168 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Aug. 25, 1894. 
fellow beagle breeders and friends are in it for the "love of 
the dog because it is a dog," or whether their breeding opera- 
tions are 'merely carried on through financial interest. 
Friendly runs of this kind create a spirit of emulation that 
should constitute the charm of beagle ownership. There is 
probably no sport that gives more sport and costs less than 
rabbit hunting with beagles, and if the nature of the country 
hunted over and the habits of the game afford the oppor- 
tunity, less attention should be given to the gun and more 
to the healthy actiou of following the little hounds, whose 
music supplies a stimulant that even the laziest hunter can 
scarcely withstand. Residents in the suburbs of our large 
cities have few amusements after business hours, and we can 
think of no more exhilarating and healthy exercise than the 
sport which "Comedy" suggests would afford them these 
moonlight nights. It matters not whether game is killed or 
nob, the pleasurable excitement of the run is the same in 
•either event, and the possession of a dead rabbit or two 
should be lost sight of in the main object of the sport — to see 
one's hounds at work; their cleverness in pickingup the 
trail, casting at a check, and the joyous burst of music from 
the one that first, hits it off again. To our mind even a kill 
is no prettier or self-satisfying termination of a sharp burst 
than the waving of sterns and musical chorus and excite- 
ment of the pack, that shows where bunny "went to earth," 
or "holed," in the vernacular of the rabbit hunter. Beagle 
trials are all very well in a way, but the business aspect and 
the monetary considerations involved often mar the charm, 
but such friendly meets as these would create local interest 
in beagles that no amount of field trials ever could do, while 
Forest and Stream would be only too pleased to publish 
accounts of such runs and thus help the good cause. 
• • • • 
One of the donations received by the Northwestern Beagle 
Club for the coming field trials is an oil portrait of the win- 
ner of the champion class, donated by Mr. Edmund H. Ost- 
haus, value $200. The portrait will represent the dog on 
trail, and should be a prize well worth striving for. 
faceting. 
FIXTURES. 
25. 
25. 
25. 
25. 
25. 
1. 
i. 
i. 
i. 
l. 
l. 
Atlantic City Cor., OpeD, 25. 
Muckle Cup, Atlantic City. 25. 
Quincy, Open, Dorchester Bay 
Squantum, Club Squantum. 25, 
Mass. 25 
Indian Harbor, 21ft., Naphtha 
Launches, L. I. Sound. 27 
Cor. Mus. Fleet, Ann., New 30. 
Rochelle. 
N. Y. Bay, Club, N. V. Harbor. 
Knickerbocker, Club, L. I. S'd. 
Columbia, Open, Chicago,Lake 
Michigan. 
Cor. Phila., Sweeps, Del. River. 
26. San Francisco Cor., Cruise, 
California City. 
Schoodic, 3d Cup, St. Andrews. 
Rochester, Club Sail, Charlotte, 
Lake Ontario. 
SEPTEMBER. 
10. 
12. 
13. 
Seacliff, Ladies' Day, L. I. S'd. 
Beverly, Sweeps, Mon. Beach. 
Larchmont, Fall, L. I. Sound. 
Squantum, Club Run, Squan- 
tum, Mass. 
Hull Cor., Open, Hull. 
New Bedford, Club Sail, Buz- 
zard's Bay. 
Rochester, Cruising Race to 
Oswego. 
So. Boston, Open, City Point. 
New York Y. R. A., Ann., N.Y, 
Fall River, Club. 
Cleveland, Ann., Lake Erie. 
Lynn, Open, Nabaut. 
Plymouth, Club, Plym. Harbor 
Plymouth, Club, Plymouth, 
Mass. 
Indian Harbor, 21ft., L.I.Sound 
Rochester, Club Sail,Cnarlotte. 
Lake Ontario. 
New York Bay, Club, N.Y. Bay 
Atlantic City Cor., Club Cup, 
Atlantic City. 
San Francisco Cor., Cruise to 
Pacific Y. C. Regatta. 
Philadelphia, Delaware River. 
Cor. Phila., Wilkinson Cup, 
Delaware River. 
Columbia, Club, Chicago, Lake 
Michigan. 
Schoodic, Sail-off for Cup. 
Hempstead Bay, Club, Hemp- 
stead Bay. 
Miramichi, Race, Newcastle. 
13. Rochester, Ladies 1 Day and 
Closing Review, Charlotte, 
Lake Ontario. 
15. Winthrop,Club,Boston Harbor 
15. Larchmont, Larchmont Cup, 
Long Island Sound. 
15. Beverly, Club Cham., Monu- 
ment Beach. 
15. Phila., Pen., Mos. Boats, Dela- 
ware River. 
15 16. San Francisco Cor., Cruise, 
Vallejo. 
20. Plymouth, Club, Plymouth, 
IVItiss 
20. Plymouth, Club, Plym. Harbor 
22. Squantum, Cham , Squantum, 
Mass. 
23. American, Seaver Cup, New 
buryport. 
22, Atlantic City Cor., Trophy 
Race, Atlantic City. 
22. San Francisco Cor., Sail to 
Sausalito. 
22. New York Bay, Club, N.Y. Bay 
22. Knickerbocker, Ladies' Day, 
Long Island Sound. 
22. Cor. Phila., Jeanes Prize, Del- 
aware River. 
22. Phila., Final Race, Classes 1, 2 
and 3, Delaware River. 
23. San Francisco Cor., Sail Out- 
side. 
29. Miramichi, Race, Chatham to 
Newcastle. 
29-30. San Francisco Cor., Cruise 
to McNear's. 
OCTOBER. 
6. Cor. Phila., Sweeps, Del. River 20. Cor. Phila., Club, Del. River. 
13. San Francisco Cor., Final Sail. 
SOCIAL AND BUSINESS. 
Aug. 25.— Winthrop, Ladies' Day, Reception, Winthrop, Mass. 
Following up its researches into the Steers-Burgess-Herreshoff 
model which have already made it famous, the New York Herald has 
this week announced another discovery of equal importance, to wit 
that "the gear of Vigilant was never meant for the frequent shifting 
of sails." So far as there is any difference In the rigs of modern 
single-stick vessels, the cutter rig being used on American as well as 
British, this difference has for some years been on the side of the 
American modification of the cutter, as used on Puritan and the later 
yachts. Last year the superiority of the Herreshoff over the Watson 
rig was freely acknowledged ; as was the fact that the last Cup race 
was won by Vigilant through the bold and skillful manner in which 
she shook out a reef and set her clubtopsail. Britannia's rig this year 
is in some parts modeled directly after Vigilant's, and so far as the 
mere "gear" goes there is no material difference in favor of either. 
There is one great advantage so far as Americans are concerned in 
having the races sailed in British rather than home waters. In the 
case of the Cup races off Sandy Hook last year, the first news, placing 
the boats in impossible positions, appeared on the bulletins about 2 P. 
M., and it was often nearly midnight before the corrected times were 
known. This year, with the races sailed off Cowes, the bulletins in New 
York display accurate times at the intermediate marks by 12 M., New 
York time, and the final results are in the afternoon papers by 1 or 2 
o'clock. 
One of the excuses most frequently advanced for Vigilant's defeats 
is that they are due to the fact that the races are sailed with no time 
limit, and that under the American system of a time limit, they would 
have been declared off and resailed in a stronger wind. This state- 
ment which in various high-colored forms is now going the rounds of 
American papers, is incorrect, both as to the existence of any such 
system and its supposed application to the present races. There is, in 
; some clubs, a provision that if a regatta be not completed by a certain 
time, either so many hours from the start, or by a fixed time, such as 
sunset, it shall be resailed; but this provision is by no means uni- 
versal, and even when used it is anything but a preventive of drift- 
ing matches. It not unf requently happens that with a time limit of 
! say six hours, over half of the time is wasted in a drifting match 
until the boats are widely separated, when an afternoon breeze springs 
;up and drives a boat in just within the time, leaving the others astern. 
The merits and drawbacks of the time limit are standing subjects of 
(discussion in the Ameriean clubs, and opinion is still divided. 
The nominal end of the time limit is to make certain of an average 
speed of 5 knots, 30 nautical miles in 6 hours, and the table which we 
lately published will show that such a limit would have had no effect 
on Vigilant in races abroad. Out of the 17 races which she has 
sailed, just one was at a lower average speed than 5 knots (3.30 knots)" 
Three others were sailed at speeds over 6 and under 7 knots; while no 
lesH than twelve were sailed at a speed of 8 knots or over. Of the 
races won by Vigilant, two were sailed at a speed of over 10 knots, one 
at a speed over 9 knots, one at 7 knots and one just over 6 knots. The 
races of the past fortnight have in most cases been sailed in strong 
winds. 
The question of type has been well settled in the smaller classes by 
the races of Madge, Clara, Bedouin on this side representing the keels; 
and at a more recent date in British waters by Wenonah, Wee Win 
and Dacotah, representing the extreme bulb fin; but in the largest 
class the battles have been very unsatisfactory to both sides from a 
technical standpoint, the only one which can lead to good results or 
teach any lessons of value. The racing of Puritan and Genesta proved 
that the new compromise, with cutter rig and lead keel, was faster in 
light weather than the narrow cutter produced by the Thames rule, 
the result in a blow being far from conclusive. The races of the fol- 
lowing year found the same types involved, and were still less inter- 
esting through the challenging boat being inferior to her older pre- 
decessor of the year before, while just the reverse was the case with 
the defender. The trial of a year later between Volunteer and Thistle 
found the keel side represented by a new type, built without regard to 
the trammels of the old tonnage rule, but still so lacking in one vital 
element of draft as to rob the contest of its technical value as a test 
of the keel and centerboard as developed by two great yachting 
nations. 
The contests of last year, those on this side in particular, were the 
most satisfactory that have thus far been seen in classes over 70ft., in 
that for the first time the keel side was represented by a yacht that 
was thoroughly effective to windward, and also far better suited for 
American waters than any of the other challengers. Even with this, 
the three races sailed were by no means enough for a thorough test, 
especially in view of the altered trim of the challenger and the close- 
ness of the last race. 
The contest of this season, transferred for the first time in many 
years to British waters, is attended by conditions that tend to make 
the results of far greater value to both sides than in most yacht races 
with their thousand varying factors. 
In the first place the two champions may fairly claim this title by 
virtue of their past performances and not through the mere fact of 
being built for a certain purpose. Each has made an honorable 
record with her home fleet before meeting her adversary in an inter- 
national contest; and each is presumably in better condition in her 
second than in her first season; at least she has profited by long and 
thorough trials. 
That the conditions are stroDgly against the visiting yacht has long 
been maintained by British yachtsmen and is now fully conceded by 
Americans; and the fair-minded men of both nations are prepared to 
make a liberal allowance for this recognized drawback to Vigilant's 
success. Much has been said about winds and courses; but the 
former are quite up to the American average, and any extended series 
of races such as will offer a thorough test can only be made in the 
course of the regular club events and over local courses. It would be 
far more satisfactory if a dozen or so of races could be sailed on 
purely outside courses with good winds, but such a thing would be an 
impossibility on this side and quite as impossible on the other. Taken 
altogether, with the best vessels that the representative designers of 
the two nations can produce, sailed by men like Cart3r and Haff, for 
racing owners who are prepared to spend any amount of money to 
win, with skillful sailmakers constantly at work for each yacht; and 
with the many faults and crudities of a new yacht corrected by a 
previous season of racing; the conditions are the most favorable that 
have ever existed for a careful and thorough comparison of the merits 
and defects of each type which shall add materially to the yachting 
knowledge of both countries. 
While there are not a few among American yachtsmen who are 
watching every race with the closest attention in the hope of discern- 
ing the true bearing of each incident; and of forming correct opinions 
on the great number of technical points involved, of centerboard and 
keel, of form of bow, methods of setting sails, working of crew, and 
other important questions in practical designing and racing; the atti- 
tude of the nation at large, so far as it can be judged from the news- 
papers, both in editorial opinions and in interviews real or alleged, 
with yachtsmen, is totally different. Hardly an effort is made to 
draw a fair comparison between the two yachts, or to deal with the 
technical side of the racing, but everything is subordinated to a boast- 
ful and exaggerated Americanism that is not only discreditable in 
itself, but which defeats the very object of such international contests, 
debasing them from their high position as scientific experiments of 
the greatest value, to a mere excuse for a display of ill-feeling toward 
another nation. 
Last year, to say nothing of the defeats of Navahoe, the other 
American representative defeated her antagonist in three races, one 
by a very narrow margin, whereupon she was hailed as the cham- 
pion of the seas. This year the same champion has sailed no less 
than seventeen races with a foreign yacht, many of them under 
fairer conditions than in the average yacht race; she has been beaten 
twelve times and yet there is hardly an American paper that will 
admit that this record of twelve to five bespeaks the victor the 
faster yacht. The winner in one, two or three races for the America's 
Cup, under conditions made to suit her, has been hailed throughout 
the country as the champion of the year ; and now, when the record 
is overwhelmingly on the other side, no plea is too mean or too 
ridiculous to be put forward to belittle the winner. 
Americans may still believe Vigilant to be the better boat, just as 
the Scotch did for a time in the case of Thistle, they may make any 
fair excuses for the adverse conditions which she voluntarily 
accepted in going across; but beyond all this is the cold hard fact 
that she has been beaten again and again, and in many cases fairly 
beaten, and yet Americans are not brave enough or fair enough to 
admit it. It is auite possible that she might still defeat Britannia on 
this side of the water, or even score a majority of the races on some 
open course in neutral waters under fitting conditions, but the fact 
that Britannia, always ready, sailing races day in and day out, has 
beaten her repeatedly in a long series of races is something which 
cannot be hidden or explained away. 
We are quite well aware that that mischief-maker, the anonymous 
"prominent yachtsman," with his ally, the sensational reporter, is 
found in other places than New York, and that just now the precious 
pair are doing a rushing business at Cowes, and we look for an out- 
burst on the other side in a short time which will compare in quality 
and quantity with the stuff that has appeared here since Vigilant 
sailed her first race on the Clyde; but this does not make matters 
any better. 
The technical points, those of prime value to yachtsmen, which we 
have endeavored in the Foeest and Stream to present as fairly and 
fully as possible to our readers, at least without prejudice and with a 
patriotic interest in the American craft; have already been buried 
and obscured under a mass of mis statements and distorted facts so 
far as Americans are concerned, and it only makes matters worse 
that the other side is at length preparing for a similar campaign . 
We regret sincerely, as friends of the noblest and most scientific of 
sports, as well as of American yachting interests, that such an 
opportunity for added knowledge and material progress in designing 
should have been largely lost to the country through the unfair and 
partisan attitude of the American press and of some American 
yachtsmen. 
The loss of Vigilant's centerboard is a commonplace accident which 
is new only because such boards are new, but which is likely to be- 
come quite common in the event of such yachts as Navahoe and 
Vigilant coming into more general use. The presence of a heavy 
weight loosely fitted in a vessel must always be an element of danger 
from the momentum imparted to the moving part by the motion of 
the sea; and in such a construction as seems necessary to a center- 
board, with one end loosely suspended by a chain or line, another 
element of danger is introduced when the board rises through striking 
an obstruction and falls suddenly on the pendant when it goes clear, 
as in the case of Vigilant. There is nothing unexpected about this, 
and nothing unusual, though under the circumstances it is most un- 
fortunate, as the accident is likely to be construed in two ways abroad. 
It is reported that some of the gossips about Cowes lay the loss of the 
board to the owners of the yacht, claiming that it was but an excuse 
to avoid meeting Britannia; a deduction too mean and absurd to be 
seriously considered. It is likely, however, that in addition the loss of 
her board under such conditions will be urged as additional evidence 
of the machine-like build of the American boat. We have realized 
ever since these heavy boards have been tried, especially in view of* 
an accident to the 30-footer Hawk two seasons since, that the break 
ing of a pendant, leaving the heavy board still hanging by the pin at 
full length under the boat, where it could not be replaced in the trunk 
or even dropped entirely, would be a very serious matter, possibly 
leading to the loss of the vessel. The mere loss of the board, clear 
and clean, as in Vigilant, while fatal to her stability and windward 
power in a race, would leave her as staunch and seaworthy as before. 
When the Vigilant wins a race she invariably (according to press 
accounts) whips the English cutter "at her own game," in "just 
Britannia's weather," etc.; but when the Prince of Wales's flyer 
shows her heels to the American sloop we hear that "local knowledge 
helped the Englishman," or Britannia was "favored by flukes of 
wind," etc. Let us just eliminate these pardonable explanations and 
realize that two of the fastest yachts that ever slipped from a cradle 
have come together, and that the contest for mastery will be a ding 
dong fight every race they sail. They are so nearly matched that it is 
as uncertain as the toss of a sixpence which will win eventually.— 
Hartford Telegram. 
Every once in a while a discussion arises over the use of the definite 
article before the name of a yacht, the omission of the article being 
often derided by Americans as an affectation peculiar to Anglo- 
maniacs. In the report of a race which we republish from the London 
Times, it will be seen that the writer, we .believe Mr. Harry Horn, the 
leading English yachting reporter, follows no definite plan, but speaks 
in one place of "Vigilant," and in another of "the Vigilant;" and the 
same lack of system is seen in other English papers, the article being 
employed in one line and omitted in the next. Looking at any vessel, 
much more such a yacht as Gloriana, Vigilant or Britannia, as some- 
thing more than a mere mass of lead and wood, a something far more 
fully endowed than most other of man's creations with life and an in- 
dividuality of her own, we have always preferred to use the simple 
name of the yacht, without the article, or quotation marks, a tribute 
to the higher qualities of a yacht which we believe she fully merits. 
There are some cases in which it seems natural to apply the article 
before the name of a working vessel, or even a steam yacht; but cer- 
tainly the true sailing yacht is entitled to this much recognition of her 
superiority to a drydock or a scow. 
On Aug. 18 a meeting of the Yacht Racing Association was 
held at Ryde, at which a committee of four was appointed to consider 
the operation of the present rating rule, and to report to the Council 
at a meeting in October. So much has been said about the last abor- 
tive inquiry that it is probable that the present committee would not 
have been appointed had there not been a reasonable prospect of some 
action on the part of the Association should a change be recommended 
by the committee. The necessity for a thorough overhauling of the 
rules, and at least the adoption of a new classification, exists on this, 
side at present, and if anything is to be done, some move must be 
made at once, in order that any changes may be made before the 
building season. 
There is no general body in this country similar to the Y. R. A., 
much as one is needed ; but, if any one of the larger clubs choses to 
take the initiative, it is more than likely that all the others will join 
with it in appointing representatives to consider the whole question. 
It would be an excellent thing if this work could be done as far as 
possible in conjunction with the British committee, as it might prove 
possible to devise a rule and classification that would be suitable to 
both parties, and that would greatly tend to the promotion of inter- 
national racing. While any overtures toward such a committee and 
such mutual action with the Y. R. A. committee would have to be 
made informally in the first place, there are no serious obstacles to 
such a plan, and the feeling of yachtsmen on both sides is now so 
Btrongly in favor of at least a thorough inquiry into existing tenden" 
cies that an attempt would be likely to receive general support. 
In the course of along fight for higher standards and more ad- 
vanced methods in yachting, we have often had occasion to comment 
on the general lack of technical knowledge displayed by the daily 
press of the country in attempting to discuss yachting matters. Even 
after this long experience, however, the display of the present sea" 
son is a surprise; the diffusion of knowledge of yachting has been so 
general and widespread of late years that it is wonderful how so much 
ignorance can still prevail among professional writers. The visit of 
Vigilant to foreign waters has offered a glorious opportunity for the 
American editorial writer, and he has availed himself of it in a way 
that is a disgrace to American journalism. The efforts of the Ameri- 
can press, with so few exceptions that they are hardly worth noting, 
have been directed to the one end of proving that the American yacht 
is faster than her opponents, and in this attempt they have displayed 
a spirit of unfairness and injustice which we hesitate to believe is 
American; together with an utter ignorance of common racing usage 
on both sides of the Atlantic. Apart from the abuse of all connected 
with both the American and British yachts, who, with few if any ex. 
captions are quite up to the high standard of gentlemen sportsmen 
which characterizes the keenest yachtsmen; every trivial incident of 
the racing is distorted and misrepresented to the detriment of British 
yachtsmen. 
One excuse generally given for Vigilant's defeat in the first races 
is that the British rules were unfavorable to her, the fact that she has 
been accorded a most unusual privilege in being allowed to saij 
thirteen races without being measured, and at liberty to make any 
changes in ballast or crew, being passed unnoticed. Such a privilege 
is never accorded to a British yacht in her home waters. On the 
other hand, the fact that Britannia lessened her ballast when lately in 
dry dock, as she is allowed to do by all racing rules, has been 
