JttSE 19, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
498 
The list of yachting fixtures which we publish this week 
is the longest by far ever published in this country; though 
by DO means complete, as many small clubs have sent in no 
reports. This list is, perhaps, the best possible index of the 
true condition of American yachting; and as such it goes a 
long way toward contradicting the discouraging conditions 
whieh appear when we look at the yachting pro^^pect from 
the ordinary point of view. 
This latter, it must be confessed, is anything but encour- 
aging; no race is on for the America's Cup for this season, 
and little prospect of one for 1898; no large yachts are build- 
ing, and but two of moderate size; the great Cup racing 
dass is dead and will not figure in this season's events; the 
schooner division would be no better oft' were it not that one 
old boat has been rebuilt, making a duel that will be inter- 
eating for a part of the season, at least; the list of possible 
entries in all of the classes above 42ft. show at be.st bat two 
or three yachts, and in many cases none at all. Judged by 
the old and popular standards, the season promises abso- 
lutely nothing of interest but the issue between the altered 
Colonia and the rebuilt Emerald. 
The other view, as disclosed by a study of the list of fix- 
tures, is, happily, very different. In the first place, the list 
shows a remarkable increase in the number of yacht clubs, 
as compared with a few years Ijack; this increase being 
'livided between new clubs about the established yachting 
:;f nters and clubs recently organized in entirely new locali- 
i ies. The former clubs bear witness to the increased interest 
in yachting on the part of the public at large; about Boston, 
for instance — a locality always noted for its support of yacht- 
in g and the number of yacht clubs— this number has prob- 
ably doubled within the past ten years; showing a healthy 
development of the sport. On Cape Cod the incrbase is still 
more marked, and the clubs are strong and prosperous. 
-iVbout New York there has been a similar increase; and, 
what is quite as important, many of the smaller clubs have 
taken of late a deeper interest in racing. 
The extension of yachting in new localities is going on at 
a rapid rate and a radical change has been made in the past 
ten years. On the Great Lakes there has been within a com- 
pai-atively short time a marked revival, the older clubs have 
been reorganized and strengtfiened, new ones have been 
formed, and all have learned to work together in harmony. 
On the smaller inland waters in all parts of the country 
yacht clubs have been established and yacht racing is per- 
. manently followed on modern lines and in craft of the latest 
design. This is notably the ease in the lake region of Minne- 
sota and Wisconsin, where the many small and neighboring 
lakes afl'ord opportunities for other than purely local races. 
Even in isolated localities, where inter-lake competition is 
impossible, there are found flourishing fleets of small racers 
and regular races for them through the season. 
Though figuring but lightly in our list, the Pacific coast 
b.y.s by no means stood still, fof a long time there was little 
life in yachting in the leading center, San Francisco, the 
schooner fleet of fifteen years ago disappeared and left noth- 
ing in its i)lace; but to-day the clubs, old and new, are on a 
better basis, there is regular racing, and in addition the 
short squadron cruises are very popular. Further north, on 
■piiget's Sound, yachting is making fair headway and quite 
a racing fleet is growing up, though little is heard of it here 
iu the East. 
This growth of yachting throughout the country has had 
nothing of "boom" nature about it: the organization of 
many clubs dates back to the days of Puritan and May-- 
flower, having its origin in the general enthusiasm awakened 
throughout the country by those great victories, but the 
growth since then has been by degrees and not by sudden 
jumps. In common with all clubs, the yachting organiza- 
tions have suffered severely in membership from the business 
, depression that has prevailed for so long, the accessions have 
been comparatively few and the losses through members in 
arrears or resignations at the beginning of the year propor- 
tionately large; but on the whole the condition of the major- 
ity of yacht clubs, both financially and in the possession of 
active and enthusiastic members, is prosperous. 
Another point disclosed by the listis the growth of a spirit 
of union and co(5peration among the clubs at large, resulting 
in the formation of associations of greater or less extent, but 
all tending toward the ultimate formation of one national 
body. It is interesting to compare the long lists of fixtures 
arranged by the Massachusetts Y. U. A. and the Sound Y. 
R. U., to say nothing of shorter lists by other organizations, 
with the old condition of afi'airs, under which the clubs of a 
locality fought for dates throughout the season, sailed rival 
races on the same days and sutt'ered inconsequence from the 
division of entiries and the hostile feelings between members 
of opposing clubs. A racing yachtsman to-day, about either 
New York or Boston, may arrange his season's work in 
April, before his yacht is afloat, deciding wnat races he de- 
sires to enter and making such arrangements as business 
and other engagements permit for every race of the season. 
The result is too plain to need comment. Knowing just what 
to expect in the way of opponents, and being able to prepare 
his plan well in advance, a man is tempted to enter for the 
entire series of races instead of leaving it to chance at the 
last moment whether he will start iu each race as it comes 
on. Then, too, the general competition and the awarding of 
points and places adds greatly to the interest of the races, in 
fact, these inducements count more than the money prizes, 
though this fact may not be generally appreciated. 
All of this work, with much more in the way of the im- 
provement of the racing rules, and the general elevation of 
yacht racing to a higher level, is due to the associations 
whose names are found in our list. 
Still another important detail of modern racing is disclosed 
by the list — ^the prevalence of series and class racing. In 
spite of all that may be said in their favor, the great syndi- 
cate racers and royal yachts, such as Defender, Valkyrie, 
Britannia and Meteor, do but little for yachting at. large and 
the general prosperity of yacht racing; in fact, a long experi- 
ence in this country has proved that the year of a Kieat in- 
ternational race is always a bad one for the smaller classes 
throughout the country, the effect being apparent even in 
the following season. The mainstay of American yachting 
must always be the general and popular racing, with its 
accompanying building of a certain number of yachts each 
year, and in such classes as the average yachtsman can and 
will build to. The increase of this sort of racing is shown in 
the table, where series of races covering the whole season are 
arranged for dift"erent classes. In some cases these are the 
regular classes, in others they are special or restricted classes, 
adopted in certain localities. 
The smallest of these is the 15ft. class, established in 1895 
through the challenge of Spruce IllI,, and now popular in 
many parts of the country; the Cohasset Y. C, for instance, 
has a one-design class that races through the season for 
series prizes. The next class, from the same origin, is the 
20ft., well built up this year in the States and Canada for the 
Seawanhaka cup races, and figuring largely in the races on 
the St. Lawrence and on Long Island Sound. The knock- 
about class of Massachusetts Bay is oue of the special fea 
tures of the season, the keen rivalry and the number of de- 
signers and crack sailors concerned making the races of far 
more than local interest. 
In the larger classes up to 51ft. on the Atlantic coast there 
is a fair amount of racing, very satisfactory, all things con- 
sidered, in the cat classes and the smaller sloop and cutter 
classes, but by no means what it should be, either in the 
entry of old boats or the building of new ones, in the classes 
over 36ft. r. 1. At the same time much has been done in the 
past two years in the unification of class limits and the 
weeding out of odd and special classes, so as to throw all 
future building into a small number of established classes. 
in the West the racing is now; all in fixed classes, th^favor- 
ite ones being i5 to 20 and 35ft r. 1., and many new boats 
have been built. 
To us at least, the otitlook as disclosed by the list is most 
encouraging, both for the immediate present and for the 
future; there is nothing wonderful or sensational, no world- 
beater or new marvel of design and construction, taut there 
is ample evidence of a widespread anrl permanent interest in 
the sport of yachting among the American people, of plenty 
of keen and exciting racing by hundreds of yachtsmen in all 
parts of the country, of earnest work oa the part of indi- 
viduals, of clubs and of associalious to further the interests 
of yachting as a national sport. 
There is one point in the li^t which is too important to be 
omitted; it shows, as has never been shown before, how 
completely the control of the yachting iaterests has passed 
into new hands. Ten years ago the controllinsr factors in 
yachting were the five great, club?: the New York, Seawan- 
haka Corinthian, Atlantic, Larch mnnt and Eastern. These 
clubs made the yachting laws aud formed yachting senti- 
ment in this country, with none to giinsay them. The New 
York Y. C, through its possession of the America's Cup and 
its absolute control of the conditions under which that 
trophy might be raced for, occupied a position far above the 
other clubs, increasing in importance with the successive 
victories in international racing. The prestige and position 
of the club are as great to-day as ever, in one sense, but its 
power and influence have disappeared, and its position, in 
relation to the great body of yacht clubs, is vastly different. 
The attention of yachtsmen is no longer centered on the 
New York Y. C. and the America's Cup, but they are now 
directly interested in their own affairs, their local clttbs, 
their own yachts and others in their class, and the rules 
under which they personally mttst race. Under these con- 
ditions, it is but natural that they should care nothing for a 
club which recognizes no yachts as small as tho.se in which 
they are interested and has no hand in yachting legislation 
otitside of its own fleet of big yachts. 
The Eastern Y. C, once the leading club in Eastern racing, 
has suffered from the disappearance of the lartce yachts, and 
is no longer a factor in racing; thn control of racing and rac- 
ing legislation has passed flr.st to smaller clubs that were ac- 
tive in the encouragement of the .smaller classes, and later 
to an association formrd of these same club*, and of which 
the Eastern Y. C. is not a member. This organization, now 
strong and vigorous, promises to control for the future all 
racing in Eastern waters. 
The Atlantic Y. C. has, through its size and importance, 
been included as one of the five great clubs in the past, but 
these clubs as a whole no longer figure in yachting, and in the 
future it niust stand alone on its individual responsibility; 
at present it is in an uncertain position, being unconnected 
with any association, and having no influence on other than 
its own racing. 
The Larchmont Y. C. has within a few years made an in- 
dependent position for it=elf by a wise aud liberal policy of 
encouraging yacht racing in all classes; this position is indi- 
cated by the fixtures credited to it in our list, races for all 
classes, with generous prizes throughout the seasou As 
long as this policy is retained, the club must rate as an im- 
portant factor in yachting. 
The Seawanhaka Corinthian Y. C. has also been fortunate 
in its policy, though in a very different direction from the 
Larchmont; it has, from the "first inception of the scheme 
for a union of the Sound clubs, laid aside all claims of posi- 
tion, size and prestige, and entered heartily iuto the work of 
organizing and building up the Sound Y. R.. U. If it has 
lost caste in the opinions of its former associates of the "big 
clubs" in fraternizing on an equal footing with the "small 
cltibs," it has gained much in popular opinion by its ener- 
getic and disinterested labors for the good of yachting. 
It is plain to-day that the 257'esii(7e of the Ave great clubs 
collectively as the trustees and arbiters of American yacht- 
ing, and also their influence both collectively and individu- 
ally, has disappeared forever. The control of yachting 
legislation and yacht racing to-day is iu the hands of the 
different associations, the Massachusetts, the Sound, the 
Great Lakes; they make the rules and they manage a very 
large number of the races. They, with other associations 
and many individual clubs, are tending rapidly toward a 
closer union, which will still further strengthen them. Our 
list is not sufficiently complete to show the full strength of 
such a union; there are still a number of clubs which do 
little racing or whose fixtures have not reached us, which 
would join in as a matter of course and in time to take their 
place in the racing. At the same time it shows where the 
strength and vitality of American yachting lies at the pres- 
ent time, not, as of old, in the wealth and power of a few of 
the coast clubs, but in the numerous thriving and active 
clubs distributed throtighout the entire country. The New 
York Y. C. has lately decided that it has nothing in common 
with these clubs, apart from the four with which it has long 
been to a certain extent associated; but on the other hand, 
this great body of the clubs has nothing to ask of the New 
York Y. C; even in its present divided condition it has 
managed to grow and prosper, and each step toward union 
adds to its strength. 
Theee is something peculiar about the fond tenacity 
with which the American yachtsman clings to the 
English term "rater," and persists in misusing it on all pos- 
sible occasions, and to the confusion of all meaning. In spite 
of the fact that uuder no rule, past or present, would they 
measure of one rating, the new20-footers are eeuerally called 
"one-raters," just as the 15-footers are called "half-raters." 
The latter have all measured, by the only true "rating" rule, 
far more than one-half, even SprucB Ilil , a true half-rater 
as raced in Eugland, was canvassed on this side until out of 
the class. The 20-footers of this year, if meastxred by the 
rating rule, comeout nearly one and one-half instead of oue 
rating, and are in no sense "one-raters." If measured by 
the present Y. R. A. rule they would be about 24 "linear 
rating." The .so-called "34-raters" of the Larchmont Y. C. 
were nearer to 7-raters by the rating rule, and the American 
"25-rater8" were really of 2>j-rating. 
There is but one meaning to the terms "rating" and 
"rater," for both of which, we believe, the yachting frater- 
nity is indebted to Mr. Dixon Kemp. "Rating" is a yacht's 
racing measurement by the recent Y. R. A. rule, adopted in 
1887 and abandoned in 1896, ^ ^V^ " A "rater," the term 
6,000 
being always preceded by a numeral, is a yacht of a certain 
measurement under the rule, a "20-rater" or a "one-rater," 
for instance. The rule has never been adopted in this coun- 
try, and the misapplication of the term is a silly affectation 
which has no technical justification whatever. 
Exactly opposite is the common use of the term "sloop" 
by Americans. The single-sfcick yachts of the past ten years 
— in fact, from Puritan down — have been cutter-rigged, and 
by all technical definition are cutters — Titania, Katriua, Gos- 
soon, Gloriana, Wasp, Defender, Vigilant, and any number 
more; in fact, no sloop rig has been put on a large yacht for 
many years, and even the old sloops such as Gracie and 
Fanny have been long since converted to cutter rig. In s ^ite 
of this these boats are still classed as sloops. Of late years 
the sloop rig has been revived in the smaller classes, such as 
the 25-footers and 30-footers, which are correctly set down as 
sloops, but iu all of the larger classes the term cutter is the 
only one that is iu any way correct. 
.spring regatta of the Larchmont Y. C. on Saturday. The 
first two, depending mainly on the larger yachts, promise 
but few starters: Colonia, Emerald, Araorita, Wasp, Syce 
and the SO-footers. The race of Saturday will call out a 
larger fleet, and promises to be very interesting if the 
weather is favorable. Of course, with good breezes on the 
Bay and outside the Hook, the continuation of the duels be- 
tween Colonia and Emerald and Wa'-p aud Syce will be well 
worth seeing. 
Royal St Lawrence Y. C. 
DORVAL lAK? ST LOUIS 
Saturday, June 5. 
The second race of the 20ft. class in the Ross series was 
sailed over the usual cour.se on June 5. The start was made 
at 3:35, and the day was warm and clear, with a very light 
air from thesouthwest. 
Seven boats started, going over in the following order: 
Rogue, Lalage, Millie, Maida, Avoca, Glenowen, and last 
Islander. 
The boats were pretty well bunched at the start excepting 
Rogue, which got away clear, and at once began to open 
up a lead which was a long one before she reached the 
first buoy, then Avoca worked up into third place, aud at 
the finish of the first round caught Lilage, taking second 
place. Millierounded fourth, Islander fifth, Glenowen sixth, 
and Maida seventh. The time was as follows: 
^ Points. 
TtoBue 4 08 06 8 
Lalage , 4 In ur 7 
Avoca ....4 to (8 6, 
Mf'ie ...^...►>..,....-...w.^i...*,i.... 4 11 0.^ 5, 
Islander .i--,^...,.....^.... 4 1-3 uti 4? 
Glenowen 4 14 01 .3; 
Maida 4 15 03 » 
The wind, which had held fairly steady in the first ronnd^ 
now began to die out and came in sheets, first Rogue ran 
into a calm, Avoca came up and passed her and Glenowen^ 
which immediately on rounding the buoy had freed off and 
ran up above the current, and now seemed to hold a better 
wind, and ran up from sixth to first before the first buoy 
was reached. Then Millie followed in Glenowen's wake, in 
her turn passed the fleet, came up behind Glenowen and 
passed her after rounding the spar buoy. At the finish there 
was not wind enough to bring the boats in. The finish waa 
as follows: 
MiUie 5 05 04 Islander 5 23 C3 
Gleao wen , . .5 08 07 Lalage , 5 23 04 
Avoca 5 17 05 Maida , 5 23 08 
Rogue 5 ao 0^ 
Place in the Ross series is determined by points, and the 
standiug of the boats as the result of this race was as fol- 
lows; 
Is Round. 2d Round. Total. 
Boffue, J. C. C, Almon.,,,,,,,, 
Millie, Rev. Hv. Kittson,,,^,,. 
Glenowen, Shirlev Davidson., . 
Lalage, J. B. Abt)otD 
5 
13 
8 
13 
6 
12 
.8 
7 
10 
3 
10 
4 
•8 
2 
8-, 
4 
The standing of the boats in the series is now as follows:. 
Avoca 
Roeue. 
Islander.. ,, 
Glenovven . . 
....35 Maida jji' 
....31 Millie 13 
-7 Lalaee .....i,, .... ,,...,,,...10 
..22 Vlola..4...4,^..t,i 9 
Gravesend Bay Y. C. 
BAIH BEAOH— GBAVESEND BAY. 
Saturday, June 12. 
The Gravesend Bay Y. C. sailed its annual regatta on June 
12 over courses on Gravesend Bay and the Lower Bay. The 
wind was fresh and puffy, from W. to N.W. The times 
were: 
Start. Finisli. Elapsed. Corrected; 
Martha M S 08 40 3 5 i 40 1 4» 00 1 41 3B ' 
Minnie H 2 07 50 :^ 5 4n 1 44 55 1 43 47 
Ariel 2 06 90 3 50 45 1 44 '.5 1 44 95 
Mag-eie P 2 07 S30 4 0 40 S t6 10 2 01 i% 
Isabel 2 08 iO Disabled. 
Anita 2 10 00 Did not finish. 
OliASS B 
Eureka 2 C6 30 3 15 42 1 F,0 12 1 .?9 
Madge 2 07 00 3 51 £5 1-44 05 14^87 
CLASS E 
Loui-^e 1 67 10 3 51 20 1 54 20 1 S2 43! 
Liz ie V.....X.. 1 57 13 3 51 35 1 fi4 J3 1 54 22; 
Acoi D 2 00 CO Did not flnisb. 
SOl'T. CI..AS3 
Nemo 1 50 00 4 54 50 q 04 E.0 3 04 50 
Yaie 1 50 00 Did not flniish. 
3fFT ciiAsa 
Arab 1 «6 20 4 47 45 S 01 25 2 37 15 
Nomad ....^ 1 50 00 5 02 45 3 12 4H 3 1144 
J.S.M ..ii... IfOOO 5 09 52 3 J9 53 3 19 58 
Guide .1 5'" Oft 5 18 30 3 S8 30 3 S8 30 
Sea Gull ....1 tO 00 Did not finish. 
4 FT. CLASS 
Kelpie 1 47 4o 4 3ii 30 3 42 .SO 2 42 80 
Leia 1 50 00 5 33 2ii 3 43 23 .3 43 J8 
The winners were Martha M., Minnie H. second, Eureka, 
Louise, Nemo, Arab, Kelpie. Ariel and Minnie H. filed 
counter- protests on measurement. The committee included 
Messrs. R W. Rummell, G. P. Inslee, H. W. Pfalzgraf, J. I^ 
Woods and C. W. Kennedy. 
The present week will see three races in New York waters: 
the annual regatta of the Atlantic Y. C. on Tuesday, the 
annual regatta of the New York Y. C. on Thursday, and the 
Douglaston Y. C. 
POBGLASTON- lONG ISLASD SOUND. 
Saturday, June IS. 
The annual regatta of the Douglaston Y. 0, w«8 sailed on 
June 12 over th usual Sound courses, the club house being 
towed out for the occasion to the mouth of Little Neck Bay 
The entries were comparatively few. The 20-footers are not 
yet racing, and the thirties were on New York Bay for the 
day. The wind was light in the morning, the start being 
postponed to 11 o'clock; but the race was sailed in a good 
S. W. breeze. Mr. M. H. Clark, owner of the 20-footer Keneu 
sailed his catboat Punch for the Webster cup, won by him 
last year, holding it permanently through a second win 
This left Shark without a competitor. The times were: 
OaBXN sloops— 36ft. CLASS 
Lenefh. Elapsed. 
Eurybia, Charles Pfyer ,,,,..40.0<! 3 14 13 
Mignon, Joseph Fournier 34,16 3 O/ 5ti 
OPEN SLOOPS -20ft. class. 
Sbarb, Rouse & Hoyt , 19.86 3 OS 13 
CAB(N KNOCKABCUTS -20FT. CLASS. 
Willada, W G. Newaiau Did not finish 
Margaret, E. Epersbaener 3 24 S>k 
CABIN BOATS -30FT. CLASS. " " 
Leisure, F. B. Myrick ^ , 27.f)6 3 SO 23 
Dosorus II , G. P Vail ,...,mM,,,,,,,,.''i9Afi 3 lu 3o 
Exonian, W. R Flemme ...'.28!0t> 3 31 12 
Volsung, J. & H. L De Forest 28.55 a 07 48 
CABIN CATBOATS— £5FT CLASS. 
Mary S., E B. Hall 24.70 3 22 53 
Mecca, H. G. Downs . ...i^iii^i^i. t ...Did not finish. 
Win or Lose, J. S Appleby 23.75 a 13 53 
0PJ5N CATBOATS-30FT. CLASS. 
Starling, E. F. De Levante Did not finish 
Regma, W. R. Scardefleld ig.ao 3 18 06 
OPEN catboats (for wbbstbk CtIP). 
Punch, M. H. Clark ai.gg 3 07 35 
Yiolet, G. A. S. Wiener ..19. 83 a HI oa, 
