OOT. 17, 1896.1 
FOREST AND STREAM^ 
817 
SAIL PLAN. ETHBLWYNN. 
Designed by W. P. Stephens and built by the Spalding-St. Lawrence BoatlGompany, 1895! 
that the rudder could DOt be used. In this emergency an 
old rudder was procured, originally made for an 18ft. Scare- 
crow, and of rough construction, the two plates being poor- 
ly fitted and riveted, the edges being bent and anything but 
smooth. This was fitted to the boat and carried through 
the trial and cup races, proving to be of the right size. 
In thus minutely describing Ethelwynn we' have endeav- 
ored to show the boat exactly as she was, with all of her 
imperfections and defects. These were numerous enough, 
and perhaps may be considered as not to the credit of her 
designer and others connected with her, but it must be 
remembered that the whole work of desigaing, building and 
racing her was done in a hurry, and even where mistakes 
were apparent there was little opportunity to rectify them. 
Of all connected with her there was no one with the neces- 
sary time to give his undivided attention to her proper trial 
and working up. It is easy enough to see where she might 
have been materially improved, with larger sails, much 
lighter spars, and better centerboard and rudder. 
Among the many criticisms,' mostly, be it said, of a 
friendly nature, are two that may be properly noted here : 
one to the effect that Ethelwynn was but a copy of the Eng- 
lish half -raters; the other that it was but a small task to de- 
feat Spruce nil. We have already mentioned our obliga- 
tions to Sorceress for the idea of the knife board, and the 
performances of this exceptionally fast yacht, as described 
in the English journals during her first season, demonstrated 
the merits of this general type in the small classes. At the 
same time Ethelwynn is in no sense a m.ere copy of Sorceress 
or any other boat, but represents a carefully worked out 
design with many individual features. 
As for the merits of defeating the English challenger, as 
far as the boat herself is concerned, they were little enough, 
and we have never claimed to the contrary. In weight of 
construction ; in clumsy and useless fittings, such as the oak 
tabernacle; in complicated rig, to say nothing of her actual 
form, Spruce IIII. was not a formidable opponent for any 
boat of fairly good design and construction. With equal 
handling Ethelwynn should have sailed away from her every 
time they met, and probably would have done so. When it 
comes to comparing crews the case is altered ; Mr. Brand 
had grown up with the half -rating class, saihng year after 
year from forty to sixty races in a season, and he had with 
him an exceptionally smart professional who had served as 
his crew for fom- years. Spruce IIII. had been planned and 
bailt during the winter and had sailed a number of races be- - 
fore coming to America, being tried against the best English 
boats of the year and changed in many respects to improve 
her speed; in fact, the conditions of her ownership and 
handling were such as to bring out everything that was in 
the boat. Under the Seawanhaka, as compared with the. 
Y. E. A. rule. Spruce IIII. gained in being able to increase 
her sail area for her American races. 
How hastily Ethelwynn was designed and built, with no 
exact idea of what her antagonist was to be, has already 
been told. Her helmsman in both trial and cup races, Mr. 
B C. Ball, though a skillful sailor, was accustomed only to 
a larger and very different type of yacht; he had never seen 
a modern boat of the 15 or 20ft. classes prior to sailing 
Ethelwynn, and being in business and living at a distance 
from the Sound, he was aboard of her only a few times 
before the trial races, thus having small opportunity to learn 
the boat and to improve her. As crew in all but two of the 
races he had a novice, with no experience in racing, and 
lacking that practice so essential to the quick handling of 
sails in these little craft. In the last two races he was very 
ably seconded by his brother, -a skillful sailor, but entirely 
unacquainted with Ethelwynn, not even knowing the lead of 
the gear when he went aboard her. As compared with Mr. 
Brand, with his weight and physique, his long racing expe- 
rience and his professional crew, the odds were entirely 
against Ethelwynn in the very important matter of handling, 
and while she might easily have done more, it is very much 
to the credit of both Mr. Ball and the boat that they did 
enough in successfully defending the Seawanhaka cup. 
built and designed in Canada, and the more important and striking 
suceess of their champion in winning the International challenge cup 
of the lakes on Lake Ontario. The latter vessel was designed by Mr. 
Fife, Jr., and built in Canada. 
Every one who has a practical knowledge of yacht racing under the 
present rating rule knows what an enormous handicap it is to have to 
construct a vessel on this side of the 3,000 stormy miles of the Atlantic 
and to sail her over before competing with a vessel specially con- 
structed in America for the purpose of winning two or three special 
races in American waters. This handicap, it would appear, the New 
York Y. C. are unwilling to forego, for a vessel might easily be built 
in Canada designed by the most distinguished British experts, which 
would escape the heavy handicap of an ocean voyage, and so by 
courtesy of the captains of American excursion steamers a British 
yacht might meet the American champion in some future contest on 
equal terms. 
English yachting men will not fail to appreciate this compliment to 
the skill of British yacht designers. John Grbtton, Jr. 
Niagara's Tanks. 
The recent letter of Howard Gould to the Council of the Y. R. A. 
was considered at a meeting of the Association on Oct. 12, and the 
■following reply was decided upon: 
Canada and the Cup. 
We can understand how the following letter might be written and 
sent to the Field, as Very few of those who discuss the America's Cup 
on either side of the Atlantic ever take the trouble to study the differ- 
ent deeds under which it has been held. What we cannot understand 
is, how anything so silly found its way into print, the editor of the 
Field being perfectly conversant with the whole subject, and knowing 
very well that the barring of the Canadians was done fourteen years 
ago, and not within a few weeks. This being the case, Mr. Qretton's 
heroics only serve to make him ridiculous. 
Editor, the Field: 
It is worth drawing the attention of English yachtsmen to the com- 
pliment recently paid to the chief designers in the empire by the New 
York Yacht Club. That extremely wary body of sportsmen have an- 
nounced within the last week or so that they will refuse to accept a 
challenge for the America's Cup from a Canadian yacht club. 
Their decision comes treading on the heels of the success of the 
Canadians in winning the Seawanhaka challenge cup with a J^-rater 
"Sir: I am directed by the Council of the Yacht Racing Associa- 
tion to acknowledge the receipt of a letter from you dated Sept. 28. I 
am to reply that the visit of their committee was made in the usual 
course, solely in consequence of the official measurer having in May 
1896, in the execution of his duty, reported to the Council that the 
yacht's water tanks were constructed together in such a manner that 
they might be used in shifting ballast. 
"Notice of such visits is never given. The committee expected to 
find you on board, but hearing from the captain that you had gone to 
London a few minutes previously, they requested permission to in- 
spect the water tanks, which was readily given. Their observation 
confirmed the report of the measurer, and they recommended to you 
in writing, that the tanks should be disconnected, at the same time 
expressly disclaiming any imputation that the tanks were actually put 
to improper use. 
"The Council fail to perceive that any discourtesy was displayed 
toward you; certainly none was intended. It is not necessary to 
enter into discussion of the other points raised by your letter. As 
you have thought fit to make your grievance public, it is proposed 
that this reply pass through the same channel. Dixon Kemp " 
The case of the Earl of Dunraven's twenty-rater Audrey, which won 
the Dunraven challenge cup in the races held at Calshot under the 
auspices of the Castle Y. C. on Aug. 10, and was disqualified by the 
Castle Y. C. on the ground that the yacht was not qualified to race 
for a prize offered by her owner, was taken up and disposed of. The 
Association upheld the ruling of the Castle Y. C. and awarded the 
cup to Niagara, which finished second in the race. 
The Association also decided that centerboards in future shall be 
measured at their greatest depth, so they will count in girth measure- 
ment the same as a fixed keel. 
The rules for measuring yachts over 36ft. lineal rating were not 
changed, but the rules for the measurement of yachts under that 
length were altered. ' - 
