4£2 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 13, 1890. 



faclftmg. 



"West India Hurricanes and the Great March BlizzanV' Bv 

 Everett Hoyden, U. 8. Hydrography Law V^'thrln-f a I 



Kthoaravhic pl-atrs. Price $1. Contains full history of the great 

 i,wmTMarch'lS88, with practical information hmv to handle a 

 vessel, in a cyclone; use of oil at sea, etc. 



Fixtures. 



17. 



its, 



18. 

 18. 

 19. 

 21. 

 21. 



21. 



24. 



JCNE. 



New Jersey Annual, N. Y. 21. 

 Beverly, 1st Cham., Marble- 21. 

 Lead. 



Brooklyn, New York. 



Cor. Navy, S.I.S.S., Regatta, 21. 



Hewaren. 

 Hamilton. 35 and 40ft. 21. 

 R. Canadian, 25ft.., Toronto 

 Quten City, Seem 1 and Skift 21. 



Classes, Toronto. 

 Portland, Challenge Cup. 21. 

 Pavonia, Annual. New York. 21. 

 ,So. Boston Mus. Fleet, Pen. 21. 

 Corfu th ian , M a r b 1 e li e a d, 23. 



Pennant, un ler 21ft. 

 American, Annual Pennaut, 



Newburyport. 

 Massachusetts, Open. Nahant 

 Miramichi.Chatbam to New- U. 



castle and return, Open. 2n. 

 West Lynn, Annual. Lynn. 25. 

 Atlantic, Annual. New York Sft. 

 Cooper's Point, Kmsey Cup, 2<. 



Delaware Hirer. 

 Beverly. Open Sweeps, Mon- 28. 



union t Beach. , 28. 



Rhode Island, Spring Begat. 28. 

 Corinthian, Annual, N. Y. 

 Columbia, Annual Open.N.Y. £8. 

 Pleon, pennant, Marble head 28. 

 New York, Annual, N. Y. 

 Quincv. 1st Cbam., Quincy. 28. 

 Corinthian, M a r b 1 e h e ad, 



Club. 30. 

 Great Head, Pennant. Ureal. 



Head. 



Seawanhaka, Annual, N. Y. 

 Yonkers Cor., Annual Open, 



Yonkers. • ,, 



Savin Hill, Club, Savin Hill. 

 So. Boston Mas. Fleet, Pen. 

 Hamilton, 25ft. 

 R. Canadian, Cruising and 



Skiff Classes. Toronto. 

 Buffalo, Cruising Race, Pt. 



Albino. 

 Lynn, Lynn. 



Queen Ci iv.l-n 1 i.-s. Toronto 

 Rliode Island, Ladies' Day. 

 Seawanhaka, Special. 

 Newark Bay, Annual, Bay- 

 on ne. 



Monatiquot, 1st Pen., Wey- 

 mouth. 



Massachusetts. 



Hamilton, Cruise. 



Dorchester, Open, I )orchester 



So. Boston, Ladies' Day. 



Corinthian Mosquito Fleet, 

 Staten Island. 



Hull. 1st Cham., Club House. 



Beverly, Cup, Marblehead. 



Cor. Navy, Spring Regatta, 

 New Rochelle. 



R. Can., Carnival. Toronto. 



Buffalo, Third Class Pen., 

 Buffalo. 



Jersey City, Ladies' Day, 

 Communipaw. 



Great Head, Moonlight Sail. 

 Great Head. 



BUILDING TO LENGTH CLASSES. 



THE matter of building to a fixed limit of waterline length has 

 been of increasing importance for some time, but this season 

 it is likely to become a very important lactor in the -racing, 

 especially "in the classes under 16ft., in which the competition is 

 most keen. The. bright steel tape of the official measurer, as rigid 

 and unrelenting as fate itself, has worked dire havoc in the racing 

 fleet within the past ten davs, as may be seen by the wrecks along 

 the shore in all places where yachts congregate. At Bay Ridge, 

 Staten Island, City Island, Tebo's dock and other places, the 

 bulkheads are strewn with fragments of spinaker booms, varyiug 

 in length from Bin. to 20ft„ with cabin bulkheads and joiner work, 

 with tanks, lockers and waterelosets, the latter in particular 

 offering a shining mark for the ruthless hand of the racing man. 

 So much of this work has l>een done lately that it would be in 

 order for the clubs to replace the official insignia of the measurer, 

 a silver M, by an adze rampant crossed by a handsaw, as an ap- 

 propriate badge of office. 



The racing fleet as a rule was measured early last, season, many 

 of the smaller yachts being new and in the water for but a month 

 or so, and t hnugh some crowded t he limit very closely, all were 

 safely under it when measured. As the season advanced it was 

 an open secret that some of the racers were dangerously near 

 being over the limit, but in no case of any important yacht was a 

 protest made on measurement, the subject being one that nearly 

 all felt a little delicacy in stirring up, as it was not altogether 

 certain how any given boat might turn out. This year, when it 

 became necessary to re-measure most of the fleet, after a winter's 

 immersion in many cases, it was fouud that nearly all the boats 

 measured were over the class by a margin ot one or two inches. 

 As the measuring was left to the last moment prior to Thursday's 

 race, there was little time for any remedy, ana in some eases the 

 craft were subjected to rather heroic treatment, weight being 

 taken out of the inside without regard to any considerations of 

 convenience and comfort. By dint of hard work all kept in their 

 respective classes, but with no certainty in some cases that a re- 

 measurement a month or two later may not show them to be again 

 over the limit. The subject is of importance to all parties; to the 

 measurer who is called on to measure a yacht two or three times 

 in a couple of days: to the captaiu and crew who are obliged to 

 strip a boat to t he sk in on the morning of the race; to the designer 

 who may see his boat deprived of a prize she has fairly sailed for 

 because she is a little over the limit; and most of all to the owner 

 who pays the bills, who sees his handsome yacht almost wrecked 

 in order to enter a race, and who may be deprived at any time of 

 a hardly won prize on a protested measurement. 



Yacht racing could not be carried on for a week without a com- 

 plete and accurate system of measurement, and yet the most 

 serious troubles and annoyances of racing are connected with 

 this same matter of measurement, the extra work imposed on the 

 busy measurers, the labor and annoyance of regatta committees 

 over missing measurements without which no complete resulis 

 are possible, and the troubles of the owner, who, after stripping 

 his boat and sailing a race is still uncertain whether ho has won 

 until it is officially determined whether his eraft is a quarter of 

 an inch under or over her class. 



It is evident ftiat this state of affairs might, be entirely avoided 

 by the very simple matter of keeping the boats a couple of inches 

 shorter, so that a measurement may he quickly and accurately 

 taken early in the season, with no danger that at any time will 

 the yacht be dangerously over it. If this were done the benefits 

 to all hands would be most substantial, while on the other hand 

 the loss of speed by a reduction of less than 1 per cent, of length 

 in a 40ft. yacht, making her racing waterline but 39ft, Sin. instead 

 of 40ft., would not be appreciable. 



The principal causes which operate to make a yacht, over her 

 class length are as follows: First, errors in the original calcula- 

 tions of displacement and weights of construction and ballast; 

 second, errors in building, such as an excess of length through 

 careless measurement, or too great weight of construction; third, 

 additions by the owner to the original weights, in the form of 

 furniture, ice boxes, etc.; fourth, the natural increase of weight 

 by i ontluued immersion in all wooden vessels. 



Iu looking over these four heads it becomes evident that they 

 are all to a great degree under the control of the designer, and it 

 is on him in nearly every case that the resposibility must fall. 

 The calculations are entirely within his control; the displacement 

 Is easily calculated, the weight of hull for any of the usual 

 methods of building are known within very narrow limits, and in 

 the case of any experimental method a margin may be left by 

 taking a lit tie less length iu the design, or by leaving a lit tle loose 

 ballast inside. Iu regard to the eriors of the builder, if the de- 

 signer's part is merely to furnish specifications to be built fromat 

 a distance, he must be. relieved ofjall responsibility for excess of 

 weight; hut it is usually the case that the designer superintends 

 the construction, in which case he must shoulder the responsi- 

 bility of keeping the waterline short enough and the hull light 

 enough. There is one fruitful source of error to be guarded 

 against here, the builder is apt to use a common two-foot rule or a 

 linen tape in measuring his waterline when the frame is set up, 

 regardless of the fact that such tapes are always incorrect, while 

 not only is the rule likely to be equally out, but a second source of 

 error may creep in through the frequent repetition of one small 

 measurement in oraer to lay off a long one. Iu a 40-footer, even 

 t he error due to measuring 10ft. with a two-foot rule and a com- 

 mon pencil may make the boat out of her class. The only safe 

 way is to use a standard steel tape to lay off the length, either on 

 the stem and sterupost direct when they are erected, or on a con- 

 venient batteu in one length. Not many years ago it was a diffi- 

 cult matter to get a yacht built of the modern light scantling, 

 most builders being used only to heavy construction ; but this 

 difficvlty has largely disappeared, and a builder may easily be 

 found who, under the eye of the designer will turn out a boat in 

 accordance with the specifications. 



At first sight it might seem that the designer had little control 

 over the wishes of the owner iu regard to extra furniture, but now 

 that it has become the fashion to strip for ail important races, the 

 designer can in a great measure control this detail also, by keep- 

 ing the fixed portions of joiner work as few and as light as possi- 

 ble, and providing that the extras and ornamental portions shall 

 be readily removable. A yacht fitted in this way will mean some 

 extra Is hor for the crew in stripping, but by good judgment, the 

 designer may so arrange that when stripped the hull is in racing 

 condition and not over her loadline. Should the owner insist iu 



ne anoat or oe nauieu ujj muu ,Tiuu^i. ... . ■ — -~Zi~ >„_ th „ 

 the owner, the designer must allow an ample mar^ for the 

 added immersion due to a couple of seasons afloat. J t w certain 

 that a yacht which was on the limit last spring, raced all bummer, 

 ind has since laid in the water, will set deeper and >elonger 

 wben first fitted out. How long this gam of weight mlL W"ti™a 

 we cannot sav, it depending on the amount, of hauling out and 

 drying which the boat gets from time to time, and on the care 

 with which she is painted inside and out. in the case of most 

 wooden yachts this gain vvili go on oertatoir| toough the e* |COnd 

 season, stopping finally through the thorough soaking of all parts 

 below wMer, arid being offset a little in time by he drying out of 

 sparaand topsides. The only remedy for it is to build sufficiently 

 short in the first place, so that after a couple of years the limit of 

 length will still be a safe distance off. How much allowance is 

 necelsary must be determined by the experience of designers and 

 builders, the amount varying a little with .hard or soft-wood 

 planking and the type of boat. Where a certain amount of inside 

 ballast S used there is no trouble, as the boat can be readily light- 

 ened but in all the new yachts the total ballast is on the keel, 

 and where time is too short to haul out and cut off some lead, or 

 where the boat is not stiff enough to allow of such a reduction, 

 there is nothing to be done save to rip out the interior. If the 

 present boats, in their second or third year, run from 1 to 3m. over 

 the limit in most cases, it would be a simple matter for the de- 

 signer to determine how much shorter his next design shall be m 

 order to come inside the limit by a safe margin. . 



There are some odd things, by the way, about this designed 

 length;" nearly all the forties, for instance, are given as 39lt bin. 

 in designed length, while when afloat most of them are on.Gr over 

 40ft We have seen the designer put the tape-line himself on the 

 stem and sternpost of a new yacht, making the waterline just 

 U\-a. under the class limit; we have also seen the stem and stern- 

 post of the yacht some time later, after the adze had been freely 

 us ed on both in order to keep her in the class. 



If there were any great advantage m a couple of inches of length, 

 there might be some excuse for crowding the limit, but the gam 

 is so trivial compared with the expense, trouble and annoyance on 

 all" bands that must follow a doubtful or protested measurement. 

 <\« the case now stands three courses are possible. 1 he absurd 

 farce Of the "exemption clause" that has been enacted for several 

 years in IhB 70ft, class may be extended to the forties and thir- 

 ties- every year the clubs can puss an amendment providing that 

 all yachts "built up to date and not exceeding the class limit by 

 over a fraction of a foot may still enter the class. By repeating 

 this each time a new boat is built, the absurd result is reached 

 that the nominal limit is 30 or ©ft., while a boat may deliberately 

 be built 9 or lOin. longer. Another plan is to place an arbitrary 

 handicap on all excess of length, thus if a boat originally built 

 for the 10ft. class proves at any time to be an inch or two over 

 she will be allowed to remain iu the class, but her length will be 

 increased byltt. for each excess of 3in., for instance, over the 

 jr length. Such a plan would still allow the boats to race, 

 rould offer very strong inducements to owners and designers 

 to keep their craft within the limits. A third plan is to measure 

 every boat fairly and liberally, giving her the benefit of doubt 

 where any exists, but promptly disquali tying her if she exceeds 

 the limit. If this course be rigidly adhered to for the present 

 season there will in all probability be an end to the trouble next 

 year. 



WHY THERE IS NO YACHTING AT CHICAGO. 



IF I were asked to write about a real live sport, if it was noth- 

 ing more than a race between a dug-out and a yawl, I might 

 possibly enter into the subject with some enthusiasm, but to an- 

 swer the Fokest and STREAM'S question is like digging bones in 

 a graveyard— an entirely dead subject— the bones once had life 

 and so did yachting at Chicago, and in drawing on my memory 

 for the delights and exhilaration of the sport, I am forced to con- 

 clude with the beautiful old song, "Memory is the only friend 

 which grief can call its own." 



As is well known, Lake Michigan at this point is a wide, deep 

 and entirely open expanse of water, no islands, no bars, no 

 sounds, and 1 would say with truth, no harbors. This I have no 

 doubt is the immediate reason why there is no yachting. If we 

 were situated as are many of the cities and towns upon the great 

 lakes, with islands lying off shore, as is Toronto, or upon a beau- 

 tiful bay, as is Ashland, or upon a strait, as is Mackinaw, then I 

 am sure our beautiful lake would be dotted with yachts, which in 

 lime of necessity could fly for refuge to a safe shelter. As it is, 

 our only harbor is the basin, protected by the Government break- 

 water; and during any considerable storm this is no harbor at all, 

 as many a would-be yachtsman has found to his sorrow, to say 

 nothing of the cost. There is a small portion of the) basin where 

 yachts can lie in safety, but they must at. all times be guarded and 

 protected with proper signals and lights, and this is expensive and 

 keeps away the younger element, from which our enthusiasm and 

 education must be obtained, or we cannot get material from which 

 to organize yacht clubs. 



Notwithstanding these disadvantages Chicago has had many a 

 hard contested yacht race and has looked upon as pretty a fleet 

 of yachts as can be seen off Sandy Hook on a Sunday afternoon; 

 but, alas! where are they now? Only one left— the beautiful 

 schooner Countess, formerly Countess of Dufferin. built at Belle- 

 ville, Out., to carry off the America Cup. She could not take the 

 Cup, but she does take many a merry Chicago party out for a 

 sail during a hot summer, and usually makes at least one trip to 

 Lake Superior, Capt. Sidney Woodbury, of the Board of Trade, 

 being her owner. 



The large schooner yacht Idler, which was once enrolled in the 

 fleet of the New York Y. C, purchased by Mr. Archie Fisher, of 

 Chicago, has been with us for several years, but for the past two 

 seasons not fitted out. She has lately been sold to Mr. John Cud- 

 ahey, aud it is supposed she will hail from Macinaw Island, as he 

 has a summer residence there, although she may again be taken 

 East to breast once more the briny ocean. 



Then there was the schooner yacht Viking, belonging to our 

 Colonel John Mason Looniis. For two years she hovered along our 

 shores, visiting every nook and cove on the upper lakes and then 

 back again to her native salty element, where she still is, although 

 still owued and sailed by Colonel Loomis, and so they all go and 

 none come to take their places. 



The beautiful sloop Frolic, the most graceful yacht I ever saw, 

 now probably reduced to a fisherman; the swift Ina, of Capt. Tim 

 Bradley, the father of yachting in Chicago, both in their old age, 

 calmly resting on their well-earned laurels: the Ina housed for 

 several years on the beach, and good Captain Tim fast failing in 

 health. Who that ever did any yachting off Chicago did not know 

 and does not remember Tim Bradley, and who ever wanted a sail 

 that Tim did not make room for him iu fair weather or foul. It 

 was pretty wet sometimes sailing with Tim, but we always got 

 there, unless perchance we tackled the Frolic. Captain John 

 said Tim dropped some of his men overboard, and Captain Tim 

 said John poured his sand ballast down through the centerboard 

 box; but the Frolic was best in a sea, and the lua on smooth 

 water, as I think both will now say. 



Then there were the large sloops Cora and Wasp, both I believe 

 now on Lake Erie, also the handsome sloops Mamie, Vera, Volant, 

 Fleetwing, and at least a dozen other small ones — now all gone. 



As I said at the beginning. I believe the cause is that there is no 

 safe harbor, no shelter at this end of the lake where vessels of 

 any kind can run to in case of our heavy northeasters, which are 

 too much for small yachts; even large vessels are obliged to take 

 a tugboat or ride it out with their heavy ground tackle, and even 

 then many a good ship has gone ashore because she could not 

 hold on any longer. 



This will I think surely account for the absence of small yachts, 

 and as for large ones we must creep before we can crawl, and the 

 boys must learn to love a small yacht before the men will enthuse 

 to any great extent. 



One reason why the larger boats have left is that we have had 

 so tew interesting points to visit; but during the last few years 

 many fine summer resorts have sprung up, as at Macinaw and 

 Charleroix and St. Joe, aud they are continually increasing in 

 numbers, and some day (I hopB it may be soon) we will again get 

 a start, and under better and more favorable conditions we will 

 maintain our foothold and go on until Chicago is known in the 

 yachting world as it is in all others— up near the top. 

 Chicago. E. C, J. Cleaner. 



SAVIN HILL Y. C, June 7.— The flrst club race of the Savin 

 Hill Y. C. was sailed in a light breeze on Juno 7, Merlin winning 

 from .Eolus and Annie Maud in flrst class; the new Cape cat 

 Egeria beating Ustane, Peri and Mildred in second class, and 

 beatiug Silko in third, while Baby had j. sail-over in fourth class. 

 The judges were: W. H. Besarick, S. W. Holman, R. K. Rice. H. 

 S. Patten, S. L. Corr. 



SEAWANHAKA C. Y. C. SPECIAL, JUNE 5. 



T17ITH the present deadlock in international racing, and with 

 VV the lack of competition in the large schooner class, the 

 coming season would be but a dull one were it not for the smaller 

 tacers The 70ft. class is likely to furnish some good racing, but 

 Utosifles it the only really live class is the 40ft., and to its races, 

 winch promise to be both numerous aud exciting, yachtsmen 

 must look for most of their amusement this season. Last season 

 the races sailed by the 40ft. class numbered 31. a total farm excess 

 of any class in the past, and this year the number will be still 

 er, as extra events are announced and special matches made 

 from week to week. The Seawanhaka C. Y. C. was one of the first 

 to recognize the need of more races in this aud the 30ft. class, aud 

 last year held a very good race on the Monday following the an- 

 nual regatta. This year the race committee determined to do 

 still more, and in addition to repeating the special race, which 

 will be sailed on June 23, announced an earlier race, on June 5, 

 intended to open the season in these two classes. 



The prizes offered were a first and second of 8200 and $100 for 

 the forties, the second being conditional on five starters: and one 

 of B50 for the thirties, 25 per cent, of first prize being given tor 

 a sail-over. It was also announced that the start would be from 

 one gun, and also that this gun would be fired promptly at 

 11 A. M., except in case of fog. The courses were from a start off 

 Craven's Skoal Buoy, just outside the Narrows, down the Main 

 channel and by Southwest Spit and around the Scotland Light- 

 ship for the forties: the thirties rounding Buoy 5, just off Sandy 

 Hook. The race committee furnished to each yacht a lithographed 

 chart of the course inclosed iu a small tin case; a very excellent 

 idea. All the forties and thirties were invited to enter, hut the 

 final turnout was by no means what it should have been, only 

 seven yachts being ready. The only Boston boat was Helen, the 

 recent winner of the Marblehead sweepstakes, whose owner, Mr. 

 Prince, very pluckily hurried her around to New York to try the 

 result of the many alterations made in her last winter. Ventura, 

 the new Burgess narrow centerboard, did not come round; Gos- 

 soon is just launched, and Moccasin, the new Burgess boat for Mr. 

 Morgan, is still on the ways. Besides Helen the entries were 

 Minerva, Liris, Tomahawk, Mariquita and Choctaw, the latter a 

 Buigess centerboard of the Nymph type. In the 30ft. class neither 

 Boston nor New York sent any competitor for the Gardner boal 

 Kathleen, and Mr. Zerega, who is racing her this year, was obliged 

 to sail over alone. , , , , ' , ' 



Thursday morning was clear and warm, but with a very light 

 breeze. The fleet were at anchor off Bay Ridge, Minerva and 

 Liris looking much the same as last year, both, however, with new 

 Lapthorne canvas. Helen showed very well as she lay at anchor, 

 being not unlike Liris above water, though with less sheer aft. 

 tomahawk has been wonderfully improved in appearance by the 

 change from white to black, and is now a very handsome and 

 stylish craft. The tug Dalzell. with the race committee aboard, 

 came down about 10 A. M., and steamed off for the start, four 

 miles below, but iu spite Of the light air, the racers pottered 

 about, as deliberately as though the start was to be of the usual 

 wait-tor-the-lazy-man kind. Minerva and Choctaw were under 

 way first, Liris took the mud in getting out of the basin, and Mari - 

 quita's naphtha launch went to her aid, finally pulling her off but 

 delaying the latter yacht considerably. Helen started off late, 

 just in company with Liris; Kathleen lagged astern somewhere; 

 Mariquita managed to get a tow, and Tomahawk, with the fast 

 steam launch Daisy in attendance on her, started to sail down at 

 the last moment. 



The leaders reached down with a very light breeze, and but 

 little force, to the ebb, the minutes meanwhile running rapidly 

 toward 11 o'clock. The boats astern finally caught a light north- 

 erly breeze, squaring off booms, but Liris and Helen were so 

 nearly becalmed off Owl's Head that they gratefully took a tow 

 line from a garbage scow on its way out to sea; the two, with 

 towering while canvas and glossy black sides, making a striking 

 contrast with the homely scow and its load of mud. 



When the whistle blew at 11 o'clock, the only boats at the lino 

 were Minerva, steered by Mr. A. Bryan Alley, and Choctaw, 

 steered by Mr. Edmund Fish. Choctaw had been at the line for 

 some minutes, maneuvering for a start, but Minerva came 

 straight down the bay iu the nick of time, and crossed 50s. alter 

 the gun, just ahead of the white boat. Both carried elubtopsails 

 and jibtopsails were broken out at the line, the course being a 

 reach to Buov 10 with a moderate westerly breeze. Liris, steered 

 by Mr. J. F. Lovejov, came next, but with a handicap of 13m., 

 while Helen, steered by Mr. C. A. Prince, was 14m. 29s. late. 

 Mariquita was in hard luck, as. after the first delay , when she 

 finally started towing, she parted her hobstay aud was forced to 

 return to Bay Ridge. Tomahawk crossed 22m. 20s. late, and 

 Kathleen, finally towed to the start by the launch Flossie, was 3m. 

 ahead of her. , . 



The wind in the Lower Bay was very variable and ftuky, and the 

 sailing wns correspondingly uuinterestiug, Minerva passed Buoy 

 10 with a long lead in time, taking a breeze and setting her 

 spinaker. Choctaw followed, while Liris and Helen made a tack 

 to windward up into Raritan Bay. Tomahawk was far astern and 

 started for home about noon, while Kathleen, under working top- 

 sail, pegged away iu the rear. The times at Buoy 10 were: 



Minerva 12 14 15 Helen 12 40 58 



Choctaw 12 22 48 Kathleen Not timed. 



Liris „. ..... .12 38 2.* 



Inside the Hook the wind was still very tricky, Minerva was 

 obliged to shift her spinaker after setting it to starboard, Choctaw 

 flnallv running up very close to her. Outside, however, the wind 

 drew "up the beach, making a beat to the Scotland, while it was 

 much fresher. With sheets in, Minerva soon drew away from 

 Choctaw, leading her by 4m. 35s. at the Scotland. The times at 

 this mark were: , -, . s . 4 ' 



Minerva 1 33 50 Liris 1 4» 88 



Choctaw 1 38 25 Helen . . . ... ..1 63 f» 



The fleet ran in with spinakers and balloon jibtopsails set, 

 Minerva hugging the Hook shore, while Choctaw and the others 

 held out further. When around Buoy 5 and inside the Hook, both 

 of the leaders hugged the shore as closely as possible to avoid the 

 tide, thus hauling up so that spinakers would not stand. Wben 

 Liris came in by Buoy 5 she held on to her spinaker, standing out 

 in the tide to do so, but going much faster than the two under the 

 beach, the result of this move was that she turned Buoy 10 in 

 the lead, the times being: 



Liris 3 50 00 Minerva 3 :>2 00 



Choctaw & ® 4S ILL n 3 ® 3c 



Helen had followed Liris closely all day, and now came m tor a 

 share of the other's gains, being even with Minerva at the mark. 



Liris started straight for home from buoy 10, the wind being 

 lb'htS.E., but Minerva and Choctaw luffed out to the eastward 

 considerably. Here they struck a much stronger air, and soon 

 ran by Liris. When well up the bay a long luffing match began, 

 Minerva and Choctaw going far off their course. Once Minerva 

 paid sharply away lo run through Choctaw's lee, but failed; the 

 luffing beginning again until one was reminded of Titania aud 

 Katrina last year. Finally they resumed their course, Minerva 

 to leeward, but at once she picked up and ran away from Choctaw, 

 crossing the line lm. ahead of her. Liris was but 2m. 15s. astern 

 of Minerva at the finish. The full times were: 



Finish. Elansed. 

 5 14 45 6 11 35 

 5 15 55 ti 15 65 

 5 17 10 6 17 10 



Start. 



Minerva U 00 00 



Choctaw - 11 00 00 



Liris 11 00 00 



Helen 11 00 00 



Tomahawk 11 00 00 



Kathleen 11 00 00 



5 23 20 

 "Withdrew. 

 Not timed. 



C 23 20 



Corrected. 

 6 10 34 

 6 13 20 

 Allows, 

 fi 20 03 



The actual times over the course were: Liris 6:01:10, Helen 

 0:09:00, Minerva, 0:14:05, Choctaw 0:14:45. As a test of the boats t he 

 race amounted to very little, and even with a good start it would 

 have been inconclusive. Mr. Alley sailed Minerva for the first 

 time in a race, but did very well with her; while Mr. Fish handled 

 Choctaw very skillfully. _ , 



Under the circumstances the conditions of the start have come 

 in for some criticism; but in order to consider the matter fairly 

 it is necessary to take separately the t wo new features ot the race, 

 the starting from one gun and the starting at a fixed hour. The 

 failure of the start on Thursday was in no way attributable to 

 the "one gun" start, the case might have been as bad with the 

 usual ten minutes to cross had the same delay prevailed in the 

 fleet. In matches such as this, with six or eight picked boats, the 

 "one gun" start is in all ways the best, aud it is an open question 

 whether it is not as good as the ordinary club regattas, the fleot, 

 if very large, being separated into two or three divisions, each 

 starting from oue gun. ' 



The question of a fixed hour for starting, regardless of all con- 

 siderations, is a very different one, but ot increasing importance. 

 In the majority of races in our climate, about Now York in par- 

 ticular, the best plan is to start promptly at the advertised hour, 

 if there is wind enough, hut to allow the committee full discre- 

 tion in the matter of delaying the start in case of fog or calms. 

 The custom is to start at 11 A. M., but it very frequently happens 

 in summer that there, is no wind at that hour, while by waiting 

 until shortly after noon the breeze comes in from the sea. Under 

 such conditions, and particularly in the case of a time limit race 

 it l.as often proved possible to get. a good race by waiting, thus 

 avoiding a postponement to another day. This was the caBe in 

 several of the later international races, where there was no wind 



