July 7, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



823 



THE SCOTCH CUTTER "THISTLE." 



THE RECORD AGAIN. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



After the Puritan-Genesta races of 1885, a correspondent, "C. 

 P. K.," went on record with the assertion that if ever Gala- 

 tea or her type canght Puritan or her type in a gale and a sea, 

 Galatea would make a show of the Puritan centerhoarders. Since 

 then a good deal of evidence on this point has come in, which is 

 worth summarizing: 



1. In a 70-mile beat to windward in a gale of wind and "chalk- 

 pit sea," centerboard Thetis beat cutter Stranger out of sight. 



2. In as strong a whole sail breeze as the boats wanted and an 

 ugly jump of a sea, centerboard schooner Sachem ran away from 

 cutter schooner Miranda in the heavy windward work, and not 

 only was she faster but the drier and more comfortable. 



3. Centerboard Titania, new, with rough bottom and stretching 

 sails, took a 12-mile bout out of cutter Bedouin, crack cf her kind 

 and in fine condition, in a beat in a strong wind and jumping sea, 

 outside Sandy Hook, and easily disposed of her. What Titania at 

 the end of the season, when in condition, might do in a beat to 

 windward with Bedouin can easily be inferred. 



4. Mayflower, with a wind at times reaching SO miles an hour, 

 and a very ugly sea, beat Galatea 13 minutes in 36 miles. Galatea's 

 owner is reported as saying that neither his cutter nor any of her 

 kind has any business with Mayflower in auy weather. 



5. Little centerboard Shadow faced little cutter Shona, crack of 

 her class, at Marblehead. with topmasts housed, and beat the 

 cutter 14 minutes in 24 miles. 



Something has split in C. P. K.'s theory of the "cringle blow 

 and the chalk-pit sea." D. W. Bbows. 



New York, June 24. 



[Our correspondent's assumption of a gale and heavy sea is not 

 justified by the facts in several of the instances quoted, while in 

 the most important ones the yachts have not been reefed, as the 

 expression "cringle blow" indicates. Thetis and Stranger repre- 

 sent opposite extremes in that while the centerboard is notori- 

 ously slow in moderate weather, the cutter has only performed 

 well in the lightest winds and smooth water, being designed and 

 sparred for such work. The mere fact of her being a cutter does 

 not insure the conclusion that she is a heavy weather boat, while 

 her opponent thus far has done nothing unless in the race 

 referred to, being repeatedly beaten by Stranger in light weather. 

 As to Sachem and Miranda, although the latter was beaten in the 

 only race sailed, she was fitted out and manned in a way that 

 showed more valor than discretion on the part of her friends. 

 Whether or no she can beat Sachem in such weather, it is certain 

 that this trial was most unfair to the old boat. Neither the 

 Seawanhaka race of Bedouin and Titania nor the E. Y. C. 

 race between Mayflower and Galatea were sailed under the 

 conditions mentioned by D. W. B., a short steep sea and a reef- 

 ing breeze, but in comparatively long seas and under working 

 topsails. In the last instance mentioned the conditions were 

 more nearly realized, but the evidence all goes to show that in 

 the heaviest weather, at the start, before the reefs were shaken 

 out and in the roughest water inshore, Shona led Shadow, the lat- 

 ter passing her afterward as sea and wind decreased. We do not 

 consider Shona any match for Shadow in size or power, but as 

 proved in the first of this race and again last September, there 



are some conditions under which the smaller boat is the faster. 

 From a racing standpoint it is of little importance what a yacht 

 will do in a ''cringle blow and chalkpit sea," as these conditions 

 are seldom met in racing here, and when they are, as in the Bren- 

 ton's reef race of Genesta and Dauntless and the Seawanhaka C. 

 Y. C. race of '84, when Oriva beat Gracie to windward all 

 other sloops going back, the sloop and compromise are seldom 

 there to try.] 



CUTTER WEATHER. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



As a fitting comment on the recent remarks in your columns of 

 certain sanguine, if illogical, cutter friends, allow me to state that 

 yesterday, at Marblehead, a race was sailed in cutter weather (so 

 called), and that the result, won a decided, unquestionable and 

 easy victory of every sloop over every cutter, and a conclusive 

 showing of the superiority of bilge, beam and centerboard over 

 dead weight, keel, and unnecessary displacement. 



We hear a vast deal of talk about the value of the cutter's keel, 

 but I believe that neither Galatea nor Genesta have any keel 

 worth mentioning. They would probably hang on better if they 

 were provided with at least some substitute for what thev can 

 never beat— namely, the centerboard. 



Some day we will probably learn that the Scotch keel sloop 

 Thistle has a keel, also that her midship section is pretty fairlv 

 copied from that of Mayflower. 



Oh, by the w»y, can fifteen-year-old Shadow beat Shona in a 

 blow and a seaway ? Thomas Clapham. 



Roslyn, L. L, June 24. 



[We must decline to accept Mr. Clapham's term "cutter 

 weather" until it is defined more clearly, as at present it means 

 nothing. The weather of the race was yachting weather of the 

 right sort, nothing less nor more. There was no drifting, but 

 there was as much wind and sea as most racing men care for; cer- 

 tainly not enough to favor Galatea at the expense of Mayflower. 

 The ' unquestionable and easy victory of every sloop" sounds 

 well, but it comes down to the fact that in the great race of the 

 year in Eastern waters one real sloop, and one whose claim to that 

 name rests only on the possession of a board, were all that faced 

 the cutters at the line. It is all very well for these two that went 

 in, but how about the score or more of real sloops that judiciously 

 kept out? It is true that none of the cutters have such marked lead 

 keels as Mr. Clapham puts under his flat-floored sharpies; but 

 Bedouin, Madge, Clara and Oriva have never found any. trouble 

 in leading the way to windward, and the larger cutters have more 

 clearly defined keels than some of these, though, as we have 

 shown, deprived of the full advantages of a proportionate draft to 

 that of the smaller craft. As to Shadow and Shona, it was con- 

 sidered quite a performance once for Shadow to share the honors 

 with ten- tonner Madge, but now five-tonner Shona is expected to 

 sail evenly with her. That she can more than do so in some 

 weathers was shown last September, but it is too much to expect 

 her to make up for the great disparity in size and power except 

 under favorable conditions. However, she suffers just now from 

 entering two races where the chances were against her, from mere 

 love of sport; instead of pursuing the course now in favor with all 



of the old sloops, of saving a beating by having a pressing engage- 

 ment elsewhere on race days. Boston boasts a big fleet of boats of 

 30 to 35ft., but only Shadow seems to be anxious to try powers 

 with the wee cutter they all affect to despise. If Mr. Clapham is 

 right in his theory as to cutters not "hanging on," it may be to 

 his advantage to bring his new weather grip to the notice of the 

 owners of Galatea and Thistle.] 



MONTGOMERY SAILING CLUB, SEVENTH REGATTA, 

 JULY 3.— Courses: Schuylkill River, from Norristown to Indian 

 Creek and return; distance, 5 miles. Weather clear and hot. 

 Wind fresh, southwest. Current 34 mile per hour: 



Length. Start. Finish. Elapsed. Cor'd. 



Priscilla, E. Stanley 15.00 9 00 00 10 29 51 1 29 51 1 38 05 



Flying Eagle, Julius Bernat.15. 00 9 00 00 10 29 37 1 29 37 1 29 04 



E. C. Potts, Parker Bros 15.00 9 00 00 10 36 28 1 36 28 1 34 ±2 



Josephine, E. Sowers 15.00 9 00 00 10 41 48 1 41 48 1 40 40 



Igidious. Wm. Rochell 15.00 9 00 00 10 45 21 1 45 21 1 44 48 



Gracie, E. A. Leopold 12.00 9 00 00 10 54 58 1 54 58 1 45 22 



Little Tycoon, J. Boucot....l6.00 9 00 00 10 46 55 1 46 55 1 46 55 

 Ino, Wm. Sullivan 15.00 9 00 00 10 52 07 1 52 07 1 48 42 



Winner first prize, champion pennant, Priscilla. Protest filed 

 against Flying Eagle for picking up one member of her crew after 

 crossing the line at the start. Judges— A. B. Parker and Samuel 

 H. Pickering. 



Championship regatta, July 4. Course, Norristown to Indian 

 Creek and return, distance 5 miles. Weather clear. Wind fresh, 

 southwest. Current, half mile per hour: 



Length. Start. Finish. Elapsed. Cor'd. 



Gracie, E. A. Leopold 12.00 9 00 00 10 35 43 1 35 43 1 26 07 



Priscilla, E. Stanley 15.00 9 00 00 10 29 26 1 29 26 1 27 40, 



Ino, Wm. Sullivan 15.00 9 00 00 10 32 30 1 32 30 1 29 05 



Little Tycoon, L. Palmer... .16. 00 9 00 00 10 29 32 1 39 32 1 29 32 

 E. C. Potts, Parker Bros. . . .15.00 9 00 00 10 31 45 1 31 45 1 29 5» 

 Igidious, Wm. Rochell 15.00 9 00 00 10 31 38 1 31 38 1 31 05 



The time made in this race is better than has been made in 

 either of the previous seven races held by the club this season.. 

 Winner first prize, championship pennant, Gracie. The Gracie 

 carried 85ft. of sail in main, mizen and jib. Her beam is 84in., and 

 she is fitted with a single weather grip to starboard. The Ino, a 

 ducker, carried 18yds. of sail. The other boats are tuckups, and 

 carried from 27 to 30yds. of sail. Judge, Elwood Wanner. 



TORONTO Y. C. CRUISE TO NIAGARA.— The fleet of the, 

 Toronto Y. C. sailed on July 1 to Fort Niagara, and on Saturday a 

 race was sailed off the latter place. The newly imported cutter 

 Cyprus sailed very well, but mistook a mark and went far out of 

 her course. Aileen finally won, with Cygnet second and Escape 

 third. The fleet included Oriole, Aileen, Cygnet, Cyprus, Rivet, 

 Whistlewing, Condor, Escape, Molly, Yolande, Mafda, Mischief, 

 Tramp, Orient, Guinevere, and the steam yachts Vivid and Rosa- 

 mond. A hop was given in honor of the yachtsmen at night, and 

 on July 3 the fleet sailed home. 



LORNA— NAHLI.— This match was sailed on July 2, ten miles 

 to windward and return, the course being from Sands Point 

 around Fort Schuyler Buoy, two rounds. Nahli parted her throat 

 halliards and withdrew, Lorna sailing one round and taking the 

 race. 



