the Sandy Hook Lightship is moored inside of 

 New York Harbor; that the Cup races are started with a 10-minute in- 

 terval in which to cross the line, or that Capt. Haff is a Swede or Nor- 

 wegian. 



Yachtsmen may remember a letter which appeared in a leading 

 New York paper immediately after the last Cup race in 1893, in which, 

 over the signature of a yacht owner and a member of the New York 

 Y. C, a number of extraordinary and most untruthful statements 

 were made. The sequel came a week or two later, when the writer of 

 this epistle was declared insane and confined in an asylum. We are 

 reminded of this case by several anonymous letters in the last issue of 

 the Field, in which the violent and abusive tone and many misstate, 

 mente suggest a similar origin. 



An order for a racing 15-f ooter for next year has already been placed 

 with Gardner & Cox by Vice-Corn. T. J. Preston, Jr., of the Passaic 

 River Y. C. The Montreal yachtsmen have taken up the idea eagerly 

 and are already planning a number of new boats. A challenge from 

 Mr. Brand is also a certainty, so there is every prospect of good rac- 

 ing in the class for the coming season. 



We feel that under the circumstances we owe the fullest possible 

 apology to the Yachtsman for attributing to it the blundering and 

 inaccurate "history" of the America's Cup which has recently 

 appeared in the Yachting World. We can only plead in excuse the 

 necessary hurry and worry under which our work was done during 

 the week of the Cup races, and which led to the involuntary substitu 

 tion of one title for the other. 



The New Y. R. A. Ride. 



From this time forth all the British yacht designers wili begin to 

 work under the new rule finally adopted last June, and which we fully 

 described in our issue of June 22. The rule under which the later 

 British yachts have been designed, adopted in 1887, is as follows: 



L. X S.A . 

 6000 



-R. 



The rating of a yacht is obtained by multiplying the length on 

 waterline by the sail area, and dividing the product by the constant 

 number 6000, the result being a measurement in cubical units approx- 

 imating to the old Thames tonnage. In this method of measurement 

 the sail area is calculated from the drawings of the sail plans, such 

 topsails, working, sprit or club, as are carried being included in the 

 measurement. The established rating classes and the varying pro- 



The following classification has been adopted to accompany the 

 rule: 



NEW. OLD. 



(Linear) Rating. Rating under existing rule. 



18ft. rating. 0.5 rating. 



24ft. " - 1.0 " 



30ft. " 2.5 " 



36ft. " 5.0 " 



42ft. " 10.0 " 



52ft. " 20.0 " 



65ft. " 40.0 " 



The question of the practical working of the new rule is a very im " 

 portant one, and only time can tell what the resulting type will be in 

 the various classes. The following from an English local paper, the 

 East Anglican Times, is interesting as showing the opinions of experts 

 in the small classes: 



"A meeting of gentlemen representing the racing interests in the 1- 

 rating and 0.5-rating classes on the Thames, the Crouch, the Orwell 

 and the East Coast was convened at the Great Eastern Hotel, Liver- 

 pool street, London, on Sept. 20, for the purpose of considering the 

 effect of the new Y. R. A. rating rule, and to ascertain the views of 

 the meeting as to the adoption of the old or new rating rule for next 

 season. The chair was taken by Mr. Graham Robinson, and among 

 those present were Mr. Edward Packard, Jr., Mr. E T. Packard (who 

 convened the meeting), Mr. W. P. Burton, Mr A. E Sidgwick, Capt. 

 Eaves, Mr. Sidney Turner, Mr. Frost Smith, Mr. J. F. G. Winser, Mr. 

 Geo. Terrell, Mr. Linton Hope, Mr. H. W. Ridsdale, etc. The chair- 

 man, in opening the proceedings, pointed out that it was not yet fully 

 understood what the effect of the new rule would be, and he himself 

 did not quite follow what it was likely to eventuate in. If the uphold- 

 ers of the new rule could show that it was likely to produce a better 

 type of boat, then that would be a very strong argument in its favor; 

 but if, on the other hand, they could not see that it would do so, it 

 was possible that they would not care for a change, but rather 'bear 

 the ills they had than fly to others they knew not of.' Mr. E. T. Pack- 

 ard formally opened the discussion by calling upon Mr. Linton Hope 

 to deliver an address. Mr. Hope, on rising, said he would do his best 

 to demonstrate what type of boat would probably be evolved under 

 the new rule, but of course he could only speak roughly, as it was im- 

 possible at present to tell how it would turn out. He exhibited to the 

 meeting two designs which he said might be built to come under 

 the new 18ft. class— one a deep-bodied boat, carrying about 320ft. of 

 sail area; and the other of the 'skimming dish' type, with rather 

 less sail. Both were about 18ft. on the waterline. In comparing the 

 two, he said that in ordinary weather the 'skimming dish' would be 

 almost certain to beat the deeper boat, but in very light winds the 

 latter would most probably win. The displacement of the larger boat 

 would be l,9001bs., and the .smaller (the 'skimming dish') about 

 l.OOOlbs. The class of boat which the new rule would hit hardest was 

 the 'fin-bulb,' and in his opinion the 'skimming dish' type was 

 favored. Hence, boats built under the 18ft. class would be about the 

 same size as the present 1-raters. As to the relative cost of the two 

 boats, the deeper boat would be considerably more expensive. Ques- 

 tioned as to how dagger plates would be affected, he replied that they 

 were still possible, but would be much shallower, and consequently 

 wider. When 'housed' they would come up some distance above the 

 deck line. He then exhibited drawings under the 24ft. clasB. Here 

 again he took as examples of the extreme type two boats— one of con- 

 siderable displacement, 21ft. on the waterline with 600f t. of sail, dis- 

 placing three tons, and Thames measurement five tons; and the other, 

 of very little displacement, and carrying rather less sail, with more 

 beam. As in the 18ft. class, he considered that the smaller boat would 

 beat the larger in anything but a very light wind, but the latter would 

 naturally be murh more expensive, and would, perhaps, cost £250. — 

 Mr. H. W. Ridsdale, who followed, thought that the most desirable 

 point of the new rule was that every type would be built. It had 

 been said that the new boats would be much larger than the old, but 

 after all he considered size to mean the value they could get for their 

 money, and under the new rule they would get good value. As to 

 their relative speed, no doubt the 'skimming dish' was capable of 

 greater speed, but not greater average speed. This was exemplified 

 by the races between the Britannia and the Vigilant and Satanita, the 

 two latter having admittedly greater speed, but everyone knew which 

 was really the beat boat. 



"Mr. Frost Smith spoke in support of the new rule. He doubted vei y 

 much whether it would produce boats of such extreme dimensions as 

 Mr. Linton Hope had suggested. He thought by adopting the new 

 rule they would induce a great many more yachtsmen to go in for 

 racing. He mentioned that h6 was present at the meeting of the 

 Y. R. A., when the matter was thoroughly threshed out, and what ap- 

 peared to be the opinion of the meeting was that they did not want 



comes in contact with the boat when properly trimmed, showing her 

 exact length on the water or 2in. or more above, as the rule may re- 

 quire. It is not attached to anything, so that it may be removed 

 when the boat enters the slip; then it may be put on the scale and 

 shoved or slid along until contact is made with the boat, the stem 

 having been placed and held in position at both ends until the length 

 is officially announced. 



6. Scale, one on either side, marked in feet and inches from 16ft. to 

 24ft., there being no boats shorter or longer than that in the club. 



7. Pier supports. 



The measurer has used his discretion in placing the ballast, but an 

 arbitrary rule proposed by Dr. James M. Welch is a good one: Find 

 the length of the boat on the water when light in smooth water, then, 

 make an indelible mark inside of the boat across the floor i )5 abaft the 

 center of the light waterline, then place the required ballast on or as 

 near that mark as possible, then measure the load waterline. 



In practice l 15 abaft the center is near the center of buoyancy of 

 most of the boats. 



The Ends of Up-to-Date Yachting. 



Irving Cox, in New York Sun. 



With the miserable fiasco of the America's Cup races of 1895 fresh in 

 our minds, and with an apparently bona fide notification of a chal- 

 lenge for 1896 in the hands of the New York Yacht Club, I would like 

 to make a few remarks on the present yachting situation. 



There is no doubt that every effort was made to render the Valky- 

 rie-Defender races a brilliant success and a fitting close to an interest- 

 ing racing season. 



That they were not successful was largely due, no doubt, to the 

 mistaken action of Lord Dunraven in withdrawiug Valkyrie. 



Yet, after all, were not the conditions, although equally fair for the 

 American and English boats, in a large measure to blame for the com- 

 plication? Strip the whole question of its mazy conditions and 

 restrictions, and what do we find was the intent in challenging and 

 accepting the challenge for a race between English and American 

 boats? Simply and solely to test the relative speed of the yachts of the 

 two countries, and incidentally to defend and win the America's Cup. 



After nearly a year of the most far-reaching and lucid discussion, 

 after the expenditure of at least half a million dollars, after infinite 

 care in preparation and wonderful skill in designing and building two 

 boats for this purpose, what is the result? The conditions are so 

 manifestly unfair, says Dunraven, that unless your honorable com- 

 mittee will guarantee that no one shall use the Atlantic Ocean until I 

 am entirely through with it, I shall be forced to withdraw Valkyrie 

 and go home. 



There is no need of going over paBt history. We all know that Dun- 

 raven was wrong, and he is probably in a fair way to that conclusion 

 by this time himself. I say, however, that had it not been for the fact 

 that all our late cup races have been— like the Westerner's cure for 

 chills, one grain of quinine in a quart of whisky— one grain of racing 

 in a quart of words, Dunraven would never have dared to quibble out 

 of a race of such importance, trusting to word pictures to hide the 

 fact that he came over here to race and didn't. 



One day could have settled the question, boat against boat and the 

 devil to see fair play in the absence of other referees. But no; the 

 conditions of the deed of gift, or of letter No. 2,1£6, folio 87, prevented 

 it. Now, what we want to do next time is to avoid the sickening mass 

 of conditions, destroying the deed of gift and the America's Cup as 

 well, if necessary, to that end, and have a race— I repeat, have a race; 

 which on reflection must seem reasonable to us all. 



We have reached a very delicate point in sailing yacht architecture 

 and we should walk with open eyes. For the first time in the history 

 of the Cup races the boat built in this country to defend was narrower 

 and deeper than the challenger. Watson made a radical departure in 

 favor of more beam and sail, while Herreshoff took the opposite 

 course and developed a much deeper and narrower boat than Vigilant, 

 the successful defender of two years ago. 



I do not wish to be understood as saying that Herreshoff copied 

 Watson or that Watson copied Herreshoff; in fact, I have no doubt 

 that each reached bis results independently of the other, and as a 

 logical sequence of the behavior of former boats of their own; but 

 still facts are facts. 



Were the spirit of the late Edward Burgess to return to this world 

 and be shown Defender and Valkyrie HI. side by side, he would with- 

 out doubt think Valkyrie HI. was the American representative and 

 Defender the English. 



This truly remarkable Btate of affairs is worth studying, for in these 

 days of exact methods nothing in the make-up of a racing yacht is 

 left to chance, but all is carefully worked out, and the results proved 



