16 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[July 25, 1889. 



MINERVA. 



TH E leading feature of this season's racing is the new 40ft. class, 

 and among the large fleet of new racers that adorn it the 

 little Scotch cutter Minerva is certainly the most prominent thus 

 far. The fleet itself, mcludiug twenty yachts of the same length, 

 none of them over three years old, and all built for speed, has 

 never been equalled iu the past history of yachting, and while as 

 yet the racing has not been as hot as it should be, and some 

 of the boats have failed to enter more than once or twice, it is far 

 more instructive and conclusive thau iu any class in the past. It 

 is too toon yet to pick out the ultimate winner, but it is easy to 

 see that Minerva stands a very good chance for first place at the 

 end of the season, aDd tuat the boat which will beat her must 

 begin very soon and sail very fast. Whether or no she proves in 

 the end to he the fastest of the fleet, she is a most remarkable 

 craft, and well deserving of careful study by all who are in- 

 terested in the improvement of our yachts. 



Two points about her are worthy of special notice; she repre- 

 sents < he first serious attempt by a skilled designer to build a fast 

 boat with a model-ate sail area under American rules; and also 

 she is in every respect an honest, strong and safe vessel, no sacri- 

 fice of strength being made for the sake of a gain in lightness. 

 There have been many yachts in the past on this side of the water 

 with small sail-, and on the other side the narrow cutters have 

 carried rigs of very modest proportions, but the whole tendency 

 of American designers has been toward larger rigs and more 

 powerful models, the winning boats of one year being simply 

 larger on the same measurement than those of the preceding 

 year. This is p'ainly bhown thiB year in such craft as Maraquita, 

 Tomahawk and Chispa compared with Baboon and Xara of last 

 stason; to say uothing of Liris, a still more extreme craft. With 

 the same problem before him as that at which Messrs. Burgess 

 and Gardner were working, Mr. Fife has sought a very different 

 solution, and it would seem thus far with complete success. In 

 place of great beam, 13 to 15ft., he has taken a moderate amount, 

 10ft. 6iu.; on the same extreme draft, a little over 9ft., he has ar- 

 ranged his lateral plane in a different form; above the water he 

 Las been content with a moderate freeboard of about 2«in.; and in 

 place if 3,100 to 8 000ft. of sail he has taken but 2,700lt. Assuming 

 that the narrow boats of six or seven beams to length were bad. it 

 has been the fashion of Americans to jump to the general ron- 

 clusion that to be fast a yacht must be very wide, at least SJ4 

 beams, and any one who has dared to insinuate that the new 

 yachts, from Volunteer to Nymph and Verena, were too beamy, 

 has been scoffed at as a "cutter crank." 



As we have repeatedly pointed out, there is a very wide dif- 

 ference between the 15ft. beam of Galatea and the 33ft. 3in. of 

 Volunteer: the 17ft. of Fanita and the 7ft. 2in. of Ulidia; and the 

 13tt. Bin, to lift Sin. of the new Burgess forties compared with a 

 narrow cutter of the same length. At the time when the close 

 matches between the very narrow cutter Clara and the wide 

 Cinderella were attracting so much attention (in December, 1886) 

 we puolished a very haudsorne design by Mr. Will Fife of a 

 moderate Clara, built to race under the New York and uot the 

 old tonnage rule, and with lift. 4in. beam in place of the 9ft. lin. 

 of Clara. There can be no doubt that such a yacht would be 

 very successful here as a racer, to say nothing of her space, ac- 

 commodation and economy of running, the sail area being about 

 that of Maraquita or Tomahawk, though she would be 13ft. lon- 

 gei; but none of our acute yachtsmen or designers took the hint, 

 it was left for Mr. Fife himself to put the principles of the design 

 in wood two years later. How successfully he has done it is 

 proved by Minerva's performances thus far, her merits being 

 fully conceded by all. 



Toe fact that tne new yachts of all classes are too large and 

 powerful for their length, too deep ,and too heavily rigged, has 

 been fully recognised by all intelligent yachtsmen and designers 

 for the last two years, and yet it, never seems to have occurred to 

 any of them to try a more moderate type of cratt. Proposals in 

 plenty have been made to change the rules, but no one has 

 cared to try whtthcr anything but extreme beam and immoder- 

 ate sail could win under the present conditions. It is more than 

 likelv that important changes in the rules will be made at the 

 end of the present season, but in view of what Minerva lias done 

 and is lik< ly lo do it seems probable that less radical changes 

 will be necessa ry than were at first contemplated. 



As matters now stand, Minerva is as fast as any of her class 

 under the New York rule, and able to give her time to them, but 

 this is only half the story. If she were a mere shell or lacing 

 machine her speed migbt count for little, but on the contrary she 

 is a remarkably strong and bandy little ship, as her long voyage 

 across the Atlantic has prov ed. We understand that Air. Fife's 

 contract called for the delivery of the yactit safely in American 

 waters, and he evidently proposed to take no risks on light build 

 or flimsy construction for tbe purpose of winning races. The 

 frame is of oak, of liberal scantling, with planking lj^in. thicK 

 of elm, pitch pine and mabegany, the latter from tne waterline 

 up. Tne planitshcer is of teak, and with the deck is lj^in. thick, 

 while rhe bulwark is about 5in. high andl^in. thick, capped with 

 a neat .elm rail. The hatches and deck fittings arc of teak, 

 and all remarkably neat and shipshape. The channels are ot 

 steel plate, the bowsprit is fitted with turubuckles and legs so as 

 f> house in for one reef, as in most American forties. Tne turn- 

 buckles are small affairs of gunmetal, on the outboard end of the 

 bowsprit shrauds. The wiudlass is oue of Keid's patent, and the 

 mastjs titled with Paget's patent mast winch. 



If Minerva has somewhat less room below than some of the 

 overgrown rnonsiers which are comprtssed into a length of 40ft. 

 on tne Inadline, she has ample and comfortable accommodations, 

 and all that can be reasonably expected on the length. Entering 

 the main companion, there is a space 3ft. long, by way of steer- 

 age, on the port band abieasl the ladder heinga large toilet stand 

 and bowl, with ruumng water, with linen closet below; while on 

 (he starboard side is a large water closet. The after cabin has 

 ample standing room under the deck, and is fitted with two per- 

 manent berths, besides lockers and closets, making a very cosy 

 room. The main cabin lias a good breadth to the floor and the 

 usual arrangement of sofas and cellaret lockers, with closets 

 above the latter for china, etc. In the center is a swing table, 

 wivii room to pass on each side. The finish below is inmahogany, 

 very neat and attractive. The fore part of the boat contains, 

 l esides the forecastle, a galley, ice cuest and conveniently ar- 

 ranged pantries, there heing ample headroom from tne stem to 

 the after bulkhead tor the whole length of the boat. In material 

 and workmanship, Miuerva will compare favorably wiih any of 

 tne Ame ie.un forties; while as to her strength and seagoiug 

 power?, she has stood a test that few of them would care to be put 

 10, having crossed the Atlantic under her own canvas in thirty 

 days, from Fairlie, Scotland, to Boston. 



We. have heard but. one opinion as to bcr appearance, all eon- 

 ceding that she is as handsome as any if not the handsomest of 

 her class, both in hull and rig. She has a very long clipper stem 

 witn neat figurehead and trailboards, a long overhang aft, but so 

 nicely proportioned that, it does not appear excessive, while her 

 sheer is straight forward and moderately curved aft, being fair 

 throughout, and with no exaggerated features. The freeboard is 

 low compared with the home boats of the class. The rig Is the 

 conventional cutter, but with laced mainsail and bar bobstay in 

 place of the old bobstay tackles. Minerva's cost was probably 

 about $5,fi00 at her builders, or under $6,000 delivered in New York 

 or Boston. A 35ft. yacht of similar build and design would cost 

 about p,!500 and a 30 about $3,000 on the other side. 



Our reports ol t he races t£rn= far show what Miuerva has done, 

 but we quote the following from other journals, whose views 

 differ from our own on many points, and who certaintly can not 

 be accused of any partiality for sucb yachts as she. The, Boston 

 Globe says: '"Minerva was doing. wonderful work, outpointing 

 anil outiootlug the fleet, and so much so that she crossed the 

 finish line just 4m. lus. ahead of her nearest competitor. When 

 Capt. Barr was asked after the race how she did it, he could only 

 say that she seemed to be faster than the rest and so won." 



The Boston lit raid says: '"Minerva was snowing what, she 

 could do in such a sea and wind. There she was marching out 

 from tbe others, out winding and outfooting them all. She car- 

 ried her sail well, and, although she dragged her boom through 

 the water at times, this did not seem to stop her. It was a grand 

 rush, and tbe others were not in it under the severe conditions. 

 Gorilla was beating Cuiquita, and tne latter was too much for 

 Verena. Minerva outpointed and outfooted the centerboards. 

 The order on the way home was Minerva, with Gorilla between 

 her and Chiqu.ta, Verena holding the leeward position of the 

 four. Minerva crossed the line a winner, sailed to a handsome 

 victory by the skillful hand of Capt. Charles Barr. It was no 

 walkover, gained by chance or luck, but an honest victory, and 

 one which moans more than a dozen victories gained in light 

 winds and ffukts. 



"Cuiquita and Verena did not do so well as Minerva, and made 

 one more tack thau she did to reach the finish line. Minerva is a 

 fast, one, and she showed yesterday that, with her slack bilge and 

 small beam, sne could carry her sail better than the coarse bilge 

 and wider beamed boats. 



"in summing up the races sailed, a fair judgment would be 

 that Minerva is a very fast boat and one it will be hard 

 to beat. Iu strong windH and heavy sea is her best play, and if 

 she isbeaten.it will be iu light airs. Her record thus far has 

 been a remarkable one, and she seems to win all the cups that 



may be offered in her class, especially under yesterday's condi- 

 tions." 



The Boston Font speaks as follows: "Minerva sailed grandly. 

 She went through the water very fast, and not only outfooted the 

 others, but pointed better, and altogether made much hetter 

 weather. The others seemed to sag to leeward, and made heavy 

 work in the seaway. Two miles from Harding's, Minerva went 

 to the lead, which she increased contiunally to the finish. On her 

 first hitch she made Tinker's Island, and from there only two 

 short tacks were needed to take her to the line, which she crossed 

 nearly five minutes ahead. The other yachts could only make 

 Tinker's Island on the first hitch, and they were obliged to make 

 three tacks before crossing tbe finish." 



The Boston Herald of July 21, in summing up the races, deals 

 with Minerva as follows: "Coming to the forties, one finds data 

 and facts to work on. It will not now do to make the unreserved 

 statement 'that Minerva will show up only in light winds,' as 

 two most prominent yachtsmen have said, for the facts are 

 strongly against it, and the result has proved that tbe Burgess or 

 any other boats have a better chance against Minerva in light 

 airs than in anything else, as the performance of Verena with 

 Minerva in the race for the Hovey cup f ullv shows. Minerva is a 

 cutter pure and simple, so are all the other forties, so far as rig 

 goes, and they are in no particular like the old American sloop. 

 Minerva is the first 40-footer that Fife has built for American 

 waters, stir, she beats a fleet of a dozen or more of American de- 

 sign in the first month of her racing. To say that Fife could not 

 improve on Minerva would be untair, and not giving him due 

 credit for his intelligence and experience in building this type of 

 boat. By the wind, where the centerboard was expected to out- 

 wind the cutter, Verena and Cbiquita failed, and came out, not 

 only heaten. but disabled, with broken centerboards and part of 

 bulwarks on Ohiquila carried away. Close hauled they were 

 not in it with Minerva. They could not lie so high and were not 

 so comfortable or easy in a seawav. Verena was crippled on ac- 

 count of her board, and she was badly managed and handled, 

 and allowance should be made for this. This much is known, 

 however, Verena did not fetch as high in two boards as Miuerva 

 did in one, and Capt. Barr says: "Had not our compass gone 

 wrong, Minerva could easily have fetched higher thau she did, 

 because she could have been sailed closer.' The centerboards 

 suffered with the keel- boats as to breakdowns, for none of the 

 latter came to grief, while Verena and Chiquita met with mis- 

 haps. In no item or particular has Minerva an advantage over 

 our forties more than the rig. On her weight aloft is everything, 

 aud every extra ounce of weight has beeu done away with. Her 

 rigging is smaller and weighs less, and still is stronger than the 

 American forties. She has a comparatively short lower mast, 

 which measures four feet less from deck to hounds than Mari- 

 quita. Gorilla or Tomahawk; also a shorter bowsprit, less sail 

 area and narrower beam. She has a snug lower sail plan, smaller 

 than on any of our forties, while she has a larger topmast. Take 

 her mainmast. It is smaller in diameter, her gaff is also smaller, 

 and her spiriaker pole is very light. Her topmast, though longer, 

 is smaller than on the American forties. Instead of having a 

 knife edge on the lead keel, it is very wide at the bottom, and is 

 full 20in. amidship. The lead keel is not put on parallel with the 

 rabbet, hut runs diagonally, thus lowering the center of gravity 

 of the lead keel. Hor mast also rakes aft. She has more outside 

 lead, with the possible exception of Liris, than any of our boats. 

 Thus far Minerva has shown up better than any of her class, 

 though Liris and Tomahawk have yet to be heard from in future 

 races." 



Minerva is likely to sail in most of the races to come and if she 

 does as well in them as she has thus far she will stand at the top 

 of class in racing honors. 



EASTERN Y. C. CRUISE. 



ON Wednesday morning the united fleet of the Eastern and 

 Seawanhaka clubs sailed from Marble bead for Bar Harbor, 

 tbe immediate destination being the Isle of Shoals. To enliven 

 the cruise Mr. Bayard Thayer offered a prize'under the following 

 conditions: 



"A purse of $250 will he awarded the schooner in the first and 

 second clashes of the fleet, which shall make the best average 

 record in (he daily runs, with time allowance, according to the 

 Eastern Y. C. table. During the cruise of the two clubs all yachts 

 are to sail iu cruising trim and to carry no more than the regular 

 crew, but a pilot may be carried. Ciubtopsails shall not be used. 

 The first yacut at the finish Shall anchor, so as to define with the 

 mark previously agreed upon, the finish line, and shall time all 

 yachts crossing it thereafter, including the 40ft. class. She shall 

 show by day uer ensign at the main truck, and at, night her side 

 lights immediately below her auchor light, the red above the 

 green. Except as above the conditions shall be governed by the 

 sailing regulations of tbe Eastern Y. C." 



Mr. P. D. Wheatland also offered a cup for the 40ft. yacht 

 making the best average record. The day was clear and bright, 

 with a smooth sea, the wind being very light from N., working to 

 the eastward. About 10:30 A. M. the Nooya, steam yacht, Mr. .1. 

 M. Sears, ran out of the harbor, in company with Dagmar and 

 Radha, and anchored off Half-way flock, forming a starting line. 

 The signal to get under way came from Fortuna, Clara being the 

 first yacht to leave the harbor. Tbe three forties, Alice, Gorilla 

 and Pappoose, soon followed; then came Hanniel, steam yacht. 

 The big schooners Ghana and Dauntless were anchored off the 

 mouth of the harbor, and both weighed anchor together, but it 

 was a long time before either gathered way. Gitana finally 

 worked out, but Dauntless lay across the narrow harbor for half an 

 hour before she was finally filled away and moving. Meanwhile 

 the little Burgess schooners, Monhegan and Viator, and the cut- 

 ters Zigeuner and Medusa passed out, followed by Ruth, Mystery, 

 Nebula, Vixen, Clytie, Fortuna, CE.ione, Quickstep, Adrienne, 

 Sea Fox, Crusader and Mayflower. The latter two left the fleet 

 for the westward. Before the fleet, now in a long line from Mar- 

 blehead to Half-way Rock, had crossed the starting line, a very 

 violent storm of rain and hail came up, with thunder and light- 

 ning in abundance. A small centerboard yacht, the Mist, was 

 capsized off Egg Rock, sinking and leaving her crow of two to 

 save themselves by means of cork cushions, while the schooner 

 Adrienne took a bad knock down, starting for Boston after she 

 righted to repair damages. After the storm the weather cleared 

 again and the fleet reached Isle of Shoals safely. Booth Bay was 

 made on Thursday and Rockland on Friday, the fleet being de- 

 tained there over Saturday by fog, and only reaching Bar Harbor 

 on Sunday. Kathleen had stayed behind at Marblehead, but 

 caught up with the fleet at Rockland. 



CAPE CATS AND CUTTERS. 



Editor Forest avd Stream: 



In looking over your account of Eastern Y. C. race of July 15 

 you seem to mo unfair to the "big Cape cat Harbinger," when 

 you say: "But she was inside the islands in smooth water out of 

 the heavy sea." 



Any one who did not see the race would infer from this that 

 she had smooth water for a large portion of the race. Now, the 

 facts are, Harbinger is at least 2ft. shorter on waterline than the 

 others, has no overhang and a much small sail spread. All the 

 boats ran 13 miles to Hardings over exactly the same course 

 without any lee whatever, then had to beat back, a long and 

 short leg. 



The first long leg, just J0}4 miles, took them to the outer 

 end of Tinker's Island, it was entirely open and the same 

 for all. As the wind was parallel with the coast there was little 

 or no lee to be had except behind Tinker's Island, which projects 

 from the shore. Kathleen and Saracen tacKed at outer end of 

 island, while Harbinger held on through the lee of Tinker's in 

 smootti water, tacking across the bar at inner end of island. 



Now, Tinker's Island is less than one-third of a mile long; Har- 

 binger had the advantage of the difference between rouga and 

 smooth water for this distance only. Boats now had to sail three 

 miles to the rock. Harbinger's starting point being one-third of 

 a mile nearer shore, but all were off mouth of Beverly Harbor 

 and none of them under a lee. Saracen and Kathleen tacked 

 again iu shore, one-half mile beyondTinkers, into the same water 

 Harbiuger had, but from Tinkers to Half Way all had to meet a 

 heavy head sea. Harbinger got some advantage no doubt, but 

 the race was won, bar accidents, long before she parted company 

 with the others. Harbinger lost her spinaker in run out, getting 

 it into the water: this did not help her. Fair Plat. 



L As we were too far distant to see the end of the 30ft. race we 

 were obliged to deper.d on the statements of others. Harbinger's 

 performance in any case during the whole day was good enough 

 to stand on its own merits, even though she had been beaten by 

 the larger boats, aud as it was she would have won on time, even 

 though she had not headed the cutters at the line.] 



DORCHESTER Y. C. CRUISE.— The annual cruise of the Dor- 

 chester Y. C. began on July 20, the first port visited being Port- 

 land, where a rase for a £50 cup, offered by Com. Soley, will be 

 wailed by the fleet of the Dorchester and Portland clubs. The 

 fleet will spend about 10 days in cruising along the Maine coast 

 and back. 



NEW YORK Y. C. 



A MEETING of the New York Y. C. was held on July 18 at Del- 

 monico's with Com. Gerry in the chair, the following mem- 

 bers being present: Ex Com. James D. Smith, chairman of the 

 America's Cup Committee; Sec. J. V. 8. Oddie, Edmund C. Stan- 

 ton, Frederick B. Fiske, Stephen Peabody, ex-Corn. S. Nicholson 

 Kane, E. E. Chase, F. W..T. Hurst, John Hyslop, E. S. Auchineloss, 

 William E. Iselin, R. S. Church, R. Underbill, John E. Brookes, 

 Edward M. Brown, Cheater Griswold, S. H. Nichols, John M. 

 Wilson, John H. Bird, J.Frederick Tarns, Robert Inman and L. 

 H. Smith. 



The following report and correspondence was then presented by 

 the America's Cup Committee: The America's Cup Committee 

 have the honor to report that the challenge made bv the Royal 

 Yacht Squadron, on behalf of the Earl of Dunraven for the 

 America's Cup, has been withdrawn. They herewith submit the 

 entire correspondence. In their letters of July 16 to the special 

 committee of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and also to Lord Dun- 

 raven, they felt 1t incumbent upon themselves to show that the 

 last statement in the letter from the special committee of the 

 Royal Yacht Squadron, viz., that "in the event of winning the 

 Cup they would be compelled to insist upon receiving more favor- 

 able terms from a challenger than those under which they chal- 

 lenged," is a clear contradiction of the terms of the deed of gift, 

 because it gives to the club challenging and to the club holding 

 the Cup the right to make the match on any terms or conditions 

 satisfactory to both parties; thereby giving the holder the right 

 to make any concessions if willing to do so. We therefore submit 

 that a lamentable ignorance is betrayed as to the nature and 

 terms of tne deed, or such a statement could not be made at the 

 very moment that the New York Y r acht Club was giving terms 

 for a match different from those contained in the deed of gift. 

 With ibis your committee's functions end. We ask to have our 

 report accepted and the committee discharged. 



James D. Smith, Chairman. 



J. R. Busii. 



RUTHERFORD StUYVESANT. 



William Krbbs. 

 Phillip Schuyler 

 gouverneur kortrlght. 

 Elbridge T. Gerry, ex-officlo. 

 Latham A. Fish, ex-officio. 

 Archibald Rogers, ex-officio. 

 J. Fred Tams, Secretary. 



New York, July 16, 1889. 

 Richard Grant, Esq., Secretary Royal Yacht Squadron, London: 



Sir: I am duly in receipt of your note of June 27, forwarding 

 a communication of the same date from the special committee of 

 the Royal Yacht Squadron appointed to decide any question that 

 might arise relative to the challenge of tbe Ro.val Yacht Squad- 

 ron, on behalf of the Earl of Dunraven, for the America Cup, 

 and I inclose herewith a reply to the same, which please deliver 

 to the committee. I have the honor to be your obedient servant, 

 James D. Smith, Chairman. 

 to the royal Y'ACHT squadron. 



New York, July 16, 1889. 



Dear Sirs: 1 have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 

 your communication of June 27 last through the Secretary of 

 the Royal Yacht Squadron, and I note with great regret that von 

 are unable to confirm the challenge of the Royal Yacht Squadron 

 on behalf of the Earl of Dunraven for the. America Cup. 



The members of the New York Yacht Club and American 

 yachtsmen generally were looking forward to the contest with 

 much interest and pleasure, and will be disappointed at this 

 result. 



To correct the misapprehension which appears to exist in the 

 minds of your committee and to prevent, if possible, the recur- 

 rence of the same, the committee of which 1 am chairman feel 

 called upon to refer to the last paragraph of your communica- 

 tion and to point out to you that, rhe new deed of gift, to the 

 terms of which you object, expressly provides that "the club 

 challenging for the cup and the club holding the same may, by 

 mutual consent, make any arrangement satisfactory to both, 

 and also any and all other conditions of the match," etc., eo that, 

 in the event of the Royal Yacht Squadron being successful in 

 winning the cup, it would not be compelled to insist upon receiv- 

 ing more favorable terms from a chaUenger than those under 

 which it challenged, and I trust you wid pardon me for adding 

 that my committee believe that if opportunity were given other 

 objections to the new deed of gift would be found susceptible of 

 easy explanation. I have the honor to be, dear Sirs, your 

 obedient servant, James D. Smith. Chairman. 



To Messrs. Cilarles Baring, John Mulholland, Allen Young, 

 C. B., Special Committee of the Royal Yacht Squadron, 



TO THE EARL OE DUNRAVEN, 



New York, July 16, 1889. 



My Lord: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your 

 letter ot the 24th of June last. I have also received a letter from 

 the special committee of the Royal Yacht Squadron, appointed 

 to decide any question that might arise concerning the chaUenge 

 made by them on your behalf for the America Cup. 



You are doubtless familiar with the contents of this paper, and 

 it was with profound regret that I learned from it that the special 

 committee were unable to confirm the challenge made on your 

 behalf for the America Cup. 



American yachtsmen were greatly interested in the proposed 

 match, and are much disappointed at the result, especially as at 

 this period of the negotiations it was entirely unexpected. 



The action of the special committee appears to be based upon 

 objections to the terms of the new deed of gift, and as the only 

 one of the objections mentioned by them is founded upon a mis- 

 apprehension, 1 cannot refrain from expressing to you the belief 

 of my committee that if an opportunity had been offered the diffi- 

 culties in the way of completing the arrangements for the match 

 might ha ve, been removed. 



As it is, however, the whole matter has come to an end, as have 

 also the functions of the committee of which I am chairman. I 

 am, consequently, unable to say anything to you concerning other 

 races to be sailed. 



The entire correspondence will he referred to the New York Y. 

 C. at a meeting to be held on the 18th inst., and I trust the Bug- \ 

 gestions made by you wiU receive favorable consideration. 



I desire to express for myself aud otner members of my com- 

 mittee the hope that we may have the pleasure of seeing you on 

 this side of the Atlantic during this summer. I have the honor 

 to be yours very truly, James D. Smith, Chairman. 



To the Right Honorable the Earl of Dunraven. 



The report was subsequently modified by substituting for the 

 sentence following "if willing so to do" the clause "and we fail 

 to understand their misconception on this point," after which it 

 was adopted and the committee discharged. 



The following resolution, offered by Mr. J. F. Tams, was also 

 adopted: 



RcHulvcd, That the New York Y. C. do not put up a special cup 

 for competition in a match race with the Valkyrie, as suggested 

 in Earl Dunraven's letter of Juoe 24, 1889, to the chairman of the 

 America's Cup Committeo, but that all the club events be opened 

 to him, and that the Earl of Dunraven be so notified by the sec- 

 retary. 



On a motion of ex-Com. S. Nicholson Kane, chairman of the 

 Regatta Committee, that committee was authorized to spend $600 

 for cups as first and secoud prizes, to be raced for during the com- 

 ing cruise bv single stickers of the 70 and 10ft. classes; after wbich 

 the following gentlemen were elected: F. L. Osgood, F. P. Sanas, 

 Henry E. Jones, Wm. H. Holltster, John Mason, Lansing Lamont, 

 David J. Jackson, W. E. Pearl, John J. Kane, Wm. Butler Dun- 

 can, Jr., Richard Suydam Palmer, Harry B. Hollins, Hugh Coch- 

 rane, Paul Eve Stephenson, Fordham Morris, F. M. Jenks, L. W. 

 Coe, Edmund Warren, Willoughby Weston, Henry A. Bishop, J. 

 Edward Addicks. 



A VERY POOR EXCUSE.-While no one disputes the fairnesa 

 of Minerva's victories, it, is said by way of excuso that she is in 

 better form and is better handled than the rest of the fleet. Such 

 an excuse as this is worse than a beating, and spoaks little for the 

 skill of tbe skippers on the other forties. Capt. Charles Barr, 

 who commands Minerva, is a young man who has yet to win his 

 reputation as a racing skipper, having sailed, we believe, three or 

 four races in Shona iu the past thr<-e seasons, besides three races 

 in Minerva this year. There is no doubt that in his hands Min- 

 erva is kept in perfect shape, but it is too soon for the older and 

 more experienced men in the other forties to admit that they are 

 behind the young Scotchman in keeping up or handling their 

 boats. In the Hovey cup race she was sailed for the first time by 

 Capt. John Barr, of Clara, and she suffered at the start by setting 

 her No. 1 jib and large foresail, neither of which had been tried 

 on her before, and which, even in the light air, made too much 

 headsail. She also carried a No. 2 clubiopsail at the start, doing 

 much better later on when it was shifted for a No. 1. Some of 

 the new boats have been seriously handicapped by the late dates 

 at which they were completed, but there are others for which no 

 such excuse can be urged, though not more than three or four of 

 this year's and last year's boats together are yet in fair racing 

 form. 



