JiTLT 17, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
51 
He mounted his wheel and I prepared to follow, when, to 
my dismay, I found that in the Interval of waiting all the 
air had escaped from my punctured tire, and that the rim 
rested on the ground. ^ I notified B. of this fact, but advised 
him to push on at once without waiting, as the chances 
were that he would soon be in a similar predicament him- 
seU. He took my advice, and disappeared in a cloud of 
dust scorching down the road. 
As soon as possible I finished my monotonous task, and 
followed. I covered fully a mile before I caught up with 
B., who seemed to have recovered his good spirits, now that 
there was a possibility of getting through on time. A little 
further down the road I sighted the man who had oflEered to 
trade horses, and passing, bad the satisfaction of giving him 
some of my dust. But my victory was short-lived, for I 
had to stop soon after to pump up, and before 1 was through 
with the operation, he had caught up. 
"At it again, sonny?" he asked. "You fellers seem to 
spend most of your time getting up steam." 
Meanwhile B. came along and passed. One good bicycle, 
used on the "ride and tie" principle, would have done us 
almost as well as our machines in their present disabled 
condition. 
When we reached the town, where the repair shop was 
located, B. happened to be ahead. I had become thoroughly 
disgusted with my job of pumping. If I had been on a 
sinking vessel, pumping to keep from drowning, it might 
have been different. But here I was, with plenty of good 
solid earth under my feet, a blue sky above, and a pleasing 
landscape on either hand, toiling as if it were a life and 
death affair. I had pumped eleven times in the last fifty 
minutes. It was wrong, I argued, and illogical. Wrong, 
because there was no sufficient reason for such excessive 
work, and illogical, now that I had reached the neighbor- 
hood of a repair shop. 1 would have hailed B. and im- 
parted my conviction to him if he had been within earshot, 
but just then he happened to have a long start, as a boy 
informed me who had seen him racing through the town, 
with his pump in his hand ready for immediate use. How- 
ever B.'s puncture was of the kind that could not be quickly 
mended. 
I found the repair shop with ease, but had more difficulty 
in locating the proprietor, who was enjoying life in the bar- 
room of a neighboring hotel. Having explained my disas- 
ter, he consented to take a look at the wheel, and, with his 
companions, adjourned to his shop. Here, by doing a large 
fart of the work myself and prodding him on at other times, 
finally succeeded in plugging up the gapin? void, as the 
tack-hole had become to my fevered imagination. 
It was with emotions of profound satisfaction that I re- 
mounted, and pursued my journey, thinking that I might be 
of assistance to B, I hurried on to catch him, and finally 
came up with him as he was pumping for the twenty -second 
time. There was an expression of sardonic bitterness on his 
face that indicated the humor of the thing had long since 
lost its point. The finger-piece on the end of his pump was 
broken, which rendered his task still harder. 
Now that my mind was relieved of my own trouble, I had 
no compunctions pumping up for a friend, so, taking out 
my own pump, I fell to, and soon had given B .'s tire all the 
ozonic pabulum it would hold. As a result of riding it too 
soft, the tire had become uncemented, and this aggravated 
the leak, and made it necessary to pump up much more 
frequently. 
And so we made our way laboriously toward our goal. 
Quarter of a mile from the landing we had only one minute 
to spare. We filled B.'s tire for the last time and scorched 
down the hill. Near the bottom the dirt gave place to cob- 
blestones, and here the rim began pounding. B. sprang off 
'and ran beside his wheel, and in this way we reached the 
boat, just as the gangplank was being drawn in. 
B. didn't ejaculate "Saved!" and drop in a faint, and if he 
felt hysterical he didn't show it, but we were both conscious 
of being mightily relieved. 
B, walked from the boat the next morning, and left his 
tire at the manufacturer's agency. When he got it again, it 
had had a piece several inches loug cut out and a netv piece 
mserted in its place. X)aji Daly. 
The past week brought to an end the spring racing abotit 
New York, and for the next six weeks, at least, there will be 
a lull m the racing. The contest of the present week, the 
beawanhaka trial races, though confined to the smallest but 
one of the yacht classes, will be watched with considerable 
mterest by those who are able to be present in person at Oys- 
ter Bay and also by yachtsmen at a distance, both here and 
abroad, who have followed closely the international aeries 
inaugurated in 1895 by the Spruce-Ethelwynn matches The 
followmg week will be a lively one at Larchmont, the club's 
^i!^^*V'PS® week." A few races of the Sound club are 
scheduled for the end of July and to continue regularly 
through August; but one of the leading classes of the season 
the special 30ft., will be missing. The class sailed its last 
race m the annual regatta of the Riverside Y. C, by which 
tune It had grown to a fleet of sLx. Nearly all the rest of the 
Class has been laid up at Newport through the spring and 
after the Riverside race the New York division cleared for 
the eastward, where the racing will continue through the 
next two months. The first week of August brines the an- 
nual cruise of the New York Y. C; but, save for the rendez- 
vous and one race at Glen Cove, this is not a local function, 
and the bulk of the cruise racing is done at a distance from 
JNew York. With Labor Day comes a renewal of the racing 
in the smaller classes, then follows the fall regattas for the 
larger yachts, if any are left to race. 
In spite of the liberal promises made by some of the nauti- 
cal advance agents of prosperity last fall, when the draft 
limit and similar changes of rule were under consideration 
It has been evident all through the late winter and spring 
that very little of even ordinary interest was to be expected 
this season. Leaving aside the wild roorbacks of Defender's 
sale abroad, of her racing, either at New York, Nice or 
Cowes, and of wonderful new Cup challengers, the certain- 
ties of the season were but few. Of these the first and most 
prominent was the meeting of Colonia, presumably better in 
ner second than m her first season as a two-sticker, with the 
improved Emerald, the latter having a new bottom, increas- 
ing her draft from 10 to 14ft., and a new and larger sail plan 
JNext m interest to this came the new 51ft. class, with the 
new Gardner & Cox cutter Syce and the new Fife cutter 
ibe new 30ft. class promised some excitement in the double 
lorm of the home trial races at Oyster Bay in July and the 
cup races m Canadian waters in August. Apart from this 
there was good evidence of continued interest in the special 
dUtt. class, and also of a considerable amount of racing 
among existing boats in the classes below 51ft. At the 
present time the season is sufficiently far advanced to show 
just how these expectations have been realized 
The racing in the larger classes, it must be admitted, has 
been most unsatisfactory, there have been very few boats 
and no really conclusive racing. The schooner division has 
been limited to Emerald, Colonia and Amorita, and the lat- 
ter has played a very small part. In the first place, she is 
obviously out-classed in size by the two 95-footers, and in the 
second, she has twice met with bad luck, once taking the 
ground and once doubling up her dolphin striker, the mis- 
hap in each case taking place early in the race and causing 
her to withdraw. Under the most favorable circumstances 
the difference of 20 odd feet in measurement between her 
and Colonia and Emerald is too great to make an interesting 
or decisive race, as the result must depend on an allowance 
of a quarter of an hour. 
As between Emerald and Colonia, the case is very differ- 
ent, the rebuilding of the former, for the second time, has at 
last brought her well up in her class, and so near to Colonia 
that the larger boat allows her only about one minute, so 
that the two must start and finish very nearly together in 
order to make a good race. 
While these two fine yachts, both in perfect racing form 
and ably handled, are capable of affording unlimited sport 
to both owners and spectators, their meetings thus far have 
been far from conclusive, and it is yet a question just how 
much Emerald has been improved. She has, it is true, won 
three out of the five races sailed, but in this there is no proof 
that she is faster than Colonia. Three of these races have 
been sailed on New York Bay and the waters immediately 
outside the Hook, where the long experience of Emerald's 
owner stands in good stead. The races have been very fiuky 
and mconclusive, and what luck there has been has in each 
case favored Emerald rather than Colonia. The two races 
sailed on the Sound have been far fairer as tests, and though 
Emerald won the first one, it was only by lOs., and Colonia 
really did the better work all day. In spite of the general 
interest on the part of yachtsmen in this, the only large 
class of the year, Emerald's owner withdrew from the rac- 
ing after the fourth meeting, it being generally understood 
that she would not meet Colonia again until the August 
cruise. Colonia started practically alone in the Sea- 
wanhaka Corinthian regatta, though Emerald was ont 
with the fleet; in the annual regatta of the Larchmont Y. 
0. on July 5 Mr. Maxwell was persuaded to start in order to 
add to the interest of this special occasion, but at the River- 
side Y. C. regatta a couple of days later, though both were 
present; Colonia was unable to start through the lack of a 
competitor. The Seawanhaka regatta, that of the Stamford 
Y. C. and several others, offered exceptional opportunities 
for the thorough trial of these two yachts, the wind having 
been strong and true, and very different from the baffiing 
breezes of the early season. The owner of Colonia has been 
ready to start in every race open to the class, apparently 
only too anxious to settle the question of supremacy; and it is 
a matter of general comment and regret among yachtsmen, 
that the one other large racing yacht now in commission has 
not been at the line to meet her as often as the opportunity 
presented. Of course, an owner is not supposed to run his 
yacht and pay the bills solely for the benefit of the clubs or 
the yachting public; but at the present time, when clubs are 
givmg money liberally, and committee men are giving their 
time and labor to instil a little life into the sport, it does 
seem as though they might by right count upon the entry of 
every racing yacht m commission. 
_ In the larger single-stick classes there has been even less of 
interest than in the schooner division. While Vigilant has 
started twice and Navahoe once, the racing of this pair under 
cruising canvas fails naturally to awaken much excitement 
in the mmds of those who have seen the big 90-footers under 
full racing kites. Their performance under reduced rigs and 
in cruising trim proves nothing as to the real speed of the 
pair, and such a meeting'as that at Larchmont is interesting 
only as a part of the general patriotic pageant. While both 
will be with the New York Y. C. fleet on the cruise, and may 
start for the Goelet cup, it is doubtful whether either will be 
in such rig and trim as to make a decisive race with the 
other. 
Going downward in the classes, there are Queen Mab, 
Wasp and the new Syce, all of very different measurements 
and too far apart in size to be fairly matched together. Wasp 
hajS started in a number of races, in some cases alone and in 
others against Syce, invariably beating the latter. Queen 
Mab has raced but once, then beating Wasp in a strong 
breeze, The only hope of racing in either of these classes 
rests in the completion of the new Fife 51-footer and her 
meetings with Syce; but she will not be under way before the 
August cruise, and even then it must be another month be- 
fore the putty is out of her seams, her bottom fairly smooth, 
and her gear stretched. With her fresh from the ways and 
feyce m good form after three months of sailing, the races of 
the cruise are likely to be one-sided at best. 
The owners of yachts of the smaller classes, from the 43ft 
downward, have no reason to complain this year either of 
the programme offered by the clubs, the general manage- 
ment of the races at the hands of the various committees or 
the weather. There have been plenty of races scheduled for 
all of the regular classes, 43ft.. 36fb., .30ft. and so down in- 
cluding the special 30ft. class. Good prizes are offered in 
most cases, the schedule of dates has been well arranged in 
advance, and the details of courses, signals, etc., were never 
before so perfect. Especially is this true of the Sound Y R 
U., under whose rules most of the races of these classes have 
been sailed. 
We confess that the result has been' something of a disap- 
pointment to us in that some of the classes were not better 
failed, showing more than one or two boats. 
In most of these classes the latest extremes of freak form 
and up-to-date construction have by no means been reached 
and there is still more than a fighting chance for the average 
boat of the fast-cruiser or all-round type in both model and 
construction. In the larger cat classes, for instance the 
racing boats have not yet got beyond the point where 
a man can live aboard while racing. In all of these classes 
there is still good sport for the average yachtsman of 
moderate means, who owns but one boat and must 
use her for mnch of the time for cruising and gen- 
eral sailing. If she be originally a good boat, not too 
old and of fairly light construction, with rig kept up to date 
and everything as it should be, he can get plenty of racino- 
with others of the type. In our opinion there are many more 
of these boats about New York and the Sound than have 
started in the recent races. Of course business is not par- 
ticularly good, and bicycling has claimed many a man who 
could formerly be relied on for mainsheet or topmast hand- 
but the racing of such boats does not involve a heavy ex- 
pense; they are— or should be— handled by Corinthians, who 
live aboard with one or two paid hands; and if the owner is 
the right sort of a fellow his list of acquaintances will in- 
clude some one who can take the tiller in his absence, or 
some reliable substitutes when his regular men cannot get 
away, as on a Wednesday. From what we know of the 
yachts about New York this year, we should say that there 
are enough in commission to make up at least five or six 
starters in each class, from 15ft. up to 43ft. in every race 
That the average in most classes has been but two to three 
IS either because yachtsmen do not realize the opportunities 
now offered to them, or else they do not care to avail 
themselves of the chance to race. This condition of affatrs 
18 not likely to last many years, each season sees the intro- 
duction of the racing machine into some new class, to the 
complete exclusion of such yachts as we speak of. 
The circuit, which began at Oyster Bay on June 26 and 
ended at Riverside on July 10, marks the third season of the 
lacht Racmg Lnion of Long Island Sound. Year by year 
the details of race management have been improved through 
the efforts of this organization; with results that are plainly 
visible even o utside of its nominal jurisdiction. The changes 
made this year, during the non-racing season, have involved 
nothing radical outside of the acceptance of the draft limits 
adopted by some of the larger clubs, but they have resulted 
m a general improvement of racing routine. The rules of 
the Union, derived by careful compilation from the rules of 
the leading clubs, are now superior to those of any one club, 
and they are more generally lived up to than has ever before 
been the case. The circuit included nine races, or ten, in- 
cluding the division of the Riverside programme into two 
days. One of the scheduled races, that of July 2, was 
omitted, but even without it there was enough to keep the 
racing men busy. While, as already noted, some of the 
classes failed to fill as they should, there was on the whole 
some very good racing, and nearly every race was well worth 
watching. 
The 30-f ooters have done good work this year about New 
York, the fleet being well represented in every race open to 
the class, while the work of the boats has attracted general 
attention. The class has been criticised at times as not com- 
ing up to the idea of its promoters, in producing a generaUy 
useful and useable ail-around boat, for other purposes ^s 
well as racing. Just how true this is in the abstract, we 
cannot say; the boats are not ideal cruisers, but we do not 
know that they were intended to be. From their racing this 
season as well as last, it would seem that they have exactly 
filled the end in view. The owners of the class are all 
wealthy men, with ample leisure for yachting, and able, as 
some of them do, to gratify their taste for other branches of 
the sport in larger craft when not racing. In their hands, 
the 30-footers are purely racing boats, sailed regularly and 
persistently through the season, and whether they are good, 
bad or indifferent for other uses has nothing to do with the 
case. 
It is certain that this class, in the hands of such men as 
Mr. Duryea, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Stillman and Mr. Vanderbilt, is 
doing more than any other, small or large, to keep alive the 
racing spirit. If it has done nothing else, it has brought 
mto active racing the two last-named young men, who pos- 
sess not only ample means but a strong taste for yachting. 
There is no lack of money in this country for the support 
of yacht racing even in the present depressed times; there 
are plenty of men who could build Valkyries or Defenders if 
they were inclined to do so, and plenty more with ample 
means to race in any of the regular classes, to outbuild Col- 
onia, Quissetta, Queen Mab or Wasp. There is also no lack 
of the true yachting spirit; it abounds throughout the coun- 
try, being by no means confined to the salt-water or the East- 
em coast. The great trouble is that those who have unlim- 
ited means do not care for yachting, unless in the form of 
the ownership of a costly steam yacht; while those who are 
the keenest lovers of the sport are often unable to enjoy it 
through lack of money and time. The special 30-footer is 
essentially a rich man's yacht, in spite of her small size and 
comparatively moderate cost; to race such a yacht properly 
requires unlimited time and a residence at Newport for a 
good part of the season. Compared with the 30ft. cabin cat, 
the 80-f ooter is a bloated aristocrat, etc. At the same time 
the class has done a good deal for yacht racing at a time 
when some sorb of a stimulus was needed. 
Both Mr. Vanderbilt and Mr. Stillman are recruits of the 
right sort, at the stick all day in every race. Though tyros 
in match sailing, they have gone in boldly against two old 
hands— Mr. Duryea, of Vaquero IIL, and Mr. Ellis, of Hera; 
the former taking most of the first prizes this season and the 
latter some of the firsts and most of the seconds. Against 
these old Corinthians and some expert professionals, the 
two new men have held their own well, and have fought 
their way close up to the top in many of the races. The ab- 
sence of Asahi and her skipper, Capt. Nat. Watson, from the 
class this year leaves Mr. Duryea at the head, but it is quite 
evident that some of the other Corinthians will push him 
hard through the balance of the season. 
There are two details of race management which are still 
capable of improvement, and they are important in that 
they concern not the racing men, but the spectators. These 
latter are no unimportant part of the great body of yachts- 
men; there is, fortunately, a widespread interest in the sport 
among many who are not in a position to enjoy the personal 
racing, and this class is well represented wherever the op- 
portunity is afforded to witness a race. Especially is this 
the case since the racing has taken the form of a contin- 
uous series of events rather than a few isolated spectacles 
such as the old-time regattas of the few large clubs. Such 
continuous racing as that of the 30-footers and 20-footers is 
followed attentively by many yachtsmen, through personal 
attendance at the races, when such is possible, and at other 
times through the published reports. 
In order tbat the spectators on the club steamers may un- 
derstand and enjoy the race, it is necessary that the yachts 
should be numbered, and complete lists of the numbers 
provided; and also that the steamer should be so handled as 
to be within reasonable distance of the yachts, at least close 
enough to read the numbers with a gooa glass. During the 
recent Sound races the popular interest centered largely on 
the new Vanderbilt 30-tooter and the different 20-Iooters 
but in most cases only an expert could place the boats. The 
system ot class letters and numbers inaugurated by the 
Union and now generally adopted is an excellent one; the 
only fault is that it is not enforced as it should be and as the 
understanding was that it would be. The rales provide for 
a double system of letters and numbers, the former designa- 
ing the class, the latter being the individual number of the 
yacht. Of course both letter and number are necessary in 
order to identify any unknown yacht. Many yachts com- 
ply with the rule, and carry the official number and letter 
which may readily be obtained, but quite a number dis- 
pense with the letter, and some carry a wrong number. 
With numbers on the programmes which are not on the 
yachts, and with numbers on the yachts which are not on 
the programme, it is even more difficult to identify a yacht 
than wnen numbers were unknown. As a number is a per- 
manent fixture through the season, possibly through several 
seasons, and not, as o£ old, changed in each club, there is no 
good reason why a yacht should not show her correct letter 
and number every time she scarts. 
The club steamer is provided nominally to afford a view of 
the race to the non-owning contingent of the club and their 
families and friends. In every club there are many members 
who take no active part in yachting, but pay the same dues 
as the yacht owners, with, of course, much less in return 
The club steamer is nominally provided for this class and 
they board her with a hope— more or less faint, it is true 
according to experience— of seeing something of the race' 
The steamer is invariably in charge of an old and experienced 
yachtsman, his uniform, his cap and his various insignia of 
rank all prove that; but in spite of this there is not one 
steamer in ten that is handled with reasonable care or judg- 
ment. It makes very little difference to the victims whether 
the committeeman in charge is posing in nautically correct 
attitudes beside the steamboat captain at the wheel or 
whether he is totally invisible, entertaining his own friends 
below; the result is usually the same. 
In one recent race, of which the chief feature, was the 20- 
footers, sailing with other yachts a small triangle, the club 
steamer was carefully and thoughtfully taken well out of 
the harbor before the start and placed exactly at right angles 
to the middle of the line and about half a mile away °A11 
that was vLsible of the start was the crossing of the yachts 
head-on to the steamer, there being no possibility of identi- 
fying them or ascertaining their relative positions in working 
