Deo. 9, 1898.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



509 



while at anchor in deep water we bathed on deck, for a shark might 

 be hiding under the schooner. 



Feb 17. — We were called up at sunrise for our morninEc coffee, and 

 one hour later got under way and beat down Sarasota Bay until 

 noon, when the wind and tide turning against us. we went to anchor 

 off TonylBoat Pass, where we caught Spanish mackerel and other fish. 

 After dinner w took the dinghy and sailed across the bay to Long 

 Key — all islands are called keys here— where we found an old squatter 

 sovereign. 



He was an old man on the shady side of seventy, tall, lank and lean, 

 with long, uncombed, white hair and beard; he walked with a cane, 

 as be had a temporary attack of rheumatism. 



He was a soldier, and had gone to the war from Minnesota. At the 

 close of the war he took tliis ranch as a soldier's claim. 



There w^^re some old stories floating around that the gulf pirates of 

 the last century had made a rendezvous of this key, and that much 

 gold and silver was waitiog for a discoverer The old man had made 

 several excavations In liis unsuccessful hunt after the Spanish doub- 

 loons. He lived in a small house built of pine boards battened on the 

 outside, with port holes tor windows, which closed at night with board 

 blinris. His chmuiey and fireplace were built of boards with cement 

 lining, which was decidedly dew to us. 



Pine knois were near at hand for fuel and light, clams could be dug 

 within five rods from his door and all the fish that he could possibly 

 use could be caught from his dock. He drank no tea or coffee, but 

 rain water simple and pure, and occasionally a native wine, made 

 from the juice of the erape and sugar-cane molasses, two parts of 

 the former to one o£ the latter, making a floe wine, which, if taken in 

 large doses, would soon make a man forget all of his immediate 

 troubles. 



Twenty years ago a St Paul doctor had told him that his lungs 

 ■n ere nearly gone and that he would not last more than one year, but 

 he had lived on this key for twenty years and was very much alive 

 and still kicking. He Lad seven acres under cultivation, the larger 

 part of which was in string beans, which were nearly ready for 

 market. We pickeil and ate oranges and bananas from his trees, and 

 taking another parting drink of his native wine bade him good-bye. 



Feo. 18 —We rook an early breakfast and set sail to catch a light 

 breeze from tlie northwest, which slowly wafted us on our course 

 down Sarasota Bay. 



Our skipper, a Florida cracker of the deepest dye, wa5 the most 

 egotistical shellback that we have ever encountered. He alwa.ys 

 leaned on a .great personal pronoun; indeed, the great I was alwaj's 

 in his mouth. We were quietly and silently taking in the fine scenery 

 on this beautiful bay when the captain broke out as follows: 



"I have sailed over this bay for many years. I know every foot of 

 the bottom. Now you would think there was deep water to the lee- 

 ward of that key. but there is not six inches of water between that 

 key and the mainland at low ude." 



We were running south and were in the middle of the bay, and as 

 the captain ceased speaking we ran on to a sandbar and stuck fast. 

 Everyhodj- but. i.he captain and cook, who dare not laugh, laughed 

 heartily. ,aiid one of the boys told the stnry of the iJilot on the lUis- 

 soui i tiivr-r who xaiil iii:- knevv"evr-ry snag in the river. 



The captain was murh chagrined and tried to let himself down 

 easily. "Whj I I l^new that bar was there, but I supposed we had 

 water enough to let us over, f don't want any of you -fellers' to talk 

 to me when I'm miking these bars. If I'd ben looking for the bottom 

 instead of chaffing witii you uns. I'd steered clear of this d— bar." 



We took in our sails, ran a kedge anchor out into the channel, and 

 after waiting about two hours for the tide, we kedged off, hoisted sails 

 and proceeded on our course. 



At 3 P. M. we arrived at the village of Sarasota; which consists of 

 one hotel, one st,eamboat dock, one store and a few poor houses oc- 

 cupied by fishermen. A steamboat lands semi-weekly, supplying the 

 people with what they most need, and carrying away fish and garden 

 truck to Northern markets. 



While eating our supper at the dock this evening, two darkies were 

 sitting on the dock and they looked so hungry that one of the boys 

 suggested that we give the coon the fruit cake, that the ' San Marino'' 

 ladies had given u.s at the send off. Said cake had been on the table 

 every (lay Hiijce leaving O una hut iL was too much for our stomachs; 

 even the cracker cwk could not get away witli the mysterious com- 

 pound We traded off 'he cake for a "coon" break down dance. 



Whew! I : how thos-i 'c<jons" did dance and sweat, and at the finish 

 —which i.rouL'lit ii the hnu.se -we passed up the cake, which they 

 divided up and devoured OL th(j spot, 



-How Hsinnisbed LLMse Sati Marini) ladies would be could they know 

 that tlie rich and expensive cake luade by their dainty and bejevveled 

 fingers h.id enuin tn such a ludicrous and ignoble end 



As u e left verj- early I he next morning, we never knew whether the 

 "coons" survive'rl nr perished after eating so much indigestible stuff. 



We made everything ready for au outside run of fifty miles due 

 south next day. The wind was out strong from the northwest, and 

 we had our iierldinc out f<N- ;uj airing. 



What a delightful laud '. We can see oranges, yellow and ripe, hang- 

 ing on tiee.s tliat are iu full bluom. the perfume of which fills the 

 •whole SI rent. The gardens are teeming with vegetables, ripe and 

 rea<i,\^ ffr t h(» r,fible. and with strawherrins ripe aod luscious, it is our 

 fault if we go hungry. The most wonderful thing ar.out it all is that 

 such a pool-, sandy .soil should produce such fine fruit and vegetables 

 in such great abundance. 



Uiilu-s IL r.iiij^ we have our meals served on deck, using one of the 

 hatches for a table. We have a piece of burlaps for a tablecloth, with 

 tin cups ariLl ijlates, ami iron kuives. forks and spoons, which have, be- 

 come oxidized (piiie the slvle now. you know, by t he aei ion of the 

 salt air Our cool; sa.N S. " "fisn't possible lo shine knives and forks at 

 sea." We have hoe "cake every meal We watched the cook while 

 making hoe cake. He took Indian corn meal and some salt and poured 

 on boiling liot water, stirring at the same time, until it was of the con- 

 sistency . f thin cream, then he buttered his pans and put the thin 

 mush in the bottom of each pan, making the cakes about one-half 

 inch thick. They are then baked until they are thoroughly browned 

 through and through, making the cakes nearly all crust. We continue 

 to eat I his cake da> after day. Long befoi-e these primitive meals are 

 ready our boys congregate around the table, proving that whatever 

 else may go wrong w'ith ihem. their appeiiies are all right. 



We think that the millionaire who said, ' I II give onehundred thous- 

 and dofiars for an appetite that will make a piece of plain bread and 

 butter taste good," had better come down here, take a cruise on a 

 schooner and take his meets on deck in open air. 



Feb. 19.— We get under wav and find a heavy N.W, wind blowing, 

 which soon increased (i) a gale; but it w-ill only drive us all the faster, 

 so we take in the mainsail and prepare for a scud down the coast 

 under a reefed foresail alone, \Ve batten down the hatches, secure 

 the anchors, water barrels and all other loose truck that incumbered 

 the decks, and i)oint her nose st raighc for the pass, through which 

 we can see the great rrillers chasing each other down the coast. 



We soon reach the Gulf and head her S. by W., and she drives along 

 at a good pace, riding the great seas in fine shape. As the wind had a 

 clean sweep of "iOl^ miles the seas were immense. The hctle schooner 

 would go far duwn between the great vSeas, so deep that we could not 

 see the land, and ihen she would cHmb the ne.^r sea. and looking back, 

 we vvould watch the following coaaier as it ciiased us up with the 

 most iiilease interest. Would it catch us an 1 break over our stern? 



0\>r captain had put in) .h'st enough sail lo make the schooner out- 

 run the waves, and we wei e thus saved froui the coamers astern. 



AVe held on bv the standing rigging and enjoyed every moment of 

 that exciting diiy s run. We would look ahead for a big roller, and 

 when the scliouiier would tackle it the captain would say, -'See the 

 Utile heifer jump'," 



The Itlsi iuguished Landsman had fed the fishes from the start, and 

 he was now in his cabin bunk repeating the old chestnut, "If the good 

 Lord will once more let me get ashore," etc., and then he would break 

 out iu quite a different strain, using language more forcible than 

 polite. 



We could only have a cup of coffee for dinner, as it was impossible 

 to keep anything on the galley stove. , ,j 



We otTered the landsman a cup of coffee, a piece or cold pork and a 

 hard tack He said we could all go somewhere else so far as he was 

 Concerni'd. and turned his face lo the I'ack his bunk. 



About :i p M we could see a leng line of white water, which the 

 captain said was Boca tJrand Shoals, which ran from the shore straight 

 out into the Gfulf for eight miles. ^ , , , 



At the seaward end of these shoals the Government has placed a 

 large bell buoy, which the motion of the seas constantly and mourn- 

 fully rings. The course or channel into Charlotte Harbor is outside of 

 ttiis'buoy, but tUere are two small passes between the buoy and ttie 

 shore that can be used by light draft vessels, and the captain steered 

 straight for one of these. " . „ -j 



'■Either go below or pet into the main rigging," Siud the captain. 

 We all chmhed into the rigging and took in the fun. 



Dmvn we went between tw o great breakers, and one great coamer 

 came over the l.nw and washed overboard everything tliat was loose, 

 and the roar nf tlie lireakers, the screaming of the s-a birds, and the 

 splashofthe white caps made up a scene that the boys wiU long re- 

 aiember. , . , 



Wp soon pass into smooth water and come to anchor in Charlotte 

 Harbor, making the day's run of sixty-five miles in aLout etght hours. 

 After a good square meal we all turned Into our bunks and slept at 

 the rate of ten tnoTs per hour. 



p^h 00.— We proceed on our courFe, which takes us down ban 

 Carln.s Bav. A more beautiful bay we never saw. It is about five 

 miles wide and twenty-five imies long, and is interspersed with smnd 

 islands, that stand well up out of the water and are covered with piue, 

 palmetto and live oak trees. . , . . . 



It is a paradise for yachtsmea. We tJiinb that lu tbe near nitwe 



these beautiful islands will be improved by Northern men of means, 

 who are seeking a climate that wdtl let them down easy in the after- 

 noon and evening of life. 



We are all on deck with field glasses taking in the beautiful scener.v. 

 The N.W. wind blows just hard enough to make it deUghtfuUy cool. 

 We are gliding noiselessly through the clear, blue water, and can see 

 the bottom as clearly as if looking through plate glass. We can see 

 the great coral rocks that seem to come .so near the surface that we 

 shudder, thinking the Blanche will end the cruise here and now. 

 "Cap, do you see that big rock'/ We shall strike it " 



The captain laughs. "There are ten good feet of water on top of 

 that rock;" and he is risht, for we pass over with plenty of room. 



We can clearly see the sea fan, as it stands up three or four feet 

 from the bottom, swaying back and forth by the action of the tide; 

 and the live sponges clinging to the rocks, some of which are in the 

 form of a hollow- cone, and are used by the ladies for holding house 

 plants. There were tangled masses of seaweeds and a great variety of 

 sea plants, very beautiful, but to us nameless. Large schools of fish 

 were darting through this marine forest, ever trying to establish the 

 Darwinian doctrine of the survival of the fittest by devouring the fish 

 that were smaller and weaker than themselves. 



We arrive at St. James, the principal town of the whole lower penin- 

 sula. The village of St. James consists of one large hotel with cot- 

 tages, one store with a large stock of generiil merchandise and a long 

 dock where the largest ocean steamer can Ifind at low tide. The whole 

 plant was built by a stock company from the North, the members of 

 which soon got tired of holding' such unproductive property and 

 dropped out one after another, until the stock got into the hands of 

 three or four men, who no d ubt make it pay a good interest on what 

 it cost them. 



After dinner the boys generally light their pipes and cigars, get into 

 easy positions and proceed to discuss and settle profound questions, 

 that grave Senators and other profound statesmen seem afraid to 

 tackle. We thus disposed of the temperance question in thirty min- 

 utes. We polished off the railroads speedily, and the Standard Oil 

 Company was then roughly handled, but not disposed of for the 

 reason that the captain at that moment had a strike from a shark, 

 which cut off all debate. 



Yesterday at St. James there was a crowd of loungers on the dock, 

 and among the crowd was a lot of "cracker" tarpon guides relating 

 their wonderful experiences while fishing for tarpon. 



One told of a tarpon that had jumped into and out of his boat; an- 

 other bad been towed five miles by a large tarpon; another had run 

 his taepon on to a beach and stranded him. There was a short pause, 

 when our commodore started in with all of the gravity of a preacher 

 at a funeral as fofiows: 



' Two years ago the twentieth of th's month a man by the name of 

 John B Smith started alone in a rowboat from Punta Rassa to row 

 over to the lighthouse. When about half-way over a large tarpon 

 jumped high in the air, and coming down head 'first his nose struck be- 

 tween two planks in the bottom of the boat, the planks sprang apart, 

 letting the body through, but sprang back, catching the fish by the 

 tail. He rowed quickly ashore and secured the tarpon " 



Everbody howled their approval and one old Dutch skipper said. 

 •'Youshust take the keg" (cakej. 



The hotel grounds are laid out on a grand scale, with coooanut trees 

 on each side of broad streets. The hotel gardens are very fine, con- 

 taining tropical fruits and all kinds of vegetables. We saw^ new pota- 

 toes, strawberries, tomatoes, onions and cabbages, all ripe and ready 

 for the table. We found a "curio" shop, in which we saw a great 

 variety of animals artistically set up, among which were bears, 

 foxes, wildcats, panthers and numerous different birds, together with 

 snakes and fishes, all of which were killed in Florida, and all set up 

 by an artist in a way that made them look lifelike and interesting. 

 The said artist was setting up a tarpon that weighed IT.^lbs., caught 

 by Bishop Wliipple. of INIinQesota. This same taxidermi.st offered to 

 set up a 1001 bs, tarpon for one of our boys and forever declare that 

 the purchaser caught. said fi.sh on a aOOf t. line, with reel and rod for 

 the modest sum of $30. We declined to purchase any set up tarpons, 

 but bought a lot of tarpon scales, which are silver-tipped and very 

 transparent and beautiful. As the taxidermist could easily catch tar- 

 pon in his net for stocking his store, we concluded that many an old 

 fisherman had thus caught his tarpon and hung it up in his Northern 

 home as a trophy of his skill. 



[CONCLUDED KBXT WEEK.] 



St. Lawrence Y. C. Season of 1893. 



The season of 1893 has been for the St. Lawrence Y. C. one marked 

 by disaster unparallelea in the history of the club; of postponed and 

 unsatisfactory races, and of little general activity. There were few 

 new boats at the beginning of the season, and in this respect the only 

 really new feature on Lake St. Louis has been the revival of the cat 

 rig. Two years ago there was hardly a catboat on the lake, all the 

 old boats of that rig having been changed into cat sloups, but this 

 year the Water Witch, tbe only .new boat of any size, is a cat. and sev- 

 eral small cats have been broughtiln from outside points. 



The IH foot class races were in some respects the most interesting 

 of the season, Bug repeating her victorious career of last year; and 

 this class ijromises to be the fighting class of the club. Chaperon, 

 with a little more ballast inside developed quite a new turn of speed, 

 and to her the honors of the sea.son belong. The usual racing and 

 cruising on May 24 had to be abandoned the boats not being ready, 

 and a gale, with extremely high water, did great damage along the 

 waterfront. Several boats were driven ashore, and the club pier, 

 while it stood better than any other in the vicim'ty, was much 

 damaged. 



Tbe first race of the season was sailed on June 10, and was the first 

 series race for the A, 30fi., 2.5ft. and -ilft classes. There was a strong 

 west wind with heavy puffs from the north, and nasty broken sea. 

 The result was as follows: 



Leuerth. Elapsed. Corrected. 



Chaperon. E S. Clouston 30,02 2 09 55 2 09 55 



Eagle, G. H. Levin 36.02 2 18 33 



White Squall, Gesnor 31.01 2 3o 34 



30pt. class. 



MoUie Bawn, W. Kavanagh 2t.9'3 1 SS 35 1 51 28 



Valda, G. H. Duggaa •...3:3.51 158 10 J 52 34 



Frolic, E. K. Grreeae 2S.45 2 06 24 3 04 34 



Unda, R. A. Kidd 26.00 Did not finish. 



Rita, C. O. Clark 23.00 2 13 25 



21 FT. CLASS. 



Thora, H. A. Simms 19.05 2 28 26 



June li'.— Second series race, for A, 30ft., 25ft. and 24ft. classes 

 Eleven boats crossed the line, but at G 10 only half the course had 

 been c ivered and the race was abandoned. 



June 24.— First series ra<,>e for -v'5 and isft. classes; south wind with 

 showers, freshening to a good breeze at finish: 



Length, Elapsed. Corrected. 



Bug, G, H , Duggan 1 5 . 08 3 09 30 3 05 42 



Debutante, W S. Clouston. 18.00 3 22 20 3 22 20 



Little Marchioness, R. C. Nelles 17.00 3 10 47 3 09 .58 



Wide Awake. H. M. Molson iti.oy 3 -^1 :33 3 20 05 



July 1.— Sir Donald A. Smith cup race. The start was made at 11 

 A.M. and thirteen boats ci-ossed the line. There svas a lieht draft of 

 air from the southeast at the start, and the day w^as hot and fine. 

 Lulu, Valda and Chaperon, in the order named, went away from tbe 

 fleet, but by 2:15 ihe \vind was dead, only the first leg of the course 

 had been covered and the race was abandoned. 



July 8.— Third aeries race for the A.. 30 and 21ft. classes. 



Eagle, Chaperon. Valda. Mollie Bawn, Frolic, Coqcette. and Rita 

 started. A fresh clubtopsail breeze was blowing and the weather was 

 threatening. On the second leg of the course, a reach from the 

 Valois to tlie Chateauguay ouoy, a thunder squall of unexampled 

 force struck the lake. 



Valda, Eagle, Chaperon, and Molhe Bawn were leading, and were 

 carrying all ).lain sail when the squall of wind, rain, and thunder 

 struck thein. Eagle and Chaperon instantly capsized and sank within 

 a quarter of au hour, Valda and MolUe Bawn were knocked down, but 

 got their canvas on deck in time to avert disaster. Hila and two 

 boats that were not racing. Petrel and Butternut, were also capsized 

 at ,-1 moderate distance from shore. Valda under bare poles ran down 

 under Eagle's lee and look off one of her crew-, but was unable to 

 make fast to the wreck, drifted down to leeward, anchored, put in 

 three reef.s. worked back lo Ea^le and took off two more of her crew, 

 all that were still on her. She then ran down to the Chaperon, and 

 picked up three of her crew and was the only boatlin the fiei-t under 



A Stray Shinplaster 



Comes to us once in a -while for a copy 

 of "Game Laws in -Brief;" but shin= 

 plasters nowadays are scarcer than Moose 

 in New Yoric; and 25 cents in postage 

 stamps will do just as well. 



control during the whole squall, and Its successor, which was only less 

 furious than the first. 



The naphtha launch Idle Hour put off from Pointe Claire, and re- 

 ceived the remainder of the Chaperon's and Eagle's crews, with the 

 exception of C. H. Levin, the commodore of the club, who went down 

 with his ship. The crews of the Rita. Petrel and Butternut were res- 

 cued from the shore. After this most unfortunate disaster all racing 

 was postponed for one month. 



Aug. 26.— Re-sail Sir Donald Smith's cup. The start was at 3:40, 

 The day was very fine and warm, and there was hardly wind enough 

 to carry any of the boats over the fine. There were twelve starters, 

 and at "O P. M the race was abandoned. 



Sept. 2.— Re-sail Sir Donald Smith's cup race. There w^as a heavy 

 .gale from the northwest. At the start it was blowing harder than it 

 has ever done on a racing day on Lake St. Louis. It being reported 

 that the Chateauguay Buoy had been carried away, it was decided to 

 sail around the Pointe Claire Buoy, a course of about seven miles to 

 windward and return. All the boats at the start carried three reefs in 

 the mainsail and stormjib. 



Valda more than held Chaperon until Valois Bay -was opened, when 

 the wind lightened up: the sloop got into trouble in changing jibs, 

 when Coquette passed her. The wind let up steadily all the time the 

 windward work was being done, and at Pointe Claire all were carrying 

 full lower sail, but on the run it freshened up until it was heavy work 

 carrying spinakers. The time of the race was as foUows: 



Start. Finish. Elapsed. 



Chaperon, A. E. Jarvis .S 31 37 4 47 40 1 16 03 



Coquette. A. Hamilton 3 33 38 4 51 53 1 18 45 



Valda. G. H, Duggan 3 32 11 4 55 55 1 23 45 



Mollie Bawn, W Kavanagh 3 32 00 5 00 44 1 281 : 



Dream. A. Irving 3 .32 10 5 02 53 I 30 42 



Undine, G. Marler 3 -34 30 5 11 05 1 36 35 



The course was not officially measured, but Chaperon was the win 

 ner. At a meeting of the saihng committee, held on Sept. 9, it wf s 

 decided that under the terms on which the cup is raced for the sailing 

 committee had no power to alter the course, and the race was declared 

 off. 



Sept. 9.— Resail ot second series race for A, 30ft., 25ft. and 21ft. 

 classes. There was a strong southwest wind, and single-reefed main- 

 sails were carried throughout the fleet. 



A CLASS. 



Elapsed. Corrected. 



Chaperon 1 54 28 1 52 54 



Coquette 2 07 39 2 05 35 



Deam 1 54 11 1 54 11 



30ft. class. 



Mollie Bawn 1 57 44 1 52 03 



Valda a 01 02 1 53 5'^ 



Undine 2 15 13 2 08 32 



Sept. 16.— Third series race for 18ft. class. Strong, squally west by 

 south wind: 



Elapsed. Corrected. 



Bug a .31 03 2 28 04 



Pirate 2 49 35 2 48 85 



Little Marchioness 2 51 47 2 51 47 



Sept. •23.— Resail Sir Donald Smith's cup. Another attempt was 

 made to sail this race in a light air. Tlie fleet had now dwindled to six 

 boats, and again after the time limit had expired not half the course 

 had been sailed, and the race had to be abandoned. 



Sept. 30 —Fifth race for Sir Donald Smith's cup: 



Elapsed. Corrected. 

 Mollie Bawn 2 08 .36 2 08 86 



Waterwitch, Butternut and Undine did not sail over the course. 



As a result ot the season's racing, Chaperon wins the Honorary Com- 

 modore''s cup by taking two straight races in the A Class series. She 

 also won the only race that was sailed for the Sir Donald Smith cup. 

 Mollie Bawn wins the 30ft. class series, and the Commodore's cup by- 

 two straight wins and the Sir Donald Smith cup by a sail over. Bug 

 wins the series in the 18ft. class by two straight wins. 



Keel and Centerboard in the Cup Races. 



QFrom the Boston QlobeO 

 ALTHOtroH the result of the Cup races was the triumph of the 

 centerboard over the keel type of yacht, yet the centerboard as shown 

 in Vigilant was a nearer approach to the keel type than ever before, 

 and there was a great-, deal both in the racing during the Cup contest 

 and earlier in the season to encourage the strong adherents of the 

 keel. 



Vigilant, an improved centerboard, won over Valkyrie, an improved 

 keel, yet the differences between the boats were so marked in other 

 waysthat it may well he doubted if the question of type was brought 

 any nearer settlement than before. 



American e.-cperience in the 30, 40 and 46ft. classes seems to have 

 shown almost conclusively that a keel-boat can be designed to beat a 

 centerboard in these lengths. The only apparent reason for not 

 carrying the same idea into the lat-ger classes was the excessive draft 

 — from a cruising standpoint- which must; be given a keel-boat in 

 order to secure as good powers of holding up to wicdward as would 

 be possessed by a centerboard with moderate draft of hull,, but practi- 

 cally unlimited draft for wiudvvard work by dropping her board. 



When therefore two of the Cup defenders w^re announced aa of the 

 keel type, it was confidently expected by advocates of the type that 

 sufficient draft would be given, and that all considerations save those 

 of racing would belaid aside. In one of the.se. Pilgrim, an extreme 

 draft was promptly taken, but in the other, Colonia, a draft was taken 

 which was Ihe greatest permitted by the launching facilities at the 

 works where she was built, only a little over 15ft. 



Pilgrim did not come up to expectations held of her, but Colonia 

 did ,iust what was expected of her, because of her lack of draft and 

 consequent ali.seuce of sufficient, lateral plans. She slid to leeward 

 badly iu windward work, and was never in it in this line with the 

 centerboards, and undoubtedly would have shown little better against 

 Valkyrie. 



In every other respect Colonia was the equal and in some respects 

 the superior of Vigilant, and the question which now most naturally 

 arises is where would she have been had she been given proper draft 

 to do good windward work-? 



Th answer cannot but be favorable to her admirers or tho.se of the 

 keei tv|ie in general, and about as interesting a thing as could happen 

 for ne'xt season's racing would be for Mr. Rogers to have Colonia 

 deepened as she ought to be, in order to make her the enlarged Wasp 

 she was supposed to be but wasn't. 



lu Valkyrie Mr. Watson aiiparently had sufficient draft at 17ft., and 

 the yacht held to windward very well with Vigilant. Her designer's 

 failure seems not to be in that he adopted the keel type or failed to 

 make a much better boat in windward work than Thistle, but in that 

 he did not give her enough sail, and did not follow closely the latest 

 approved speed patterns of shahow bodies, extremely hollow gar- 

 boards and straight keels. 



vvith a sail plan more nearly the equal of Vigilant's, and with a form 

 of hull more nearly approaching that of the fin keels, Valkyrie would 

 have been a much more dangerous eust'imer than she really was. 



There is more and more reason, as the science of yacht designing 

 dev 'lopes, for believing that, exrjept In the very small classes, the 

 centernnard is more of a question of expediency than of speed. It 

 will not be an easy thing for Americans to confess the defeat of the 

 cherished centerboard, but our ow-n cutters have shown that it can be 

 beaten in three classes previously named, while Colonia's perform- 

 ances have given reasons.for belief in the same direction in the larger 

 classes. 



The types of boats produced by America and Great Britain are 

 approaching each other more closely every year, and the contest for 

 the Cup are ceasing to be the distinctive ones nf type which they once 

 were. It would be no discredit for one country to drop or for the 

 other to adopt the centerboard, but the simple use of a centerboard by 

 our British cousins will not win them the Cup. They will have a 

 chance at it when they build a boat suited to American w-eather con- 

 ditions and which takes advantage of the rules under which the 

 defender is built, and not before. 



That such a boat could cross the ocean safely no American will 

 doubt after the cruising qualities shown by Navahoe. Neither would 

 she be required to make a record in English waters before coming, 

 though there is little doubt but that she could make one if she chose. 

 Jubilee would be found a vastl3- dift'erent boat abroad than Xavahoe, 

 while either Jubilee or Vigilant woiUd undoubtedly prove an eye- 

 opener in British waters. 



And both could and would be sent across if necessary. 



W. E. ROBIJJBON. 



Zettler Rifle Club. 



The weekly gallery shoot for the champion medal and the cash 

 pri'/.es, Nov. 28. brought together thirteen members. The competition 

 for the champion medal resulted in a victory for Louis Klach on a 

 score of 245; Ross was a good second with 24i. The best score of the 

 night was made by Ross, 248. 



Champion medal, first entry- Louis Flach 245 F. C. Ross 244, Geo. 

 W. Plaisted 243. B. Walther 243, M. B. Engel 242, B. Zettler 229, Geb. 

 Krauss 238, H. Holges 236. C. G. Zettler 234, H. D. Muller231, H. Strate 

 2-31. Gus Nowak '231, A. H. Kohlmetz 225. 



Best score, five entries: F C. Ross 248, Louis Flach 245, H. Holges 

 245, 6. W. Plaisted '24;^. B. Walther 243, M. B. Engel 243, Gus. Nowak 

 242, H. D. Muller 239, H, Strate 239, C. G. Zettler 239, B. Zettler 339, 

 Geb, Krauss 238. A. H. Kohlmetz m 



