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FOftEST AND STREAM. 



[Dec 80, im 



W. C. A. EXECUTITE COMMITTEE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: _ ,, _ , .,, . . , . 



The executive committee meeting of the W. C. A. will he held 

 on Jan. 5, 1889. at the Stillman, Cleveland. O. Meeting will be 

 called at 2 P. M. Any memhei-3 wishing to attend the same will 

 please notify the secretary-treasurer of their intention to do so. 

 y ■ ' O. H. Root, Sec.-Treas. W. O. A. 



Cleve land, O., Dec. 14. 



TUCKUPS, DUCKERS AND HIKERS.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: Could you spare space in your paper for a description of 

 the small craft known as tuckups, duekers and hikers I have 

 looked high and low for information respecting these classes of 

 small sailboats, hut can find nothing to enlighten me. I tM|fc.a 

 description of these classes of boats would interest all of your 

 readers who have given attention to the subject of small cruisers, 

 a class of boats that seems to be on the increase in these waters. 

 — F B J [These boats have been described and their merits and 

 demerits discussed at length in the Forest and Stream during 

 the last two years. Our correspouden t, w iUflnrl full inform ati on 

 concerning them in volumes XXV1IL, XXIX. and XXX. The 

 lines of a ducker were published on April 12, 1887, and a tuekup 

 May 3, 1888. 



■KEYSTONE C. C— A meeting of the Keystone C. C. was held 

 on Dee. 7, at which the following officers were elected: Com., 

 George Haag; Vice-Corn., W. Norgrave; Sec'y-Treas., Fred W. 

 Noyes. 



A. C. A. MEMBERSHIP.— Atlantic Division: Jerome W. Simp- 

 son, Theodore S. Oxholin, Edgar Henriques, Yonkers, N. Y. 



A CHALLENGE FROM KATRINA. 



THE best news that American yachtsmen have heard for some 

 time is that the question of supremacy in the most interest- 

 ing -and important racing class is likely to be finally settled next 

 season. In spite of all the talking of last winter, there was not a 

 single race of the many sailed last summer in which the class 

 was well represented in point of numbers, not more than two 

 of the leading four, Bedouin, Shamrock, Titania and Katrina, 

 being in anv one race. Worse still, there have not yet been any 

 final and decisive victories, each of the three in commision the 

 past vear comes out with flying colors, having won about as 

 manv races as any of her rivals, while as Titania was not in com- 

 mission there is a wide scope for conjecture as to what she would 

 have done if she had been. This very unsatisfactory state of 

 affairs, so very like that which exists just now among the various 

 would-be champions of the P. R., who are engaged in deadly 

 newspaper encounters, is likely to be terminated by the action 

 of Katrina's owners in throwing down a challenge to the entire 

 class, as stated in our columns last week. 



After the fall regatta of the New York Y. C, the owners of the 

 Katrina challenged both Bedouin and Shamrock to race at once, 

 hut both challenges were declined. In order to be in time for 

 next season, copies of the following letter were sent nearly a 

 month ago by Mr. A. Gary Smith, representing Messrs. E. D. and 

 H. S. Auchincloss, to the owners of Bedouin, Shamrock and 

 Titania: 



Dear Sir— As there is a diversity of opinion as to the speed of 

 the sloop yachts Shamrock and Katrina, and to insure a satisfac- 

 tory and decisive trial of their respective merits, I am instructed 

 by Messrs. Auchincloss Brothers to arrange with you a series of 

 three races, over the course and under the rules of the New 

 York Yacht Club, for a cup of nominal value, say $150 for each 

 race. The races to take place before the June regatta of the com- 

 ing year, and to be in charge of the regatta committee of the 

 above-named club, and one day to intervene between each race. 

 In case of an accident to either yacht during a race reasonable 

 time to be allowed for repairs before sailing the next race. The 

 expense of a tug to be shared equally between the owners or paid 

 by the loser, as may he agreed upon. Hoping to hear from you 

 at your earliest convenience, I am truly yours, A. Cary Smith 

 (New York, Nov. 23, 1888). 



The challenge is for a series of three races in each case, the 

 full number to be sailed, not the best two out of three. One race 

 is to be over the New York course, one over a triangular course 

 outside Sandy Hook, and one of 19 miles to windward and return, 

 also outside. The challenge thus covers twelve races, if all the 

 challenged yachts accept, and will make a most novel and inter- 

 esting series of matches between crack boats. To be sure some- 

 body must be beaten and some one else must be acknowledged as 

 the victor, and the present roseate state of affairs, in which each 

 can claim to head the class, will be terminated for a time; but 

 though this may not be pleasant to the losers it will be a decided 

 gain to the yachting world to know which is really the best yacht. 

 Already Mr. J. R. Maxwell has accepted on behalf of Shamrock, 

 and Mr. C. Oliver Iselin has been in negotiation with Mr. Smith 

 in regard to Titania. Bedouin has not yet accepted Katrina's 

 challenge. The dates for the Katrina-Shamrock matches have 

 been set for June 3, 5 and 7, 1889. 



This action of Katrina's owners is apt to force the fighting, and 

 will insure lively work in all the races next season, unless these 

 early matches should prove one boat to be considerably faster 

 than any of her rivals. This is hardly likely to be the case, and 

 the probable result will be that with the racing well started in 

 this manner, it will be kept up in the various club regattas that 

 follow. In the face of such a challenge there are only two courses, 

 to race or resign all claims to supremacy, and in either event a 

 conclusive result will be reached as far as the 70ft. class is con- 

 cerned. In the 40ft. class there is the promise of plenty of good 

 racing, and also in the 90ft. schooner class. It would be a matter 

 of gratification to yachtsmen to know that there was a certainty 

 of an international race for the Cup, that the 53ft. class would be 

 revived and that there were prospects of full entries in all the 

 leading classes; but in default of all these they will have to he 

 content with the racing afforded by the three classes mentioned, 

 the schooners, the 70-footers and the 40-footers, and if the present 

 indications are realized there is a lively and entertaining season 

 of racing in store. 



YACHT BUILDING IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



UNDER the third deed of gift the time for challenging for next 

 year has closed, and without the slightest indication of a dis- 

 position to challenge on the part of British yachtsmen. Under 

 the resolution of the club passed this summer to accept a chal- 

 lenge under the second deed of gift, the time by which a chal- 

 lenge must be received is extended to the middle of April, as a six 

 months' notice then would still permit a series of races before 

 Nov. 1. The English and Scotch papers are silent in respect to in- 

 ternational racing, and all the rumors that have appeared of late 

 have originated in America. Some of the daily papers are trying 

 to make out a prospect of a race this year or next from the vague 

 rumors that have been floating around for some time, but without 

 much success, and it now seems very unlikely that the America's 

 Cup will be raced for next year. The reported alterations in 

 Thistle have never been confirmed, and there is no reason to suppo e 

 that anything is being done to her, while so far as we can learn she 

 is still in the possession of the syndicate which built her. As for 

 Mr. Jameson's plans it has been reported that he will build a 90ft. 

 cutter, but this seems very improbable. He is little likely to come 

 after the Cup in any case. He has not taken any steps toward 

 challenging for next year; there would be no sport for so darge a 

 cutter at home, and if he proposes to challenge for the cup he is too 

 shrewd a, yachtsman to give Boston an entire season in which to 

 build a boat to beat him. The racing days of Irex are over, and 

 she is pretty certain to have a successor next year, but the new 

 boat is tar more likely to be of 60 rating than 90ft. There is mors 

 sport tor this class at present than for any other, and Mr. Jame- 

 son is not one to build a cruiser yet. 



There is a certainty of one new yacht of large size, a yawl of 150 

 rating, or about 90ft. l.w.l. The new yacht is designed for cruis- 

 ing and occasional racing, the purpose for which Wendur, now 

 fitting out tor the Mediterranean, is used. As she would be about 

 Wenciur s size, there would be sport for both. At the same time 

 she could be within the limit of 90ft., and so eligible to challenge 

 for the Cup at any time, if changed to cutter rig. There is a prob- 

 ability of several new sixties this winter; in fact one curious 

 craft in that class is already announced, a yacht under 70ft. l.w.l , 

 With lead keel and centerboard, and rigged as a lugger "She will 

 be owned by Mr. F. W. L. Popham, and designed by Mr. wTc 

 Storey, for both cruising and racing. The hull will be diagonal 

 Duut, with double skin. 



.There promises to be some racing this year in the 20 rating 

 thSf&rtl^ 11 * 8 -?^*?? 6 - The new aWreda, with some of 

 «£?Zl b « ats ' Wl H? e m 11 th ? rac ™g' and in the hands of her new 

 Skipper, Gomes, she will give the others plenty of work. There 



03 



3 



will also be a new Watson boat, and two by Fife in the same class 

 and probably a 10 by each of these designers. Mr. Fife is also 

 busy with a 6 rater for Mr. W. G. Jameson, and several smaller 

 boats and open luggers similar to the verv successful boats he 

 turned out fast year in the 17ft. class. 



SYLVIA. 



r pHE little cruiser whose lines are given herewith was designed 

 JL by her owner, Mr. Henry K. Wicksteed, of Port Arthnr, 

 Canada, an amateur sailor and designer, and built by Mr. R. W. 

 Anderson of the same place, another amateur. It was in her 

 that the cruise which appears in the present and preceding num- 

 ber of the Forest and Stream was made. At the time of this 

 cruise she was yawl rigged, as shown in the accompanying sail 

 plan, but since then she has been changed to cutter rig. Her new 

 rig has a bowsprit just long enough to take the forestav, the jib 

 being set on a jibboom, fitted to house. The accommodations are 

 very good and the yacht has proved a very satisfactory cruiser. 

 Her principal dimensions are: 



Length, on deck 25ft. 8in. 



L.W.L 19ft. 8in. 



Beam ; 6ft. 



Draft 3ft. 6in. 



Keel, iron SOOOlbs. 



A CRUISE IN THE SYLVIA. 



IConoluded from page A23.] 



FIVE o'clock, the sun is shining brightly and we lazily roll out 

 of our blankets to breakfast and morning ablutions, and to 

 drink in the fresh morning air and the new scene— new to all of 

 us but the crew, who has been through the canal in a steamboat, 

 and who now assumes the air of a continental guide and cicerone. 

 Just ahead oi us are the great wooden piers forming the be- 

 ginning of the lighthouse. On either hand are low, desolate-look- 

 ing sandhills, one of which is surmounted by the straight while 

 shaft of the lighthouse. The canal was made on the site of an olu 

 Indian portage, connecting a chain of lakes and sluggish streams 

 discharging into the great bay to the south of Keewenaw 

 Point, with the open lake to the north of it; and as complotad 

 converts the point into an island. On this chain of lakes are sit- 

 uated immediately opposite to one another the twin towns of 

 Houghton and Hancock, which in days gone by, and to a oertain 

 extent yet, were the shipping points for the vast output of the 

 Calumet and Hecla and other famous copper mines. And on the 

 great bay to the south is situated Marquette (please pronounce 

 ihis Markwette), which is similarly placed with regard to the 

 iron deposits of Ispeming and that neighborhood. The canal ren- 

 ders it possible for a regular liner to coast from Sault St. Marie 

 to Marquette, then go on to Houghton and Hancock by devijus 

 but sheltered ways, and thence rejoicing out into the main lake 



