Mat 9 1896,] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
S 8 <h 
one order for an American placed in England. So far as the interests 
of American builders and mechanics are concerned in these small 
classes, it would.be an excellent thing if the duty were abolished and 
more English boats imported, to stimulate the competition. 
In spite of a cold and backward spring, the building yards and 
basins are giving indications of a fairly early opening of the yachting 
season, and a very large number of yachts, both new and old, are 
being finished off to go into commission shortly. It spite o* 
many rumors, it is hardly likely that either Defender or Valkyrie will 
be raced— either together in this country or each with her home fleet 
On opposite sides of the Atlantic; but it does not follow from this that 
the sport of yacht racing will suffer to any material degree. It is hard 
to conceive any other way in which such a vast sum of money could 
b^ expended to so little useful purpose in yachting as was accom- 
plished by these two great craft last year. Defender sailed in al 
about a dozen races, all but two against her older sister, Vigilant; and 
while it was demonstrated that she is in all ways faster than the cen- 
terboard boat, the racing of the two was notable mainly for the ill 
feeling engendered and the very serious charges made. The races 
with Valkyrie III, were but two in number, and while they also de- 
monstrated Defender's superiority, they fell far short of a thorough 
and conclusive test of the two costly machines. The final disputes 
attending these races also can only be considered as a misfortune to 
be regretted by yachtsmen of all nationalities. Much might yet be 
learned by the systematic racing together of all the big cutters— De- 
fendant, Vigilant, Ailsa, Satanita, Britannia and the new Meteor ; but 
this is manifestly impossible, In default of it, however, a great deal 
of uncertainty must always exist as to the exact relative merits of 
each yacht. 
On this side of the ocean the prospects of racing in the larger 
classes are very poor indeed. There is little probability that the 
yachts now nominally in the largest single-stick class, Defender, Vigi- 
lant, Navahoe, Jubilee and Volunteer, will be raced at all. In the 
schooner division the principal interest centers in Emerald and the 
re-rigged Oolonia, with possibly Ariel, though we understand she will 
not be raced. In the classes from 70 to 40ft. there are no new yachts, 
and it is still a question as to how many of the old ones may be 
tempted into racing. 
From such an outlook as this, which is all that the circumstances 
jistify, it might be anticipated that the season of 1896 would prove a 
remarkably dull one, but such is hardly likely to be the case. While 
there is nothing startling or sensational in view, there is a good 
prospect for the sport in all parts of the country, and of a sort that 
will do much to build up American yachting. 
While the building of large craft has been almost entirely confined 
to the steam yacht division of the national fleet, therehas been through 
the past winter a great activity in the building of small craft, most of 
them for local use only and many for cruising or all-round service, 
but none the less important on these accounts. With this building 
there has been a remarkable activity in several localities, such as New 
York, Boston and the ports of Lake Michigan, in the direction of 
union and inter-club organization, and in the former two localities in 
particular the results far exceed anything thus far known. 
The new Yacht Racing Union of Long Island Sound has taken hold 
most energetically of the local racing between New London and New 
York, and under its rules and management as to date3, etc., the Sound 
racing promises to bring out a much larger fleet than has yet been 
seen, with more races and larger fields of starters in each. The work 
of the Union has made it far easier for the racing owner to lay out the 
season's programme in advance and to adhere to it through all the 
races, and with the increased competition the interest and excitement 
of racing will be trebled The systematization of the racing und the 
non-clashing of dates will of itself tend to increase entries, as it offers 
a fair guarantee to a man that if he takes his yacht to a race he will 
find several competitors— something that he was never sure of when 
each club was a law to itself in the selection of dates and adoption of 
rules. 
The same process of organization has been carried out this past 
winter about Massachusetts Bay, and equally good results may be 
looked for from the Massachusetts Yacht Racing Association. It is 
not to be expected that, where similar attempts have fail 3d year after 
year, these two associations, neither much over a year rid, will get 
along with no difficulties whatever; but each has started under more 
favorable circumstances and ou a broader basis than in the past, and 
the results thus far are such as to encourage every hope of permanent 
success. 
On the Lakes a similar work is under discussion, but has not 
advanced so far; there can be no doubt, however, that in spite of the 
notable apathy of some of the larger clubs, whose action might long 
ago have produced a union of all American clubs, a national 
association will be formed before many years. It would take compar- 
atively little even now to bring together the Long Island Sound Union, 
the Massachusetts Association, and all the Lake clubs in the adoption 
of uniform rules and regulations, forming a body with which 
other clubs throughout the country would be glad to ally themselves. 
The immediate result of such work as has already been done must 
be to stimulate yacht racing as a popular sport in which all who have 
access to navigable waters may participate. The numerous classes, 
from the very smallest upward, recognized and encouraged by these 
bodies, offer opportunities for men of limited means and of all possi- 
ble tastes, as the 15-footer or the small cabin cat is accorded quite as 
much attention as the largest schooner— a very different state of 
affairs from that existing in the larger clubs that have hitherto domi- 
nated yachting. 
In any complete system of national yachting the first place must 
always be accorded to the strictly racing class, with new boats added 
each year, that makes the racing of the larger clubs and in the princi- 
pal ports, such as the 90ft. schooner class, the 70ft. cutter class, the 
40-footer and 30-f ooters in this CDuntry, and the old 40, 20 and 10 ten- 
ners and later the 40, 20, 10 and smaller rating classes in England. It 
is through such yachts that improvements originate and international 
matches are made; while the fame of their racing serves to stimulate 
yachting among men in distant places and who never see them. 
At the same time, what is really more important is the successful 
maintenance of a large local fleet, through which the sport shall be 
represented on ev<=>ry river and lake and harbor in the land. Such a 
fleet as this is rapidly taking form and strength throughout the coun- 
try, on all of the Great Lakes, on the smaller and isolated inland waters' 
on the Pacific coast, as in Puget Sound. In this national fleet the 
number and quality of the yachts are increasing rapidly and the rae. 
ing is of greater interest and mora systematically conducted each 
year. 
Of strictly international racing there will be none this year, as the 
yachting and canoeing interests of the United States and Canada are 
so closely associated as to obliterate all boundary lines ; but at the 
same time there will be two series of matches which will attract 
special attention from the fact that the two competitors in each will 
sail under different national ensigns. 
The greater contest, as size goes, will be between two new yachts, 
one built at Racine, Wis., and representing the Lincoln Park Y. 0., of 
Chicago, the challenger, and the other built in Toronto and represent- 
lng the Royal Canadian Y. 0., of that city, the race being ailed in 
n^utraj wafers, presumably on Lake Erie. As both tjoais sr jaily 
tm w/////,w ///////$>rzm 
KC KO Details of Keel and Fin Construction. 
designed and built for this race, it is creating an interest which will 
not only benefit yachting among Lake yachtsmen, but will attract 
general attention to the possibilities of the great fresh-water seas. 
The other competition will be in the smallest class recognized by 
yacht clubs, the 15ft. racing length or ^-rating class, the challenger 
in this case being the Royal St. Lawrence Y, C, of Montreal, while 
the defender will be selected from the fleet of small craft now building 
in the United States. 
Taken altogether, in its probable results in the immediate future as 
well as its possibilities for sport and exciting racing throughout its 
length, the season of 1898 promises to be a notable one in spite of the 
absence of the syndicate machine. 
Koko, Bulb -Fin Racing Yacht. 
DESIGNED BY W. P. STEPHENS. 
\Ooncluded from page 361, May 2.] 
The accompanying sail plan shows the rig of the fin-keel Koko, de- 
scribed last week. Wb«n first launched the yacht was rigged with a 
mast of the height of the present hounds aDd a 15ft. yard, making the 
same hoist as shown; but after a short time the yard was discarded 
and the mast was continued in one piece, as in the second rig of 
Scarecrow. The dimensions of spars and sails are as follows: 
Mast, from end of l.w.l 4ft, 6in. 
deck to hounds 23ft. 
sheave... 30ft. 9in. 
diam. at deck 5in. 
hounds , 4^in. 
. sheave ,,,,,, 3in. 
Bowsprit, over all. . , , 4ft. 6in. 
outboard 2ft. 6in. 
beyond end of l.w.l 6ft. 6in. 
diam. at gammon, oval 4J^X3in. 
Boom, from after side of mast 25ft. 3in. 
diam., fore end - 2^in. 
slings 4J^in. 
after end ., 3^in. 
Mainsail, luff..., 30ft. 
foot 25ft. 
leech 37ft. 4in. 
Jib, luff 23ft. 
foot 13ft. 
leech , 20ft. 
Mainsail, area 375sq, ft. 
Jib, area... 130fiq. ft. 
Total .,..505sq. ft. 
O. E. forward of C. L R 1ft. 
The dimensions given are for hollow spars, mast and boom. The 
mast has one shroud on each side of %\n. steel wire rope, with fore- 
stay of J4in. and pendants of 5 18 in. The masthead stay is of 3 16 in. wire, 
running over a spreader at the hounds; like the main shrouds, being 
set up with turnbuckles. There are no bowsprit shrouds, the bobstay 
is a steel bar ^gin.xlj^in. The mainsail is set on a railway on the 
mast, being hoisted by a single part of J4in. phosphor bronze wire 
rope, running over a 2Ljjin. sheave at the masthead. A tail block is 
spliced into the hauling end of the wire, and through It is rove a single 
part of manilla, with a thimble spliced into one end and the other rove 
through a block on deck beside the mast. Just forward of the mast is 
a stout hook in the deck, and in setting the sail the manilla line is 
hauled on until the tail block in the wire tye is near the deck; then the 
eye and thimble in the manilla part, which has been jammed in the 
tail block, is slipped over the hook in the deck, thus making a whip 
purchase by which the luff may be set as taut as desired. 
The jib halyard is of 3 19 in. phosphor bronze wire rope and rigged in 
a similar manner. On tne mast are two cheek blocks, one on each 
side, the shells forming the saddles for the shrouds and runners. Tne 
halyard is double, with the jib block in the bight; in the end which is 
rove through the port block is an eye and thimble, with a light piece 
of line spliced in, and in the starboard end is a tail block and a manilla 
whip, as in the main halyard. After the block is hooked into the head 
cringle of the jib the port end of the halyard is hauled down and the 
eye hooked on deck; then the starboard part is hauled down, the end 
of the whip hooked on deck, and the sail set taut. The sails are of 
cotton, about 5J^oz , double-bighted. With the jib shown, the yacht 
carries a lee helm in a light air, but steers well as the breeze increases. 
After several trials the main sheet was rigged with two bridles, as 
shown. 
The construction is similar to that frequently described in the 
Forest and Stream, except in the fastening of fln and hull, for which 
a somewhat novel method was adopted. The keel is of oak, moulded 
l^gin. and sided 6in. amidships, tapering to l^in. at the ends. A stem- 
piece is necessary to form the short crook sjrthe fore end and the keel 
is scarfed to it, the keel itself taking tr j necessary sweep without 
steam. The keelson is 5in. deep and lj^iu. tbick, fitted to the sweep 
of the inner side of keel. It is set witn canton flannel in the joint for 
the length of the fin, and very well through-bolted with J4in Iron 
through the keel at intervals of 6in. abreast the fln. The frames are 
steamed and bent, sided %in. and moulded lj^in. at heels, lin. at the 
bilge and %ia. at theheaas; the chainplate trames are sided lL£in. 
The frames are spaced Sin. The clamps are in single lengths, 2 by lin. 
amidships and tapering to 1J^ by ^in. at ends. The deck beams are 
sided J^in., the pertner beams siaed lj^in. and moulded 134'n~ the 
spacing being Sin. The deck Is V.jin. thick. The planking is %in. 
throughout. 
The ordinary method of fastening the fln entirely outside the hull 
places a very severe strain on the keel and lower portions of the 
frames and planking, and strength is only obtained by means of 
many and strong cross floors and two or more keelsons- It will be 
plainly seen that the leverage on the lower portion of the bottom is 
vastly greater with this method than would be the case if the fln- 
plate were carried up well into the hull and braced there. The method 
here described was adopted in order to secure the necessary strength 
with a simpler floor construction, no greater weight, and to avoid the 
drag of the angle bars outside the keel. The keel and keelson are 
thoroughly bolted together, as already described, and a mortise of the 
full length of the fin-plate, which >s made deeper than usual, is cut 
through both to make a snug fit for the s 16 in. plate. The tendency 
of any strain on the fin would be to split the keel and keelson in two 
instead of twisting the keel out of the boat, as is the case with the 
usual method. To counteract this several slots are punched through 
the fin-plate, each about 6 i 6 by lj^in., just above the line of the bot- 
tom of the keel, and through each slot a piece is passed, of the shape 
shown in the drawing, Sin. long, lj^in. wide and 6 ,„in. thick, with a 
hole through each end countersunk to fit a s 16 in. stove bolt. Each 
of these pieces is to be set into the keel so as to be flush with the 
bottom. 
After hull and fln are completed, the fln is shored up in an upright 
position, and the upper part well painted with red lead and oil, a 
strip of cloth, also well painted, being laid over the top. The hull is 
then lifted and lowered carefully on the fln, which enters the 
mortise, drawing the painted cloth into the joints. The short 
pieces are slipped through the slots in the fin, and the hull is 
forced down unt'l these pieces enter the gains cut for them in the 
bottom of the keel. Three pieces are used in Koko, one in the center 
and one at each end of the fln, and on the frames immediately above 
them knees of flat steel or iron, 6 18 by lM m -i are placed with a couple 
of rivets through garboards and frames. When hull and fln are in 
place. 6 19 in. stove bolts, with countersunk head, are run through the 
cross pieces, the keel, heel of frame and steel knee, and set up with 
nuts. The vertical arms of each pair of knees are also united by J4'n- 
carriage bolts, which go through both fin and keelson. Similar bolts 
are also run through the fln and keelson, close down to the keel, be- 
tween the frames, spaced about Sin. apart. The three cross pieces, if 
properly fitted, will resist all strains that tend to split the keel, and 
also prevent the fin being driven into the hull by heavy pounding on 
the ground. They are well backed up by the knees inside and the 
bolts, which bind the fin to the frames. The bolts between the frames 
along the whole length of the fln are intended rather to prevent local 
leakage than to add to the general strength. 
The upper edge of the fln-plate extends to the lower side of the 
floor beams, which are lin. thick and lj^in. deep, a small angle piece 
being riveted to the plate under each beam and bolted through the 
beam, as shown. In this way the fin is supported high up in the hull, 
making a very long leverage to resist all strains. In case any caulk- 
ing should prove necessary, there is a good caulking seam between fln 
and keel outside, fln and keelson on top, and between keel and keelson. 
In order to reduce useless weight a number of large holes are punched 
in the plate above the keelson. 
The thrpe objections to this method are: a certain liability to leak- 
age from the cutting through the keel, the inability to remove the fin, 
and the loss of a certain amount of space low in the boat. The first of 
these may be avoided by careful fitting and fastening of all parts; the 
second would in some cases be a serious objection, while in others it 
would make no difference, there being no occasion to remove the fln; 
and the third may be classed in the same way ; in a fin-keel yacht of 
the larger size the room would be valuable, but in boats of 25ft. down- 
ward the floor is usually high and the space below it is practically 
worthless. In a boat of the sail plan and bulb of Koko the thickness 
of the keel for the length of the fln-plate might be increased to Sin. 
and the keelson to 2x6in. 
Opinions still differ as to the value of a small metal scag with a rud- 
der hung on it as opposed to the ordinary balance rudder. There is 
somewhat more frictional surface, it is true, but the C. L. R. may be 
shifted further aft, as is sometimes desirable in these small boats, and 
the rudder is free from all danger of picking up lines and grass. The 
fastening of such a plate is a very simple matter ; it is cut out with two 
lugs about 4in. long and Sin. wide projecting from the upper edge; 
two mortisss are cut through the keel to fit these lugs; they are 
painted and driven tightly home, and an iron wedge or key is driven 
through a hole in each lug on top of the keel. 
The following is a record of Koko's wins in the two seasons she has 
fo66U 9.£l0Elt" 
Royal Canadian Y. C— July 6, 1895, first prize; Sept. 3, 1895, first 
prize; Aug. — , 1894, first prize; Aug. — , 1894, first prize; Sept. 15, 1894, 
first prize; Sept. — , 1894, second prize. 
Royal Toronto Skiff Sailing Club.— Sept. 8, 1894, first prize; June 8, 
1895, first prize; July 13, 1895, first prize ; Sept. 7, 1895, first prize. 
Royal Hamilton Y. C— Sept. 3, 1894, first prize. 
Lake Y. R. A.— Aug. 28, 1894, first prize; July 16, 1895, first prize; 
July 18, 1895, first prize; at Hamilton, July 19, 1895, eighth place.* 
* Report says lost bowsprit and came in with double-reefed main 
sail. 
The Y. R. XT. Numbers. 
The Yacht Racing Union has finally perfected its scheme of racing 
numbers for the large fleet which will sail in its races this season, and 
there is every reason to believe that it will prove successful. The 
Larchmont Y. C, which last year refused to act with the Union, has 
accepted the system of numbers, and Borne alterations have been made, 
the designation of classes being as follows: 
Schooners.— First class, A; 95ft, class, B; 85ft. class, C; 75ft. class, D; 
65ft. class, E. 
Single-Masted Vessels and Yawls— Cabin Yachts.— First class, H; 
80ft. class, I; 70ft. class, J; 60ft. class, K; 51ft. class, L; 43ft. class, M; 
38ft. class, Nj 30ft. class, O; 25ft. class, P; special 34ft. class, V; special 
30ft. class, W. 
Open Yachts.— First or 30ft. class, R; 25ft. class, S; 20ft. class, T; 
15ft. class, U; special jib and mainsail class, X; special 21ft. class, Y; 
special i^-rater class, Z. 
Specials.— V. Larchmont class; W, New York class; X, Larchmont 
class; Y, Larchmont class; Z, Seawanhaka class. 
The letters will be placed juBt above the numbers. For classes over 
30ft. the figures will be 17in, high, and for the smaller classes 14in. 
The numbers will be so allotted that yachts of simijar rig wilj have 
numbers of the same series. 
