872 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



f June 39, I8V18, 



Spaniel Trials. 



Editor Forest and Stream: ^, . . 



I have noticed a number of letters recently m regardUto 

 field trials for spaniels, and what class of game could be 

 used to try the hunting instincts of that merry little dog to 

 the .best advantage. To my mind there is but one bird m 

 this country that field trials for spaniels could be run on with 

 any success whatever, and I think that bird fills all the 

 requirements necessary to test the field qualities of the 

 spaniel. I refer to the rail family. There is not a section of 

 the country where marshes are located, either east or west, 

 where some variety of the rail family cannot be found, from 

 the large king rail of inland waters, the clapper rail of salt 

 marshes, to the smaller sora and red bill rail that are found 

 on both salt and fresh meadows. The entire rail family 

 gives a strong game scent, of which fact all snipe shooters 

 are aware from the manner in which pointers and setters 

 will point them and bother with them.- The habits and 

 scent of all the varieties are very, if not exactly, similar. 

 They will lie close for a dog, can run like a race horse, testing 

 a dog's reading capacities to the utmost, and a dog thjit will 

 retrieve any of the snipe family will not refuse to fetch a 

 rail. On the Pine Brook, Troy and other meadows through 

 which the Passaic River flows in New Jersey, there are as 

 many as five varieties of rail (that I know) and probably 

 more, and a great nuisa,nce they are in the autumn to the 

 snipe shooter's pointers and setters. Around the moist spots 

 where the second growth of grass is about ankle high, large 

 uumbers of these birds can be found on the above meadows 

 during any September. Considering his habits, quantity 

 and general distribution throughout the United States, tell 

 me of a bird better adapted to run spaniels on. Surely an 

 hour's work on rail where they are in fair numbers only, 

 would show more real field work by each dog entered than 

 the pointers and setters get at the field trials in several 

 days'^work. H. N. 



FIXTURES. 



JUNE. 



30- July 13. Phila., Club Cruise. 



JULY. 



1. St. Lawrence, A. M., A, 30ft. 10. Eiverside, Cruise, L. I. Souud. 



and 25ft. classes. P. M., 10. Corinthian, Atlantic City, 



steam yacht race. 10. L. Y. R. A., Royal Canadian, 



1. Miramichi,CruisetoBay duVin Toronto. 



1. Hempstead Bay, An., Hemp- 13. Miramichi, Newcastle to Chat- 

 stead Bay. " ham. 



1. AVinthi-op, Cash Race, Hough's 15. St. Lawrence, 25ft., 18ft. and 



Neck. skiff classes, Montreal. 



1. Koyal Can., Queen's Cup, 40ft. 15. Phila., Pen. and Sweeps Race, 



Class, Hamilton. Delaware River. 



1. New Rochelle, An., NewRoch. 15. Commonwealth,lstPen,Boston 



1. Seawanhaka, An., Oyster Bay. 15. Jersey City, Cruise. 



1. Beverly, Marblehead. 15. Cor., Marblehead, 1st Cham. 



1. WiUiamsburg, Club Cruise. 15. Winthrop, Cash Race, Hough's 



1. Minnetonka. club race. Neck. 



1-4. Cor., San Fran., Martinez, 15. Atlantic, Cruise, rendezvous, 



Suisun and Vallejo. Cold Spring. 



3. Indian Harbor, Special, Green- 15. Minnetonka, club race. 



wich, Conn 15. Royal Can., Sldff Class, Tor. 



4. Larchmont, An., Larchmont. 15. Staten Island, Open Regatta. 

 4. Cor., Marblehead, Club Reg. 17. Rhode Island, Cup. 



4. Beverly, 1st Buzzard's Bay 20. Monatiquot, Ladies' Day,'Wey- 



Cham., Mon. Beach. mouth. 



4. Larchmont, An.. Larchmont. 22. Mos. Fleet, Cham., So. Boston. 



4. Buffalo, Club Regatta, L. Erie. 22. Rochester, Skiff, Charlotte. 



4. Pavonia, Com. and Vice-Corn. 22. Riverside, Special Cup, River- 

 Cups, Communipaw. side. Conn. 



4. L. T. R. A., Rochester, rendez- 22. Cor., Marblehead, 21-footers. 



vous and race. 22. Beverly, 3d Open Sweep, Mon. 



4. Minnetonka, cup race. Beach. 



4-5. Citizens Association, Open, 22. Savin Hil Union- Race, Dor- 

 Detroit, Mich. Chester Bay. 



7, Fall River, Ladies' Day, Fall 22. Royal Can., 21ft. Class, Tor. 



River. 24-30. Hempstead Bay, Cruise, L. 



8. Riverside, An., Riverside, Cd. I. Sound. 



8. Beverly, 2d Open Sweeps, Quis- 27. Fall River, Ladies' Day, Moimt 



sett. Hope Bay. 



8. Knickerbocker, Club, Sloops 28. Savin Hill, Moonlight Sail, 



and Cutters, College Point. 29. Buffalo, An. Cruise, Lake Erie 



8. Monatiquot, Cash Prizes, Wey- 29. Indian Hai'bor, An., Green- 

 mouth, wich, Conn. 



8. Savin Hill, First Cup, Dorches- 29-30. Cor.i San Fi-an., Masquerade 



ter Bay. and Cruise. 



8. So.Boston,lstCham.,So.Boston 29. Hull Cor.,, Cash Race, Hull. 



8. Mos. Fleet, Cham., So. Boston. 29. Royal Can.. Lansdowne Cup, 



8. St. Lawrence, A, 30ft. and 21ft. 40, 35 and 30ft. Classes, Tor. 



classes, Montreal. 29. Minnetonka, club race. 



8. L.Y.R.A.,RoyalHamilton,Ham 



AUGUST. 



2. Monatiquot, 1st Cham., "Wey 16. Monatiquot, 2d Cham., Wey 



mouth. mouth. 



4. Savin HiU, 2d Cham., Dorches- 19. Lynn, E\-pert Cup, Ljmn, Mass 



ter. 16. Savin Hill. Sail-off, Dorchester 



5. Cor., Marblehead, 2d Cham. Bay. 



5. So. Boston,2dCham., So. Boston 19. Mos. Fleet, Cham.. So. Boston. 



5. Beverly, 2d Buzzard's Bay 19. Riverside, Ladies' Day Race, 



Cham., Mon. Beach. Riverside, Conn. 



Knickerbocker, Club, Cabin 19. Quincy,ClubRace,Quincy,Mas8 



Cats, College Point. 19. Beverly, 1st Open, Quissett. 



5. Riverside, Pen. Regatta, River- 19. So. Boston,3dCham.,So. Boston 



side, Conn. 19. Winthrop, 2d Cham. 



5. Mos. Fleet, Cham., So. Boston. 19. Royal Can., Skiff Class, Tor. 



5. Commonwealth, Ladies' Day, 19-20. Cor., San Fi-an., Cruise, 



Boston Harbor. Goat Island. 



5. Quincy,ClubRace,Quincy,Mass 19. Savin Hill, Union Open, Dor- 



5. Lynn, Expert Cup, Lynn, Mass Chester Bay. 



5. Winthrop, Ladies' Day. 21. Rhode Island, Open. 



5. Royal Can., 21ft. Class and Mc- 22. Fall River, Open Regatta, Fall 



Gaw Cup, Toronto. River. 



7. New York Cniise, Rendezvous 22. Massachusetts, Club, Dorches- 



and Com.'s Cups, Glen Cove. ter Bay. 



8. Massachusetts, Open, Under 33. PaU River, Open, Mount Hone 



23ft., Dorchester Bay. Bay. 



8. New York Cruise, run to 24. Rochester, Club, Charlotte. 



9. New York Cruise, run to New 24. Commonwealth, 2d Pen,Boston 



London. 25. Staten Island, Ladies' Day. 



10. Miramichi, Stewart Pen. .Black 26. Buffalo, Ladies' Day. 



Brook. 26. Cor., Atlantic City, Annual 



10. Rochester, Ladies' Day, Char- 26. Cor., Marblehead, 3d Cham. 



lotte, N. Y. 26. Monatiquot, 3d Cham., Wey- 



10. New York Cruise, run to New- mouth. 



port. 26. Minnetonka, sail off. 



11. New York Cruise, Goelet Cups, 26. Larchmont, Oyster Boats 



Newport. Larchmont. 



13. Hull Cor., 2d Cham., Hull. 26-37. Cor., San Fran., Cruise, Pet- 



13. Beverly, Marblehead, aluma Creek. 



12. Winthrop, Cash Race. 26-28. Roj^al Canadian, Cruise 



12. Royal Can., Cruising Race, 1st, 31. Larchmont, 85ft. special Lon'^ 



. 30 and 25ft. Classes, Toronto. Island Sound. ° 



12. Minnetonka, cup^race. _ _. Cor., Sweeps, Soft. Class, New- 



13. Cor. , San Fran . , Rowing Races, 



Tiburon. 



14. Hempstead Bay, third Club, 



Hempstead Bay. 

 14-19. Cor., Marblehead, Midsum- 

 mer Series. 



port. 



— New Y'ork Cruise, run to Vine- 

 yard Haven. 

 — . New York Cruise, Astor Cups, 



Newport. 

 — . Seawanhaka, Soft, special. 



SEPTEMBER. 



3. Savin Hill, 2d Cup, Dorchester 9. Beverly, Marblehead. 



Bay. 



2. Cor., Marblehead, Sail off. 



2. Beverly, 4th Opeu Sweeps, 



Mon. Beacli. 

 2. Knickerbocker. Club, Open 



Boats, Colle;?e PoiTil. 

 2. Qulncy,ClubRace,Quinev,Mass 

 2. Rochester, CIruise. Charlotte. 



9, Cor., San Francisco! Channel 



Cruise and Race. 

 9. Commonwealth,3d Pen,Boston 

 9. Buffalo. Cruising Sweepstakes 



AU Classes, Lake Erie. 

 9. Royal Can., Prince of Wales 



Cup, Toronto. 

 9. Miramichi, Newcastle, triangle 



2. Lynn Esiierc Cup, Lynn, Mass. 14 Beverly. '3d Buzzard's' Bav 



3. Winthrop, Consolation Race. Cham., Aton. Beach 



3. Royal Can., Cruisuag Race, Ist 14. Rochester, Review and Ladies 

 Class, Toronto. Day. Charlotte, N. Y. 



3. Larchmont, Fall Regatta, 14. Mos. Fleet, Open, Cash. Soiiih 

 liarohmont. Boston. 



4, FaU River, Club, Mount Hope 15. New York, autumn sweeps. 



Bay. ' New York. 



4. Fall River, Club Regatta, Fail 16. Royal Can., 30ft, Class, Tor. 



River. 16. PMla.. Open, Delaware River. 



4. Lynn, Open, Nahant. 16. Lynn, Expert Cup, Lynn, Mass. 



4. Cor.. Marblehead, Club Reg. 21. Corinthian, Atlantic City. 



4. N. Y. Y. R. A., An., N. Y. Bay. 23. Royal Can.. Cosgrove Cup, 25ft. 

 4. Beverly, 2d Open, Mon. Beach. Class, Toronto. 



6. Corinthian, Atlantic City. 23-34. Cor., San Fran., Ci'uise and 

 9. Knickerbocker, Ladies' Day, Corinthian Games. 



College Point. — . New Y'ork, Trial Races, Sandy 

 9. Larchmont, Special, Schi-s. Hook, 

 and 85ft. Class, Larclimont. 



OCTOBER. 



5-7-9. New York, America's Cup, 14, Cor,, San Fran., Closing Day. 

 Sandy Hook. 14. Buffalo, Closing Cruise. 



7. Miramichi,Chatham-Newea8tle 14. Commonwealth, Novelty Race, 

 7-8. Cor., San Francisco, Cruise, Boston Harbor. 



TWENTY YEARS OF YACHTING. 



TfiE first number of the FOREST and Stream appeared 

 just at the opening of the Nfew- York Y. C. cruise of 1873, 

 early in August. The fleet included some of the noted 

 yachts of the day, many of them large schooners, Alarm, 

 Eva, Tarolinta, Columbia, Eesolute, Tidal Wave, Clio, 

 Madeline, Josephine and Foam, -with the sloops Vision and 

 Vixen; and the chief incident of the cruise was the 

 abandonment of the original programme in consecxuence 

 of a storm which wrought havoc to this fleet. 



At this time, closely following the first two races for the 

 America's Cup and the accompanying victories over Cam- 

 bria and Livonia, schooner racing was at its height, and 

 the season of 1873 was made notable by the many and 

 valuable prizes raced for, most of them the gift of Mr. 

 James Grordon Bennett, then commodore of the New York 

 Y. C. Yachting was attracting more attention in this 

 country than ever before, and the daily and weekly jour- 

 nals were devoting an unusual amount of space to it, many 

 of the writers being able and competent men. 



Outside of criticism of the work of one modeler in 

 order to praise another, one will look in vain, however, 

 for anything but unstinted praise of a fleet which was 

 generaUy considered to be above criticism in all respects. 

 Although the performances of the then new cutter Vindex 

 had opened the eyes of yachtsmen to the possibilities of 

 greater depth and low ballast, the yachting reports of the 

 day vs^ere pitched in one uniform key of admiration for 

 the national model, with its limited draft, excessive beam, 

 awkward rig and inefiicient ballast. Even the terrible 

 lesson of the Mohawk, while the Forest and Stream was 

 still in its infancy, was glossed over and its tme causes 

 hidden under excuses of all kinds, and yachtsmen still 

 refused to believe anything to the discredit of their favor- 

 ite type. 



Under such circumstances it required no small degree 

 of courage for an American newspaper to set out to tell 

 the truth about American yachts, to oppose itseK to the 

 general chorus of indiscriminate praise, and to establish 

 for itself an independent policy of judgment and criticism 

 on strictly technical grounds. Such a course, however, 

 w^as adopted by the Forest and Stream as soon as the 

 yachting department of the yoimg paper had developed 

 to an extent which gave weight to the opmions which it 

 might express; and the same course has been consistently 

 followed for nearly twenty years. 



So far as the Forest and Stream is concerned, although 

 the fight was a hard one, and undoubtedly has hurt it at 

 times with those on whom it of necessity depended for its 

 support, it has found in the end no reason to complain. 

 It has not only won the support of the great body of 

 American yachtsmen, but the respect of those who, 

 though opposed to its views, have come to look upon it as 

 a fair and honest adversary. We need not remind our 

 readers, both friendly and adverse, that the fight has 

 been a hard one, but as evidence of the result we can 

 point to the total disappearance of the sandbag model in 

 all classes save the one for which it is alone adapted, the 

 open racing boat; for the extinction of the national sloop 

 rig and its replacement by the modern Americanized cutter 

 rig; for the universal adoption of the lead keel, even on 

 such flyers of the old type as Comet, Gracie and Grayling; 

 to the vast improvement in model and construction, in 

 sails and rigging; to uniform and greatly improved rules 

 for measurement and racing. 



There is hardly an important feature of American 

 yachting to-day which has not been suggested in the fii-st 

 place by the Forest and Stream, or else advocated by it 

 as soon as the suggestion was made by others; nor is there 

 one which has not been bitterly opposed from the first 

 by other American journals and yachtsmen in general. 



Among these features we may mention the lead keel, 

 the double headrig, the fixed keel, a greater proportion of 

 depth and less of beam, the long counter in place of the 

 sawed-off stern, the through bolt in place of the ii-on 

 spike, the use of less material, but of better quality and 

 better workmanship, the use of plans made by a trained 

 designer, in place of a model whittled by any one, the 

 length and sail area rule, the handling by Corinthians in- 

 stead of paid helmsmen and crews, and above all, the far 

 fairer conditions of the great international trophy, the 

 America's Cup. 



It would be absurd to claim that we foresaw from the 

 first all the vast changes to come in twenty years, that 

 our predictions have been borne out in every immaterial 

 detail, or that in all this time we have made no mistakes; 

 but looking back carefully over the whole record of the 

 past there are very few points on which we have changed 

 our opinions or would wish to change them; and it is a 



source of infinite satisfaction to feel that, whether finally 

 proved right or wrong, that they wei'e our own opinions, 

 and honest ones, too; that we have always led and not 

 followed, and that we have dared to say what we thought 

 without regard to tJie consequences. 



A look at the yachts afloat to-day, Gloriana, Pappoose, 

 Gossoon, Iroquois, Yampa, Volunteer, Katrina, Liris, Sea 

 Fox, Merlin, Shami-ock, Lasca, Emerald, and the odd 

 hundred more that will gather next August for the New 

 York cruise, and a mental comparison with the fleet of 

 1873 wUl show what has been done, and a glance through 

 some of the forty volumes of the Forest and Streaji, 

 and the corresponding numbers of other American pa- 

 pers, will show who has helped the work and who has op- 

 posed it. 



' There have been times in the past when it was a ques- 

 tion whether it paid, from a newspaper standpoint, to 

 be honest and independent, whether American yachts- 

 men would tolerate the publication of unpalatable facts, 

 or wdiether it was necessary to follow the usual course, 

 avoiding all criticism and ' dealing out imstinted praise 

 on every hand. Fortunately this question was long since 

 settled in the assured success of the Forest and Streaji, 

 and it has been proved that yachtsmen are ready to en- 

 tertain a criticism, however adverse, which is based on 

 technical groimds, or on the recognized principles of fair 

 play among sportsmen. 



Apropos of the race of the Southern Y. C, reported in another 

 column, a correspondent makes the following inquiry: 



"Is the rule, 'Sec. I. Rule 20,' of the racing rules fa yacht touching 

 a mark or causing a mark to shift its position, unless wrongfully coln- 

 pelled to do so by another yacht, shall be disqualified), a good rule or 

 not, and is said rule enforced by the various yacht clubs of the United 

 States and England?" 



It is one of the fundamental principles of yacht racing that a yacht 

 in order to win must go fairly over the correct course, from start to 

 finish, without touching another yacht or any mark of the course. 

 The rule quoted by our correspondent is common to all clubs and 

 strictly observed, and we beheve that it is not only a good one, but 

 absolutely indispensable. As regards the questions of intention or of 

 actual damage, it would not be possible to consider either, even if it 

 ■were desirable to do so at times, as it would be impossible to prove 

 what a man's intentions were, and often equally impossible to prove 

 the degree of harm done. So far as the judges of a race are concerned, 

 the only thing they can consider in a case of fouling a mark or an- 

 other yacht is the fact of contact, either the yacht goes entirely clear 

 or she touches, and the degree of contact can have no effect on their 

 decision. In many cases there is a question as to whether the foul 

 was caused by another yacht, but in such a case as that referred to, 

 where no such doubt as to the blame can arise, the yacht is disquali- 

 fied by her own act, and has no right to continue the race as an outside 

 boat, to the hindrance of the other contestants. 



With the new volume of Fobe.st and Stream an important change 

 will be made, the paper going to press a day earlier, on Tuesday in 

 place of Wednesday. In order to appear in the following issue it will 

 be essential that all reports of races, most of which occur on Satur- 

 day, should reach us by Monday morning. 



It Is the desire of the Forest and Stream to publish promptly and 

 accurately an account, however brief, of every yacht race sailed in 

 this country. Owing to the vast extent of territory covered by 

 American yachting, from New York to San Francisco, along the 

 Great Lakes and from New Brunswick to Florida, it is impossible to 

 do this without substantial assistance from the clubs interested, and 

 in more distant places we are forced to rely entirely on such aid, 

 The Forest ajjd Stream race reports are intended for this purpose, 

 blank forms specially prepared for recording yacht races; and we 

 will gladly send to any club such a number as they may need for 

 their own use in keeping the times and also for forwarding a dupli- 

 cate copy to the Forest and Stream. Our extensive system of 

 exchanges and of clippings from local papers, though covering the 

 whole country, fails to give us the required information, as such 

 local reports, as a rule, are apt to take it for granted that the reader 

 knows all about the wind, weather and other trivial details, and only 

 wants to know what there was to eat and drink on the steamer or at 

 the club house. Our race blanks provide for all matei'ial facts as to 

 wind, tide, w'eather, courses and competitors, and with the mention 

 of any special accidents or incidents make a complete and permanent 

 record of a race. While we are impelled in part by selfish motives in 

 asking of clubs and regatta committees that they will take a little 

 trouble in this matter, we feel at the same time that it is the clubs 

 themselves who derive the most benefit from full and accurate reports 

 in such a journal as the Forest and Stream of all races and proceed- 

 ings. If a club has any life and vitaUty at all it will be doing some- 

 thing in the way of racing or of improving rules that it has reason to 

 be proud of, and nothing raises a club in the estimation of its own 

 members like the knowledge that other clubs are watching it and 

 imitating it. 



The latest measurement of Valkyrie, made last week, gives her 

 waterline as 86.83ft. in place of 85, while her sail area by Y. R. A. rule 

 is 10,20"sq. ft., making her rating 147.70. Thistle's official measure- 

 ments in her first season were 80.40ft. l.w.l., 9,956sq. ft. of sail, and 

 143.37 rating. The measurements of Thistle (Meteor") last season were 

 similarly 85.20, 8,157, and 115.83; a very marked decrease, which of 

 itself is enough to throw out Thistle as a means of comparing Valkyrie 

 and Britannia with Volunteer in her original form. By the terms 

 which Lord Dunraven proposed and which were agreed to by the New 

 York Y. C, both challenger and defender are limited positively to an 

 excess of two per cent, over the specified length, in this case 85ft., 

 which would make the excess 1.70ft., or a total waterline of 80 70. If 

 the figures given are correct Valkyrie exceeded this limit by something 

 less than 2in., but it is stated that her spars, sails and head have been 

 reduced, making her just in the limit. Being a composite vessel, her 

 displacement and length are certaui to increase a Uttle by two or 

 three months' immersion, but at the same time there is no reason to 

 suppose that she cannot easily be brought to the limit either by the 

 adze, like all the American forties, or by lessening her inside fittings, 

 as will probably be done in any case for the Cup races. It is evident, 

 however, that she must race at a waterline of over 85ft., each inch oi 

 such excess counting as two inches, so that if fully up to the limit her 

 waterline for measm-ement will be SS.40ft. In the case of Thistle the 

 sail measurement by Seawanhaka rule was just 90 per cent, of the 

 Y. R. A. measurement, and the same proportion applied to Valkyrie 

 gives about 9,300sq. ft. for her measurement in America, or say 96ft. 

 for the square root of the sail area. Her actual sailing length with 

 the waterline up to the extreme limit would then be 91,35ft., but sh 



