288 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 23, 1889. 



CHANGES IN THE A. C. A. RULES. 



Editor Forest and (Stream: 



In regard to Hie matters under discussion by canoeists which 

 some think require changes, the questions of standing rig and ex- 

 tension sen t, seem to be ihe most prominent. I shall be very sorry 

 to see the standing rig abolished, always believing that in the 

 long run the hois'ing reefing rig will prove superior, though the 

 standing rig ma v be a trifle faster to windward on account, of its 

 lightness and simpbeity. It seems as though a man should have 

 the right, to use any form of sail lie pleases, especially when, as in 

 tne case of the standing rig, tne sail is so easily designed, made to 

 set well, and costs so little comparatively. It is true it is called a 

 more dangerous sail, but a canoeist who regards an upset as dan- 

 gerous should b;: careful about sailing at all. 



The exsention seat has receive d rather more adverse criticism 

 thao it deserves, and almost wholly from those who have never 

 given it a fair trial. At the Lake George meet last vear the only 

 slidiug seats were those used by the Lowell men. and I have seen 

 hut one used by any others It seems hardly fair to condemn the 

 use of an appliance which is devoutly believed in by those who 

 use it and whoso advantages are 1-0 little known in general. The 

 great complaint is that it adds to the effective i earn of the boat, 

 the fact is the additional amount of sail it enables one to carry is 

 very small, if aay, being less in proportion for a light or weak 

 man than for a heavy one. 



Tne largest sails of last year were by no means those, carried by 

 the owners of extension seats. 



The canvas a man can handle depends on his ability to carrv it 

 before the wind, whtn the extension seat is of no advantage. 'By 

 the wind, with any seat, much more sail is often carried (or 

 rather lugged) than is of any benefit. 



The great advantage of the slioiug seat is the easy and com- 

 fortable position it admits of, to say nothiug of the fact of being 

 so much higher the crew aie less liable loa wetting than when oh 

 deck. The we yht being supported in a natural petition, the legs 

 are less erarap' d and the muscles of the whole bodv less strained 

 than when trving to hang out to windward with the 1 ead in the 

 water or sitting in it. If a race were long enough a man with a 

 sliding seat, other things heing equal, would win through the 

 exhaustion of his opponent. Beyona all this, there is as much 

 difference in the pleasure of sailing between the use of the exten- 

 sion seat and the deck seat as there was between the deck seat 

 and tne old method of sitting on the floor of the canoe. 



I cannot believe that any man who will give the seat a fair trial, 

 especially when he feels the canoe work under him in rough 

 water, as though on springs, will ever give it up unless compelled 

 to. , , , Paul Butler. 



Lowell, Mass., Apr il 13. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Permit me to point out a possible interpretation of the amend- 

 ments suggested in the sailiug regulations, which mav lessen their 

 effect: 



The amendment to Rule 1 would still allow a canoe, whose beam 

 was not of the full limit, to use a slidiug seat exi ending up to the 

 limit. Is this the intention oi the committee? It re taioly is uot 

 in accord with the report which declares that these things ''should 

 not l-e retained." 



The amendment to Rule 14 will, if left in its present form, be the 

 subject of much contention. The standing rigs can be effectively 

 and readily raised and lowered when afloat, according to the 

 opm on of some of those who use them. 



At Lake George Jabherwock, even after capsiziug in a squall 

 managed to raise his rig and go on with the race. Perhaps this 

 was not done readily, but we nave seen L icowsic take down and 

 stow, and take out and reset her sails in a way which the owner 

 could certainly c aim wis icadily done. 



Is not this sufficient to show that while the intention and pur- 

 pose of these amendments are good, yet the proposed wording of 

 tliem is not sufficiently clear and definite. It is a declar ttimi of 

 principles rather than a strict set ot rules. R. W. Gibson. 



A. U. A. REGATTA COMMITTEE. — We have received the pro- 

 gramme for the races of tne meet, which will appear next week. 



^tiffing. 



VALKYRIE'S CHALLENGE. 



THE following letter has been sent to Lord Dun raven on behalf 

 of the Cup Commit' c of the New York Y. C: 

 New York. April 15, 18S9.— My Lord: The secretary of the New 

 York V. O. has alreaoy advised you of the appointment bv that 

 club of a committee, of which 1 am chairman, for the purpose of 

 "conducting negotiipons with the owner of the Valicvrie, rep- 

 resenting tue R yal Yacht Squadron, for the challenge for the 

 America Cup, with power to airaage all preliminaries and the 

 details of the races to be sailed, aud to take charge of all matters 

 pertaining tberetJ." 



The committee beg me to acknowledge receipt of your letter 

 and to state they have much pleasure as requested iu'conimum- 

 cating with you directly regarding the details of the proposed 

 mate.i, but before entering upon the subject, and with reference 

 to the second part of your letter, they desire to point out. lest 

 there should be any misapprehension on your part, that the classi- 

 fication of yachts under the racing rules ot the New York Y. C. 

 does not '-aprlv to races for any challenge cup held by or belong- 

 ing to the cluo." (Vide Racing Utile L). 



'the enmmittee are ut the opinion that three races are ample to 

 test the respective merits of the competing yachts, hut if yj u pre- 

 fer chat the match shail be for five race* they will concede this 

 p-.int. subject to the conditions given belowin the clause referring 

 to courses. 



In view of the fact Sept. 80 falls on Monday, which for many 

 reasons is an inconvenient clay, the committee would suggest that 

 the races, be sailed on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Thursday, Oct. 3 and Satur- 

 day, Oct. 5, and should you adhere to your desire to have five 

 races, then that the other two shall be sailed on Tuesdav, Oct. 8 

 and Thursday. Oct. 10, respectively, nut in all cases one week dav 

 to intervene between a completed rate and the next one. The 

 committee would be quite willing to change these dates slightly 

 to suit your convenience. 



"While not admitting that the inside course is not of itself a per- 

 fectly lair test of the lacing vessels, the committee are willing to 

 accede to your request that the races shall take place over outside 

 courses, starting either from the Scotland or Sanny Hook Light- 

 ship. In view of the fact that the windward work is universally 

 admitted to be the best test of a sailing vessel the committee pro- 

 pose the following courses: 



First Race— To windward or leeward and return. 



Second Race— Equilateral triangle, one side (the first if possible) 

 to windward. 



Third Race— To windward or leeward and return. 



Should you elect to have five races, then 



Fourth Race— To be equilateral triangle as in case of second 

 race. 



Fifth Race— To windward or leeward and return. 



From experience, i he ccmmittee believe that it would be desira- 

 ble to shorten ihe courses, and suggest that the windward races, 

 at a 1 events, should not exceed thirty nautical miles, but are 

 wiUing to accept a course of lorty nautical miles if you insist. At 

 the ume of year heretofore selected for these races by the chal- 

 lengers tne winds are so uncertain that a shoiter race may fre- 

 quently be e ailed off in the specified time when it would be im- 

 possible, owing fo the falling wind, to finish a longer one. 



The committee agree that the race (over a for ly-mile course) 

 shall be maae in seven hours; should it be decided to shorten the 

 course, the time to be rtduced proportionately. Your letter reads 

 six hours, which, it is atsumed, is a clerical error, seven hours 

 haviLg been i Le limit oi the (ienesta. Galatea at,d Thistle raceB. 



Ihe ,-cn mittce iegn t that they cannot accede to your sugges- 

 tion that the basis tor time allowance shall be the mean between 

 your aiiow anees anu those of the New York Y. C.: but they accept 

 the alternative you suggtst— viz., that tne New York Yacht rule 

 shall govern. 



From the nature of the races which the committee propose you 

 will see that your suggestions m regard to making out courses 

 would be impracticable; at the same ume the committee beg me 

 to assure you that they will be most ready to adopt anything you 

 may suggest which would, in their judgment, prevent either boat 

 getting an unfair advantage over the other. Tney think, however, 

 that these matters had httter be dealt with after vour arrival in 

 this country. 



For the reasons given in the clause relating to length of courses, 

 the time of starting must absolutely be left to the discre tion of 

 the Regatta Committee of tee New York Y. C, who will have 

 Charge of the races. It is tibeless starting a race in a calm or 

 even in a very light air, when by waiting a short time there is a 

 chance ot a breeze coming up which would enable the yachts to 

 complete tue ccuise within the given time. It is, of course, under- 

 stood tnat snould there, iu the judgment of tne Regatta Com- 

 mittee, be wind enough or likely to be wind enough to make the 

 course at the time fixed for starting the race, a start shall be 

 made, but under no circumstances frhall a iace be started in a fog. 



The committee agree that (he clause with regard to accidents, 

 adopted in the case of the Volunteer aud Thistle races, shall be 

 . i }°^ p P l I ,0 tLe Valk 5 , ie - Tlje >' desire to draw your atten- 

 tion to the latter port'on of 1 he clause alluded to. which provides 

 that no race shall be sailed after the close of the yachting sea- 

 son as prescribed by the club rules"— namely 1st November. 



The committee be ieve that all essential njints are covered by 

 this communication, but. should you have anything further to 

 suggest, they will give the matter their immedia te attention. 

 Minor details, of course, had better be left lor settlement till 

 your arrival m this country, it being understood that such por- 

 tions of the by-laws and racing rules of tbe New York Yacht 

 Cluh as apply shall be tne basis of settlement, and that generally 

 speaking the precedents of the three preceding contests lor the 

 C up shall be billowed. For your guidance 1 send vou a club book 

 ror la«t year. There may be one or two minor changes in this 

 year s book, which is not yet published, but nothing that w iU in 

 any wav affect this match. 



The committee also asked mo to place their services at vour 

 command, and to say that it will give them much pleasure to'give 

 you any information you may need or to take charge of any 

 matters requiring attention before or after the arrival of Val- 

 fy.rie, and they trust you will uot hesitate to avail yourself of 

 this offer. 



I remain, my Lord, very sincerely yours, 

 „ T) . k r_ tLt , James D. Smith, Chairman. 



To the Right Honorable, the Earl of Dunraven, K. P., No. 20 St 

 ^ James Square, London. 



PODGERS AND THE DREAM. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I saw in a recent number of Forest and Sirkam a notice of 

 the capsizing of the sloop yacht Dream in Jekyl Creek, in which 

 it is particularly stated that she was a centerboard yacht. Now 

 I am not going to let you have the doubt in your mind presum- 

 ably whether that centerboard was not in some way responsible 

 for the catastrophe, and whether had she been a keel boat it would 

 have happened. 



The facts are simply, that the owner was not aboard. He had 

 hired aeouule ot" irresponsible nun to bring the yacht from below 

 to Krunswick, and to while away the monotony of the trip, thev 

 bad recourse to a beverage that not only cheers, but doe's 

 inebriate. In plain English, they got very drunk, and ran the 

 yacht out of the channel on to the edge of the c t iust made by 

 the Government dredger, where they stuck; and when the tide 

 fell the bout fell over on to her beam ends into the deeper water 

 of tbe channel and filled. That was all there was about it. If 

 she bad been a keel boat or any oilier kind it would have been all 

 the same. So just chalk off from your score of centerboards this 

 case as another "lamentable example." 



The centerboards generally stand up well enough for them- 

 selves, but occasionally, as in this case, need some one to state 

 facts. There is no kind of a boat I ever saw that could stand a 

 heavy pressure of old rye, and especially the kind they have down 

 in Georgia, and when the man at tne wheel gets about four 

 fiugers of it into him he is capable of capsizing the Eiffel Tower. 



The yacht referred to, the Bream, was pumped out, raised and 

 taken up to town, and when washed up seemed none the wor^o 

 for ber mud bath. 



I grant you this would never have happened to a cutter for the 

 reason she never could have got into tne creek. There is only 

 ahout 13ft. at high water. It is one of the pleasures of owning ii 

 cutter that you never can get anywhere with them, aud conse- 

 quently are never there to have anything happen to v u, a merit, 

 by the way, that Forest and Stream hasoinirted to mention. 

 The Lard knows they need all the virtues you can rake up iu their 

 favor. Bv the way, what is the market quotation per dozen for 

 them now? any more than it was? Hardly possible I imagine. 



„ . . PODGERS. 



Jekyl Island Cluh. Brunswick, Ga., April 6. 



[Perhaps our friend "Podgers" can tell us all about this one, too: 

 "Ur. Gilbert E. Palen's era -k yacht Ariel capsized off Sinners' 

 Point, N. J., Weduesday afternoon, and those on board narrowly 

 escaped drowning. The yacht was in charge of Captain John 

 Morris, of Somers' Point, and he, in company with Lucian Cox, of 

 Ocean City, waB bringing Porter C. Atwood, of 1944 North 

 Eleventh street, around from May's Landing to Sorner's Point 

 where he was to catch the train for Philadelphia. When off 

 Somers 1 Point a squab struck the yacht and she went over before 

 those on board could get the sails trimmed. Mr. Atwood clung 

 to the side of the vessel, but the others were thrown into the 

 water. Fortunately the accident was seen by some men on a 

 fishing schooner that was at anchor near by. A yawl was put out 

 and all hands were picked up and taken to Someis' Point. Mr. 

 Atwood reached home Wednesday night and snid that tho Ariel 

 was rignted and taken back to May's Landing."] 



LAKE ONTARIO. 



AS one of the older contributors to the yachting department of 

 the Forest and Stream, i a-k the privilege of expressing my 

 borrow at the untimely fate of the gentleman who, as editor of 

 that department, placed your journal at the head of all the pub- 

 lications in America devoted in whole or in part to vachiing. 

 Your appreciative notice of his career leaves out one point un- 

 touched, and that was bis friendly regard fo- the contributors to 

 his dep .rtment, as evidenced in my case at least, by many per- 

 sonal communications of a most pleasing character, and by the 

 gift of a pair of handsome oleographs taken tram Mr. Gary Siri fch'fl 

 spirited pictures of the Mischie^-Atalanta cup laces. The sight 

 of these works of art will hereafter cause me 10 mingle with deep 

 regret for the mournful fate of the donor a feeling of pleasure 

 that I was thought worthy by such a man of a lasting token of 

 his friendship. 



All our yachts are st : ll iu winter quarters, from which they wil 

 not be removed for some weeks to come, as tho ice has not all 

 gone lrom our inland waters. 



The only one of tho fleet that has had any work done on her as yet 

 is Mr. Ellis B. Burnell's Aigo (formerly the Peerless), which nas 

 been thoroughly overhauled and strengthened, and will have a 

 new suit of sails. She is a third class boat, but it is not. probable 

 that she will do much, if any. racing. 



The Iolanthe will be given a new suit of sails, and in light 

 weather the Merle will find her even faster than before. If these 

 yachts make the entire ci-cuit of the L. Y. K. A. matcues it will 

 be quite interesting to note the result. 



Speaking of the L. Y. R. A., it may not be out of place to suggest 

 that they adopt the system of classification by corrected, instead 

 of waterline, length. Otherwise the result may prove highly un- 

 satisfactory. 



The Murray Canal, which connects the waters of the Bay of 

 Quinte with those of Lake Ontario, has been opened informally, 

 and will be formally opened on Dominion Day. It will be of great 

 benefit to yachtsmen wishing to visit Belleville, as it cuts off 

 ah ut 100 miles of the most dangerous portion of Lake Ontario, 

 and shortens the distance between Toronto and other parts west 

 of the canal and Belleville by upward of same distance. 



Port Tack. 



Belleville, Ont., April 10, 



A NEW INTERNATIONAL CUP. 



FOR some time past a plan for establishing another inter- 

 national cup has boon under consideiation in Boston, and 

 overtures for a series of races between Valkyrie and her Ameri- 

 can classmates have been made through J. BeavorWebb to Lord 

 Dunraven. As a -result the following circular has been issued 

 by the Eastern Y. C: 



"A challenge cup for international matches between yachts 

 not exceeding 70ft. waterline measurement has been offered to 

 the Eastern Y. G. by one of its memhers. At the meeting held 

 to-day the council of the club, holding the opinion that the 

 America Cup represents the championship of the world, to be 

 raced for by the fastest yachts within tne prescribed limits, 

 voted to accept the offer, and now announces that a match of 

 one or mote races will he sailed for the above International 

 Challenge Cup after the races for the America Cup. Previous 

 to the offer of the cup assurance was obtained that the Valkyrie 

 would compete for it. Further particulars will be duly pub- 

 lished. By order of the counci.'.— Edward Burgess, Secretary. 

 Secretary's office, 50 Sta e street, Boston, April 17. 1889." 



As far as the Eastern Y. C. is concerned, such a course is 

 perfectly right and proper, Bostou yachtsmen have paid the bills 

 lor defending the Cup long enough, and if they want races of 

 their own no one can blame them. At the same time, taking tbe 

 proposal to establish a new cup in connection with the action of 

 the New York Y. C. in regard to the America's Cup, it would be 

 interesting to know what right any persons have to set aside the 

 America's Cup lrom tie purpose for which it was first given, the 

 encouragement of j acht racing in craft from 30 to 300 tons, and to 

 dedicate it practically to one size of yacht, suiplantirg it by 

 another cup in the class which must be the popular one here for 

 some time to come. The 90ft. class is now dead as far as interest 

 and competition go, and on the other hand ti e 70ft. class was 

 never as prosperous as it is to-day. The best use the America's 

 Cup could be put to would be to building up the 70ft. cla&s. 



MONTGOMERY SAILING CLUB. 



THE recent election of officers resulted as follows: Com., Levi 

 G. Palmer; Vice-Corn., Geo. Ritter: Sec.-Treas.. E. A. Leo- 

 pold. 



It, was decided to bold races semi-monthly, commencing in the 

 middle ot April and closing ihe last week in September. 13 races 

 in all. A suver cup will be awarded to the boat securing the 

 greatest, number of points in the 13 races. Skiffs, canoe?, duckers 

 and tuckups will i a/ e together in one class, as has been done dur- 

 ing the past two seasons. In former years the owners of tuckups 

 have done considerable kicning on account of being handicapped 

 in competition with smaller craft. This year not a single objection 

 has been made by any tuckup man against sailing iu I be same 

 class with duckers and canoes, and being handicapped lOminutes 

 for the B-mile course. With a fresh breeze and one-half the woik 

 to windward, the tuckup will almost certainly win: but with a 

 beam wind, the canoe, small skiff or docker stands a very good 

 sh.)w of getting there first. As the latter conditions seldom pre- 

 vail on the course, the tuckups are supposed to have the best of 

 it, taking a whole season's races into consideration. 



77 Main Street, Norristown. Pa. E. A. Leopold, Sec. 



First regatta, April 14; course, Norristown to Indian Creek and 

 return; distance, 5 miles; wind, fresh, northerly: 



Length. Start. Finish. Corrected 



Volunteer, tuckup 15. U0 1 40 00 2 59 50 1 19 50 



J. K Frith, tuckup 15.00 1 40 00 2 59 59 1 YJ 59 



Playford, tuckup 15.00 1 40 03 3 00 00 1 20 00 



Prisciila, tuckup 15.00 1 40 00 3 00 02 I 20 02 



J. A. Lever, tuckup 15.00 1 40 00 3 00 07 1 20 07 



Pennsylvania, hiker 16.00 1 40 20 3 00 12 1 20 12 



Starlight, canoe 16.00 1 34 40 3 00 14 1 23 14 



Iola, ducker 15,03 1 30 00 3 01 53 I 24 53 



Fl\ing Eagle, tuckup 1?.00 1 4C 00 3 10 30 1 30 3) 



Igirlious, tuckup 15.03 1 40 09 3 12 57 1 32 57 



Oracle, ikiff 12.03 1 33 03 - 3 14 35 1 34 35 



Stranger, sharpie 15.00 1 40 00 3 30 00 1 50 CO 



Cocktail, tuckup. . 15.00 1 40 00 Withdrew. 



Volunteer was sailed bv Vice-Corn. Oeo. Ritter, owner of the 

 canoe Sadie. The tuckups carry 1152ft. of sail, the duckers 110ft.; 

 the sharpie carried 110ft. in this race, but will carrv 162ft. during 

 ihe balance of the season. The Starlight earned' 108ft. and the 

 Gracie 73tt. Judge, Wm. Alcorn. 



GEN. PAINE'S POSITION. 



THE Field, in discussing the probable action of the New York 

 Y. C, says: 



•'On the other hand we are informed that an entirely different 

 view is taken by some Amerin in yaehtsmtn, and among them, 

 we believe, by Gen. Paine. They argue, we are told: 



'That it would be unsportsmanlike to sail an 85ft. boat against 

 a 70-footer. No represeiita' ions, however eloquent, can convince 

 them that they are wrong on this point. Thej contend that first- 

 class sloops and third-class sloops are never sa ; led against each 

 other in this country, and they ask why foreigners should not be 

 entitled to the same privileges which are accorded to American 

 yachtsmen. Of what value is the Cup, they ask, if it cannot be 

 held against any class of yacht provided for by the deed of gift, 

 under which Lord Dunraven challenges? The honor of the New 

 York Y. C, they declare, is far above the possession of the trophy, 

 and they even go so far as to proclaim that if the Valkvne is 

 beaten by the Volunteer the English will carry off all the'honor 

 of the contest. English yachtsmen will always have it against 

 the New York Y. C. that it was afraid to meet Valkyrie with a 

 vessel of about the same size.' 



"It seems to us that many of the New York yachtsmen are too 

 much afraid of giving themselves away in selecting a defender of 

 the Oup; but it is at least satisfactory to learn that some of them 

 are men of the world enough to regard the affair a* true sports- 

 men. In other words, tin if instincts lead them to be iuflu need 

 as much by the love of fair play as by the desire to defeat the 

 British yacht and retain the Cup." 



The Field is wrong in its assumption. Gen. Paine believes in 

 keeping the America's Cup by means of the largest available 

 yacht a .d an unfair taole of allowances. 



TIME ALLOWANCE IN THE CUP RACES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Wishing to thoroughly understand the subject, I take the 

 liberty OX applying at headquarters for information regarding 

 the coming race for the America's Cup. Seeing by the dally 

 papers that there was considerable difference of opinion as to 

 whether we should meet the Valkyrie with a 90ft. boat or with 

 one about her own le ngth, viz., 70it., I became quite interested, 

 aud have been questioning my friends A and B, who each profess 

 to know it all. 



A explains as fo lows: "You see in yacht racing it is customary 

 for the larger boat to allow tbe smaller one a certain amount of 

 time, a handicap, so to speak, wnich allowance is so justly and 

 satisfactorily computed that it sheds a benign and equalizing in- 

 fluence on all, like unto the milleniurn, 'When the wolf also 

 shall dwell with the lamb, etc.'" This sounded all right, but 

 B, whom I next consulted, says the trouble is, this race has 

 got to be sailed next fall, and he don't expect the milleniurn 

 before Christmas. Under the present conditions the wolf gener- 

 ally dwells outside and all around the lamb, and in spite of the 

 ail-saving time allowance of the N. Y. Y. <1. ,'the large boat usu- 

 ally gets away with the small one. In support of this statement 

 he informs me, that, out of some 15 or 16 boats buip this year to 

 race in the 38-40ft. class, not one measures less than 39ft. 6in., and 

 each owuer is trying to out-do the other in rig. 



Am I to infer from this that time allowance occupies the same 

 eoualiz ng influence in yacht r icing as_did the buzzard iu the 

 division of the day's spoils, "White mm take turkey an 1 Indian 

 take, buzzard, or to be perfectly fair and sportsmanlike, the In lian 

 can have the buzzard and white man will take the turkey." New 

 will the metnheis of the N. Y. Y. C. (who so thoroughly appreciates 

 the "buzzard" time allowance that, not one of them would think 

 of building a racer even 2ft. under the class limit) ask Lord Dun- 

 raven to accept time allowance to the extent of from 18 to 20ft.? 

 Perhaps ,/hey can convince him that the arrangement is perfectly 

 fair "because it is such a big buzzard." X. 



P. S.— Do the N. Y. Y. C. race their 70ft. boats against the Purl- 

 tan, Mavfi >wer and Volunteer ? Have they a separate 70ft. class? 

 If i .o, way ? X. 



New York, April 15. 



LAPSTRA KE OR CARVEL BUILD.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Can any of your readers tell me of a cement or adhesive material 

 better than white lead in oil for a f taohing a triangular piece of 

 wood to the lands or streaks of a clinker-built boat, m ord- r to 

 approximate a smooth-built lapstrake. The boat rs a small jih 

 and mainsail, abjut 15 to 16ft. wattrliue. 1 find that in l;gnt 

 winds the resistance of the strakes against the w f ater retards her 

 speed, or seems to, but in a strong breeze she goes about as well 

 as most boats of her length. The edges of her strakes are not 

 rounded. 1 would also like to ask among these who have had ex- 

 perience if the resistance spoken of is not more apoa,rent than 

 real, would like, in fact, to invite an expression of their opinion. — 

 Richmond. 



LAUNCH OF THE MERLIN— On April 20 Col. W. H. Forhes'a 

 new schooner Merlin was successfully launched at Lawley'syard, 

 Som u Boston, a large number of spectators being present." The 

 Merlin is a modern centerboard schooner of tne same class as 

 Sachem, Gra\ling and Sea Fox. her dimensions being 112ft. over 

 all, 89ft. Bin. l.w.l., 23it. 9in. beam, 9ft. 3in. draft. The board is of 

 tne usual construction, the trunk extending up to the deck. In 

 model tne new yacht is an improvement on Sachem, and she Is 

 likely to prove faster and handsomer. She has a clipper stem, a 

 long overhang, and a moderately T high bulwark, and altogether is 

 a \ ery handsome craft above water. Her topsides are painted 

 white. 



LAUNCH OF THE ELFRIDA.— A decided novelty in the way 

 of launches was that ot tbe Elfrida, steam yacht, built for Dr. W. 

 S. Webb, by Harlan & Hoi lings worth, of Wilmington, and 

 launched by moonlight on the nignt of April 13. She is built of 

 steel, 112ft. over all, 18ft. beam, and 12ft. 6m. hold, with triple ex- 

 pansion engines and Hazleton boiler. In order to permit or pass- 

 age through the canals to Lake Champlain, where she will be 

 mostly used, ttie overhang at each end is made detachable, so as 

 to be laid on deck. The yacht is flush decked with a bridge. 



VERENA.— On April 16 tbe new Burgess cutter, Verena, built 

 by Lawley for J. A. Beebe rf Boston, was successfully launched 

 at South Boston. She is a centerboard boaL, but with outside 

 lead keel, aud differs but little, save in draft, from tne other 

 forties. Her dimensions are: 56ft. over all. 39ft. 8in. l.w.l., 14ft. 

 5m. beam and Oft. draft. She has a clipper stem and long over- 

 hang, and ber topsides are white. Below she has very good ac- 

 commodation under a cabin house. 



