362 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Noy. 10, 18§1, 



There wore present a number of old oflScers. amons: the es-com- 

 xnodore^' being WckerRou, '84: Oliver, '85; Wiiicin, '87; G-ibson, '88, 

 and Lawson, '90; also ex-Seeretaries Neiiie. Mix and Dannell. 



No speeches were made, but whea all rose trom the table at 10 

 P.M. they gathered at the head of the room, aroDnd the piano, 

 and with the aid of Vice-Corn. Cartwright, Messrs. Nickereon, 

 Moffatt and others held a very jolly service of song, the party 

 breaking up at a comparatively early hour. Taken altogether, 

 the dinner and even ng's meeiing was one of th"' pleasantest and 

 best conducted that the Association has ever enjoyed. Next day 

 the visitors, as the guests of Com. Winne and the Mohican C. 0., 

 made a trip down the river in a ste»Tn launch to the elub house, 

 paying a very pleasant visit to the home of Mr. and Miss Staata, 

 a stone liouse some 350 years old, where a number of curious 

 relics were inspected througli the courtesy of the hospitable 

 owners. On the retiirn to Albany the party "lunched with Com, 

 Winne, most of them afterward leaving for their homes. Dur- 

 ing the meeting of Snturday the regatta committee held a meet- 

 ing .and discussed a programme for next spason, whicti will in- 

 clude soma new features and is likely to he specially good. 



Small Tachts. By C. P. miiihardt. Price $10. Steam Tachfi and 

 Launches. By C. P. Kunhardi. Price, $3. Facht% Boats anO 

 Canueis. By C. Stamjield-Hiche. PHca $3.59. Steam Machinery, B% 

 Donaldson. Price, il.oO 



A I'ERTINENT QUESTION.— In his telegram, quoted else- 

 where, Mr. Hearst puts very pointedly a question that has been 

 in the minds of yachtsmen for the past three months: "If every- 

 body is ready, why the devil can't the race come off ?" An answer 

 to this conundrum is now in order. 



YACHT RACING IN 1891. 



rv.— THE 46ft. and 40rT. classes. 



ON July 16 the i-acing was resumed in Eastern waters, but 

 Gloriara was at Newport, Sayonara was at the yard for gen- 

 eral repairs, Alborak was undergoing alterations, and only 

 Beatrix, Barbara, Oweene and Gossoon started. Oweene beat 

 Beatrix very bandlJy, and Barbara, in this her first race, was 

 beaten by Gossoon. Alborak sailed with the racers, though not 

 timed, making but a poor showing. The special regatta of the 

 Easte u Y. C. followed on July 29, Sayonara and Alborak being 

 ready by this time, and making up a fleet of six starters. Sayon- 

 ara parted ter bobstay and was soon out of the race. Beatrix'was 

 first, with Oweime second. Next day was sailed the special race 

 of the Corinthian Y. C, all but Alborak starting. Beatrix again 

 beat Oweene, with Sayonara third. 



The Cherry Diamond Y. C, anew organization constituting the 

 yachting department of the Manhattan Athletic Club, of New 

 \''ork, came into the held this season with a handsome gold cup 

 for the ttitt. class, to be won three times, and the first race was Fet 

 in connection with the regatta of tt;e club on July 35. Mineola, 

 Nautilus and Jessica started, but uufoi'tunately the regatta com- 

 mittee of tile club hart neglected all arrangements and failed to 

 appear on the day of the race, leaving the entire management to 

 the Commodore. As a consequence, when Mineola, with a good 

 lead, reuehed the mouth of fiemostpad Bay, tnere was no mark- 

 boat to be turned. The judges' tug came up in time for Nautilus 

 and Jessica to round, but Mineola very properly declined to con- 

 tinue, and entered a jsrotest on the ground tbat the mark-boat 

 was abstnt wlien sbe rea bed the place whereic should liave been. 

 Jessica and Nautilus continued and sailed a very pretty race, in 

 wijicti the Fife boat won, but the club finally decided to declare 

 the race off arid resail it a future dat", wMeh was done. In addi- 

 tion to a leg for tbe cup and a pri/.e of S25 for the winner of each 

 race, there was a swevp-takes of S30 each ou ihis first race. 



Yachtsmen had looked forward to f he New Y'ork Y. C. cruise to 

 see the entire 4Gft. fleet brought together, but they were destined 

 to disappointment, as at no time more than six yachts started; in 

 fact, through the season only one race of the class has had as 

 many as seven starters. Alborak remained at Marblehead, as she 

 was in no form for racing: Beatrix and Barbara were late in get- 

 ting around the Cape, and only joined the fleet at Newport, and 

 even then Beatrix, n^t being owned by a club member, could not 

 start in tbe races of tbe cruise. Gloriana did not accomoany the 

 fleet, merely sailing in two races at Newport; Uvira and Jessica 

 started hut twice; so that most of the racing was done by Oweene, 

 Sayonara, Mineola and Nautilus. Oweene distinguished herself 

 on tbe first and second runs, but came to grief in the Goelec cup 

 race, losing her topsail halliard and pulling her stem apart near 

 the bobstay plate, tbrowing her out of the race. 



The meeting between Gloriana and the rest of the class in this 

 race was expected to settle some disputed points, but it was finally 

 announced tbat Beatrix would not be allowed to start, not being 

 euTolled in the club. While this was a matter of general disaiJ- 

 pointment, it could not be avoided by the regatta committee, the 

 rules being quite clear on the subject, and tbe fault, if any, lying 

 with her owners, wbo had neglecied to apply for membership in 

 due season. Some misunderstanding I'esulted, as this decision 

 shut out Beatrix for several other races; but the matter was finally 

 explained satisfactorily, though to the disappointment of yachts- 

 men. 



Only four of tbe class started for the Goelet cup— Gloriana, 

 Oweene. Barbara and Sayonara, with the TOft. ^jlracie. Gloriana 

 bad an undoubted advantage from tbe fact that she had been idle 

 since Jitne; being sailed about Newport, but missing the hard 

 work on the crews and the strain of hulls and gear that the others 

 bad met with ou the cruise. From tbe start st^ie led easily, never 

 being tbreatened by the rest of the fleet. Oweene was sailing 

 well when she came to grief, first through tbe scarph of ber stem 

 drawing at the bobstay plate, making a bad leak, and later 

 through the drawing of the wire splice of her topsail halliard, 

 compelling her to v^iithdraw after some eight miles of the wind- 

 ward work, the first leg, was completed. Barbara did very well all 

 day, losing some time through the drawing of the splice In her 

 bobstay, but finally finishing second to Gloriana and a long way 

 ahead of Sayonara. In the 13i4-mile heat, in a light but steady 

 breeze, Gloriana beat Gracie neatly 8m. On the 18-mile run down 

 wind Barbara picked up 2m. on Gloriana. 



The third run of tbe cruise, to Vmeyard Haven, a very fluky 

 race, was won by Mineola, with Nautilus second. The special 

 race at Vineyard Haven, however, was a very fine one, with a 

 strong breeze and a good course in Vineyard Sound. Only 

 Mine'ila, Sayonara and Oweene started for the club prize, but a 

 special sweepstakes ivas arranged, as in 1889, in which Beatrix 

 was included, just as in 1889 tbe outside boats, Paiipoose and 

 Alice won, so this year Beatrix scored an easy victory, beating 

 Sayonara by about 9m., Mineola being third and Oweene last. 

 This gave the club prize to .Sayonara and the sweepstakes to 

 Beatrix. The two remaining runs of thecruise were unimportant 

 but not without incident: on the rtm to New Bedford both Mineola 

 and Oweene took the ground, but got off safely after some risk 

 and difficulty. Beatrix sailed with the fleet and was timed as 

 second boat. Gossoon, sailing in the l6£t. class for the want of a 

 competitor, being first. As Beatrix was not in the class and com- 

 peted for no prize, her place in this race is not counted in our 

 cable. Sayonara won the final run, with Oweene second. 



Gloriana had not accompanied the fleet to the Vineyard, and 

 after a week of rather inglorious ease sbe was ready for the 

 special race ou Aug. ly. Captain Watson, of Sayonara, was one of 

 the first of the Eastern yachtsmen to proclaim the invincibility 

 of Gloriana after seeing her in the early regattas, and when tbey 

 met hereafter he gave up all chance of outsailing her, and con- 

 tented himself with looking for lucky flukes. This day he found 

 one, thanks to a local shift of wind which is not uncommon 

 between Newport and Block Island, and came withm but S8s. of 

 beating the Herreshoff flyer. Uvira started in this race and 

 turned up in third place, heating both Mineola ah.d Jfssica. 



This ended the racing of the New York cruise, the honors of 

 which must be divided between Oweene and Sayonara, as though 

 beaten at times by Gloriana and Beatrix, they sailed the cruise 

 through from Glen Cove to Vineyard Haven and back to New- 

 port. Mineola too made tbe whole cruise, though not scoring so 

 Avell as the others. 



Closely following tbe breaking up of the cruise came tbe great 

 race of the season, tbe Corinthian Y. C. sweepstakes, over the re- 

 gular 25 mile triangle off Bremen's Reef. For two years the 

 race has been in the 40ft. I lasp, beine won by Minerva, but this 

 year it was, as a matter of course, changed to the 16ft. class, the 

 entries being ten in all, Gloriana, Mineola, Uvira, Sayonara, 

 Nautilus, Beatrix, Jessica, Oweene, Barbara and Alborak, Of 

 these Alborak, Nautilus and Uvira did not start. Gloriana won, 

 as usual, but Oweene was only a minute astern of her, while 

 Beat rijc, from whom so much had been expected, was a poor 

 tliird. Mineola was fourth, Barbara fifth, Sayonara sixth and 



Jessica seventh. Next day was re-sailed tbe race of the Cherry 

 Diamond 1''. C. only Mineola and Jessica startinor, the two at the 

 saaie lime deciding a private match which had been long pend- 

 ing. Mine'ila won very easily, the wind being light. This race 

 was open only to the original starters, but the following day a 

 second leg was sailed, open to the whole class, As Gloiiaaa 

 would not start, Beatrix also declined, and Jes-sici and Mi iieola 

 had it out alone, Jessica turning the tables and beating Mi ueola 

 very fairly bv 3m., the wind being much stronger than ou the 

 previous day. 



The fleet now turned its attention from Newport to Marldehead, 

 where the Corinthian Y. C. was preparing tor its regular mid- 

 summer series, th's time three rsicos on snccssivf days, with a 

 prize of 8100 to the winner of each race ami a S3iJ0 cup to the win- 

 ner of the greatest number. Altiiough the Eastern boats had 

 shown no hesitation in coming to New York, Sayonara coming on 

 twice, while Oweene made the entire cruise and Beatrix and Bar- 

 bara were at Newport, the New York vaohts did not show a simi- 

 lar spirit, Mineola alone going round the Oape. Neither Nautilus 

 nor Jessica had a suflicient chance of w'nning to justify tbe long 

 trip, but with Gloriana the ease was different, and the feeling 

 was quite general, in the East at least, tbat she should have sailed 

 out the season. Admitting freely her superiority to the whole 

 fleet, including Beatrix, it is at the same time a fact that she won 

 tier fLrst races when in much better coniition than any of her 

 rivals, and in the three later races at Newport she bad a still 

 greater advantage, making no pretensions at crtilsing but kept in 

 the best possible sbape at Dome, wbile Oweeu--, Sayonara, Mineola 

 and l;he rest were racing day after day vritti the same crews, their 

 owners living on hoard. Under the circtiiustanees, and consider- 

 ing too tbe general desiietosee a conclusive trial between ber 

 and Beatrix, it would have been no more than an every-day ex- 

 ample of that reciprocity of which one now hears so much to have 

 sent her around the Cape, and the reasous given for not doing so 

 after a virtual challenge from Beatrix seem rather unsubstantial. 

 Skipper and crew were ready to make the passage, tbe yacht was 

 in commission, in fact she is in commlBsion to-day long after tbe 

 rest of the class have hauled up; and one can leave Newport in 

 the morning by rail and reach Marblehead in time for the start 

 of a race, so that it would seem that tbe matter was quite easy of 

 accomplishment. Through the absence of (gloriana the conclud- 

 ing races were robbed of much of their interest, while the results 

 are of far less value than they mieht bave been. Though many 

 believe as we do that Gloriana can win the great majority of 

 races from Beatrix, there are many others of the contrary 

 opinion; and as the e two represent the highest achiovements up 

 to this time in the keel and centerboard types, it is most impor- 

 tant that the issue between them should be definitely settled. 



As it was, but five of the fleet took part in the three races, Say- 

 onara having gone on the cruise of the Eastern Y. C. with Gos- 

 soon. All had been put In shape after the New York cruise. 

 Oweene and Beatrix in particular needing the shipwright's care, 

 Alborak had been undergoing alterations ever since her first trial, 

 in the effort to improve her steering and speed in general. The 

 first race was won by Barbara, the second by Beatrix, Mineola 

 and Barbara losmg bobstays and withdrawing, and the third by 

 Beatrix again, with Alborak second. In the second race Beatrix 

 w,'.s protested by Oweene for making two starts, crossing the line 

 twice, but the protest was lot sustained. This same race was, for 

 some unknown reason, counted as a leg for the Cherry Diamond 

 cup. 



The races of the Eastern Y. C. cruise have been mentioned in 

 connection with the other classes. Sayonara, sailing against Cin- 

 derella, won one race and was second in two others, taking second 

 prize. The final race of the class, the fall regatta of the Eastern 

 Y. C, was a very fluky a,ud inconclusive one, Beatrix winning, 

 with Oweene second. Alborak and Barbara were left entirely, by 

 a fluke of the wind, early in the race, and finally withdrew. On 

 .Sept. 10 a private match was sailed between Oweene and Alborak, 

 being won by Oweene, which closed the season. Neither the New 

 York nor .Seawanhaka clubs attempted a fall regatta, as yachts- 

 men evidentlv were not anxious to sail any longer, and tbe regatta 

 of the Larchmont Y. 0. was a failure, none of the 4f!ft. class being 

 present. 



The racing in the 40ft. class was of the most meagre descrip- 

 tion, in fact the entire rec ord does not show one good race. Gos- 

 soon has been practically in tt.e 16ft. class. Minerva has been tied 

 up all the season, and Litis was fitted out for cruising, with no 

 intention of racing. Ventura's new owner started in to race her, 

 but the attempt was a failure. Litis was started several times to 

 make up a class, in the first instance because Jessica had no com- 

 petitor. In the New York regatta Gorilla was entered in cruis- 

 ing trim, and as she had no competitor, the owner of the Liris 

 agreed to start her at the request of the committee. Next morn- 

 ing when Liris came to the line Gorilla was invisible, so the 

 former saih^d alone. Ventura started in the same race, but de- 

 clined to sail with tbe cruising trim class, and went up with the 

 46ft. class. The sequel was a sad one, as Liris, starting at the 

 same time, led Ventura all day and finished far ahead, tbe latter 

 finally crossing on ttie wrong side of the finish line and not being 

 timed. In the strong wind and sea Liris, in cruising trim, sailed 

 a very good race with the 46-footers. they being in a hot race 

 while she was merely sailing alone, with working canva^. 

 Liris also sailed over in tbe Seawanhaka Corinthian regatta, 

 her class failing to fill on tbt- morning of the race. In the Corin- 

 thian regatta sbe was classt-d oy corrected length, bringing her 

 against Ltvira, and coming in second. Mariquita made ber only 

 start of the year. Fleet Captain Belmont starting ber in the 

 absence of Mineola. who was awaiting a new mast. Broncho also 

 started, but witbdrew. 



On the New Y"ork cruise Gossoon re-entered the 40ft. class, but 

 parted her shrouds on the first run. being compelled to put back 

 as far as City Island for repairs, only rejoining the fleet in time 

 for the third run. Liris made the first run alone, on the second 

 she beat Ventura, and on the third she was second, Ventura not 

 finishing. This ended her racing for the season. She has laid up 

 during tne past week after a busy season of cruising, and is on the 

 sale list, her owner desiiing a larger boat. Gossoon and Ventura 

 sailed together in the special race at Vineyard Haven, the latter 

 not finishing. After this Gossoon went back to tbe 4011. class for 

 the final run and also sailed with Sayonara and Cinderella on the 

 Eastern Y. C. cruise. On S'^pt. 7 the Corinthian 1^. C. made a 

 class for the forties in cruising trim, a handicap race, off Marble- 

 head, but only Baboon and Tomahawk started, the former win- 

 ning on handicap time. This race was the last one of tbe class. 



Going hack to the 48ft. class, Gloriana has a most exceptional 

 record of a first prize for each of her eight starts In only one 

 race, and that a fluky one, was the margin at all close, while in 

 nearly all sbe clearly outsailed the whole fleet. In yacht racing 

 each boat must stand by its own mishaps, and Gloriana's achieve- 

 ments cannot be discounted by the fact tbat ber opponents were 

 continually breaking down while she sailed the season without 

 loaiag a spar or straining a bolt. At the same time there is on the 

 other side the very important fact that while the fleet at large 

 was chasing each other about from Marblehead to Sandy Hook, 

 sailing from 20 to 25 races each, she was carefully kept up to rac- 

 ing form and started only in certain races. In tbe first regattas, 

 at New York, whatever advantage she had was a perfectly legiti- 

 mate one, as the other boats should have been in just as perfect 

 condition as she; but in the later races she carried a very heavy 

 handicap in her favor. 



While Mineola, Oweene, Sayonara and Jessica were working 

 their way with the flepf from Glen Cove to Newport, Gloriana was 

 quietly wa'ting her chance for the Goelet cup; and while sbe 

 would undoubtedly have won it in any case, she had a far easier 

 and safer task than if she had sailed with the others during tbe 

 previous days. In the same way. after this rttce she lay at New- 

 port for a week while the others were racing, brealf ing spars and 

 running aground between Newport and Vineyard Haven, giving 

 her a great advantage in both the special race at the end of the 

 cruise and the Corinthian sweepstakes four days later. Still 

 later, when the rest of the fleet wended their watery way to Mar- 

 blehead for the final tourney of the year, Gloriana positively de- 

 cUned to accompany them. 



While Gloriana's record at the head of such a class is really a 

 brilliant one, there are many racing yachtsmen who would take 

 far more genuine satisfaction from such records as other boats of 

 tbe class have made, records marked by few prizes, but showing 

 a wbolB season of bard, persistent and spirited effort in the fat e 

 of serious difflculties. Such a record is that of Mineola with 25 

 starts, Sayonara with 26, Jessica with .20 and Oweene with 19. The 

 racing done this season by Messrs. Belmont and Thayer is unpre- 

 cedented in this country, their yachts having been started in al- 

 most every race open to them, and this in the face of very serious 

 defects in the boats from the time of launching up to the latter 

 part of the season. 



The percentage of wins to starts is usually a very poor basis of 

 comparison, as leaving out the case of yacbt which snows a per- 

 centage of 100 by starting but once, a yacht which has raced hard 

 through the yyhole season is certain to make a far poorer showing 

 than one which starts only in a few picked races. Several very 

 ingenious formulas have lately been worked out in England for 

 the purpose of determining the comparative merits of the per- 

 formances of different yachts; but yachtsmen are generally ac- 

 cuBtomed to cast up an account from a general observance of the 

 raeea without haying recourse to mathematics. By this rough 



and ready method, tailing into consideration as far as nnssiblo all 

 the pros and cons of desiiiTi, eonditioa, handling, ownerstiip aai 

 number of starts, wins and breakdowns, Gloriana will still be at 

 the head of the list. As nothing succoeds like success, h?r par- 

 formauces and actual merits have b^en generally esiggaratel 

 rather than underestimated; bit' looked a t from the mon conset^ 

 vaiive standpoint It must be admitted that .she stamls Car and 

 aw.'iy ahead of the rest, both as a novel ami remarkable craft, 

 a prize winner and as a decided step toward still greater improve- 

 ment in designing. 



Though less p jwerful than Liris, she is an embo diment of tbe 

 principles of very Hrge sail area on a limited length, with light 

 construction. While Liris, through such cansea a.s tao weakuess 

 of her rig and the lack of regular and cnntiniial go <1 iiaudliug, 

 must be classed as a magnificent failure, in Giuriana Mr. He.rres- 

 h'lff bas scored a most magnificent sui;ct?ss, tjnth in design .and 

 (;onslruofion. Like Liris, she has sailed very fast whenever her 

 «Pirs stood, but unlike tnc latter, sh^j. has ciUTied aer stiars and 

 gear through the season, having done a great deal more hard 

 sailing than ber racing i-ecord shows. She was out early enough 

 to be tried In the hard winds of the early season ana has been 

 kept in commission ami use until wit bin a v.'eek, so that hull and 

 rig have been thoroughly tested. 



Next to Gloriana in the percentage of wins to starts is Beatrix, 

 7 wins to 11 starts, but in spite of the claims of her fjieads that 

 she is the equal of the Bristol boat, most yachtsmen will rate her 

 as better than second in the class, placirg ber mucb closer to the 

 third boat. Oweene, than ihe first. While iier record is best, slie 

 sailed but half t> e number of races of the other Burgess boats, 

 missing all the hard work of tbe early regattas at New York, and 

 also of the New York cruise, and profiting by the experiences of 

 Mineola and Sayonara in tne way of break downs. She is un- 

 doubtedly a very fast yacht, the fastest centerhoard of recent 

 time.s, but it is not yet quite certain where her place should be 

 with her keel sisters Oweene, Sayonara and Mineola. She and 

 Oweene have met 9 times, Beatrix being G times in the lead; In the 

 matter of handling there is probably lltilti ' o choose between them, 

 but Oweene has suftered more from mishaps, and has sailed a 

 greater number of races. 



Oweene may safely he set down as tbe fastest of the Bui'gess keel 

 boats, Sayonara being the next. Sayonara and Mineola have met 

 a number of times during tbe season, the result being very largely 

 in favor of tbe former; in the matter of construction they bave 

 been very equally n atched, though Mineola leads tbe list of mis- 

 haps with two mastssprung or lost; but in the handling, Sayonara 

 has undoubtedly bad the advantage. 



The question of the Fife 20-rate.T Jessica with the American 

 boats of tbe same length, but one-third more sail, is quite an 

 interesting one, and it may he said that while Jessica is ohviously 

 out of place among the larger boats, she has, by persistent racing, 

 made a very fair showing, quite as good a s those familiar with her 

 type had reason to anticipate. Her best work was io the New 

 Y^ork annual, the Seawantiaka special and the Larchmont annual 

 races, but there is nothing in what she has done to indicate that 

 she or her type will displace tbe wider and larger boats, whatever 

 classification may be adopted in the future. 



The most disappointing boats of the season have been Barbara 

 and Nautilu-. Tbe successor to Minerva has been watctied by 

 American yachtsmen with a great deal of interest. Her perform- 

 ances through the season have been hut poor, though .she baa 

 shown fair speed at times. It is evident, however, tliat nhe has 

 not received tbe careful working up which every racing boat re- 

 quires, and which can only be had by tbe constant presence on 

 board of an expert, either Corinthian or proieisioual. as well as 

 good handling in tbe races. Considering thu fair and handsome 

 design and the careful proportions of Nautilus, with her excellent 

 construction, it IS hard TO say why she has been so far aattrn of 

 ber class in windward work. A great part of the trouble, how- 

 ever, may be laid to the lack of this same careful and persistent 

 working up at the bands of one man, who stays by tbe tioat from 

 tlie time she is decked until tbe last race is sailed. Nautilus baa 

 been steered and handled in the races by her owner and other ex- 

 cellent Corinthians, but she, like Barbara and Alborak, has missed 

 the watchful care of a skipper whose business it is to live in the 

 boat night and day. 



If we look at the boats which have made the best showing, we 

 find that each has had far more than mere good handling in the 

 races; Capt. Crocker has been in Beatrix through the season; 

 Capt. Barr went to work on Oweene while she was being planked, 

 and Citpt. Watson took charge of Sa\ onara at even an earlier 

 stage of the building, Capt. Harry Haff has been in Hineola 

 from the first, while Capt. Harvey uas been iu Jes.siea for two 

 seasons, putting the new rig on her hlmsolf last spring. It seems 

 certain that as yachts are now raced the constant lahor of one 

 man is necessary to get and keep chem in condition, and that no 

 merit of tbe steersman nor excellence of the crew, Coriathiau or 

 professional, can compensate for this work. Gloriana may seem 

 to be an exception to this rule, but she has been under the watch- 

 ful eye of ber designer, himself an expert sailor and mechanic, 

 through the wbtde season. 



Of Albi'rak, the boat which at one time was looked to as a stait- 

 ling feature of the class, there is little to say save that =he has been 

 a complete and probably final failure, as it is douhtf id whether any 

 future alterations or any amount of good handling can ever win 

 her even a medium place in the class. Like the rest, she has 

 suffered from weaK construction, but fttrther than that she has 

 shown other faults which are prooably beyond remedy. .She is 

 remarkable as embodying those ideas of the value of a great sail 

 sail spread which General Paine has upheld for fome years, but 

 If she is to be taken as provitig anything it must be against rather 

 than for them. 



In spite of tbe large amount of racing in the class, and the 

 amount of data to be flerived from it, there are few grounds for 

 definite conclusions In the matter of type. The value of the 

 results in this direction has been largely discounted by the fact 

 that the present year has been a period of experimental construc- 

 tion to an extent previously unknown, isor until the serious 

 drawbacks of leaky hulls, weak topsides, defective ironwork and 

 ill-fitting canvas arp removed, and tne entire fleet is on a reason- 

 able plane of equality In construction, worKlng up and handling, 

 can a solution be looked for of the complicated questions of de- 

 sign which are involved in such craft as Gloriana, Oweene, Bea- 

 trix, Barbara audMiueola. 



NHXt week we suaU take up the record of the leading yachts of 

 the 35 and 30ft. classes. 



MORE LETTER WRITING. 



THE recent exhibition of the Norwood, in which she broke the 

 record and her safety valve, has called forth the foUovying 

 telegram from tht; owner of i he Vamoose to his engineer: 



San FhancisCO, Nov. 13.— T/icr>doj-e Hinlhrnn: See if you can't 

 have a race arranged positively and tor a iie Quite dale as soon as 

 possible If everybody is ready why the devil can't the race come 

 off? Be sure, however, tbat in the race no boat Is permitted to 

 carry steam in excess of the limit allowed it by law. — W, R. 

 Hearst. 



Tnis telegram has started the following correspondence, which 

 pi'omises to he as lengthy as that preceding the last postponed 

 race, and equaUy devoid of result: 



Ca%it. Oeorye W- Sail, Hemtta Committee, American Y. C: Deak 

 SiK— The machinery of the Vamoose is at present taken apart to 

 lay up for winter, but in the event that you can possibly arrange 

 a race with the Norwood we can get the Vamoose ready in five 

 aays, and would be only too glad to have the chance to do so. Will 

 you please see what you can do to bring about the race mentioned, 

 over the American Y. C. course of eighty knots, and under the 

 terms already agreed upon with Mr. Munro ;' Mr. Hearst does 

 not seem to be inclined to accept any excuse, especially as the 

 Norwood claims a victory on the mile performance of last Satur- 

 day. Awaiting an early reply, I remain yours sincerely, Thko. 

 HeiIjBRON, Manager Yacht Vamoose. 



Norman L. Munro, iJ«y , S6 VandewalKr street. New York Oi,ty: 

 Delir SIR— I enclose COP.V of letter just received from Mr, Theo. 

 Heilbron, manager of the steam yacht Vamoose, in relation to 

 the proposed race between the Norwood and Vamoose under the 

 auspices of the American Y'. C. I can only add, anv time ap- 

 pointed for tbe race will be agreeable to tne club. Y' ours very 

 truly", Geobgb H. Hall, Cnairmaa Regatta Committee American 

 Y. C. 



To the Editor of the Sun: Sib— I have received to-day, through 

 tbe courtesy of Mr. George Hall, Chairman of the Regatta Com- 

 mittee of the American V. C, a letter from Mr. Hearst's engineer, 

 in which It is stated that the Vamoose is ready for a rate witli the 

 Norwood on the Sound. As there is no probability of smooth 

 water on the Sound at tbis season, it se^ms to me that the race 

 could taKe place just as well on the Hudson. The trials that I 

 may give the Norwood will not interfere in any way with the 

 coming race. If it must be on the Sound, then any day next 

 spring will suit me. Yours truly, N. L. Munbo. 



TTTOWANA.— It is reported that Mr. Durant and family will 

 spend the winter in Paris, resuming their cruise in the spring. 

 Mr. J. Beavor-Webb bas presented a very handsome model of the 

 yacht to the Seawanhaka C Y. C, 



