SfiPT. 4, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
198 
challenging yacht very far ahead of the best of the new de- 
fending fleet, large as it was. 
It was this superiority in power, more than anything else, 
the big rig of Glencairn I., and her designer's ability to 
handle it perfectly, that took the cup to Canada, but it 
brought about another result, in that Mr. Duggan himself 
was one of the first to recognize the extreme to which sail as 
compared to length had been forced in the course of his ex- 
periments, and to suggest the placing of a limit to a competi- 
tion which, already unwholesome, must become worse rather 
better if left unrestricted. 
The carrying out of this suggestion by the limitation of 
the sail area to SOOsq. ft. in the new 20ft. class, in which the 
challenge of the Seawanhaka C. Y. C was finally made, to- 
gether with the remarkable success of the later Duggan 15- 
footers Sothis, Anita and Glencairn I. against the best 
American boats, El Heirie, Riverside and Vesper, materially 
simplified the problem for 1897. The question of power, the 
controlling factor in 189G, was entirely eliminated; in spite 
of much silly nonsense that has been written about the 
extreme limits of variation of L.W.L. and sail in this 
class and under the Seawanhaka rule, it was practi- 
cally settled that all designers would work as closly as 
they possibly dared to the maximum sail limit, SOOsq. ft- 
with its corresponding l.w.l. of 17ft. 6in. Further than this 
while a wide diversity of types have been seen in the class 
this year, from the extreme scow Skate to the conventional 
waterlines of Asthore, and the full-bodied Duggan boa.ts, it 
has happened that both Glencairn II. and Momo have the 
same midship section, practically identical with Glencairn I. 
The two, Momo and Glencairn II., are remarkable alike 
for their close resemblance in some important points and 
their wide divergence in others. In length and sail area 
there is a small diiference, some 9iu. more length for Momo 
and an excess of 33sq. ft. of sail for Glencairn; this is prob- 
ably due to causes beyond the control of the designers. 
There is always a possibility, one might almost say a cer- 
tainty, that these lightly- built boats will change their keel 
contour in the course of some weeks of sailing, and this may 
result in a material lengthening of the measured L.W.Ii.', 
owing to the very flat angle between the water and the line of 
keel at each end. Then, too, there is a certain variation to 
be looked for between the calculated weight and the actual 
weight after some period of immersion; and the best trim is 
only to be found by steady trial, possibly calling for a little 
longer or shorter L W.L. than that in the design. There is 
also the weight of centerboard, several diflEerent ones being 
usually tried. While Glencairn II. came out just within 
the allowed 17ft. Oin. l.w.l., with the heavy board for which 
she was designed, Momo, in final racing trim in fresh water, 
E roved to be so much longer and so near the limit that her 
eavy, bronze board could not be used, and she was obliged 
to carry a much lighter one of steel plate. With all the 
final difference, however, it is probable that the two de- 
signers started out with the same li.W.L., sail area and dis- 
placement. 
The midship sections, as already stated, are also practi- 
cally the same, both closely resembling that of Glencairn I. 
In the case of Glencairn II., Mr. Duggan had already experi- 
mented with various modifications of an enlarged section of 
Glencairn I,, with a variation in beam from 7 to 9ft., with ac- 
companying variations in the round of the bilge, flare of the 
topsides, etc. The final result in Glencairn II. was a section 
of 8ft. beam, very similar to the original one. In the two 
boats designed by him, Al Anka and Momo, Mr. Crane kept 
quite close to the section of Glencairn I. ; so that the resem- 
blance between the challenger and defender as finally 
selected was remarkably close. In Momo the turn of the 
bilge was a little longer and easier and the topsides flared a 
little more, these characteristics not being confined to the 
middle body alone, but extending throughout the boat. 
Though so similar in many respects, there were some 
material points of difference; in the first place, Glencairn II, 
had a full Sin. more freeboard from end to end than Momo, 
with a little more sheer, and while the bow of Momo was 
abruptly snubbed in, that of Glencairn was carried out fair 
until the two deck lines met at the stemhead. This made * 
some difference in the over all lengths of hull which alto- 
gether amounted to over 2ft. 6ln., and with the added free- 
board and the extra crown to the deck made the hull of 
Glencairn very much larger and more buoyant in a sea than 
that of Momo. In their arrangement both were open below, 
without bulkheads, but Glencairn's cockpit, about 6x4ft., 
was also open, the only floor being of slats laid on the tim- 
bers and cross floors a few inches above the garboards. 
There were at the mast several plank floors about lOin. deep 
and without limber holes, which acted as bulkheads in con- 
fining to the bow any water which once found its way there, 
as through the hole made in the first race. 
Momo, like El Heirie and Glencairn I., had a watertight 
cockpit-— a mere depression of the deck to hold sails, the 
boat being practically flush-decked, like the extreme scows, 
and with no place for the crew except in a reclining position 
that is very fatiguing when long continued. It is almost 
absurd to speak at all of ease and comfort on these small 
racing machines, but there are degrees of discomfort, and 
the man on Momo, with a wide crowned deck at some little 
distance above the water, is better off than the man on 
Skate, with a flat, flush deck that is practically awash when 
not standing on edge. Similarly, with added depth of hull 
and a deep cockpit, as in Glencairn II., there is an occasional 
opportunity to bend the knees by taking the ordinary sitting 
position. 
The sail plans of the two boats presented an interesting 
contrast, the differences in nominal rig that appeared in the 
two former races no longer existed, both yachts had the con- 
ventional gaff mainsail, with throat and peak halyards. 
The proportions of the two sail plans were, however, 
radically different. That of Glencairn was of about the nor- 
mal proportions for the sloop rig, rather long on the base 
and of moderate height; Momo, on the other hand, had a 
very short base and much gi-eater height, the gaflf being 
longer by 3ft. and peaked higher. This cut of rig is dis- 
tinctly of advantage in light weather, where a little air may 
be caught aloft; and also in racing on narrow waters sur- 
rounded by trees and high ground, where the wind is broken 
by banks and trees. It was well known to American canoe- 
ists fifteen years ago, having been imported from the Thames, 
where it was developed by Mr. E. B. Tredwen, one of the 
most successful racing canoeists of the day. In the heavily 
ballasted Pearl canoes, sailing on the narrow Thames with 
trees on each side, the rig proved very successful; but it was 
speedily abandoned after trial on New York Bay and the St. 
Lawrence River, being replaced by a much lower and longer 
rig. 
Within the past two years the same shape of rig has been 
developed on the Boston knockabouts, and it has proved 
superior to the ordinary rig. The reasons for this are so 
plain that the experience in the knockabouts does not of ne- 
cessity offer reliable grounds for the general adoption of the 
rig. In the modern knockabout, a pui-ely racing craft, the 
original cruising restriction of no bowsprit is still retained, 
the C. E. being thus thrown very far aft in a sail plan of the 
ordinai-y proportions. Ad the same time the dead woods fore 
and aft have been ruthlessly cut away until the lateral plane 
is really that of a fin-keel. With this short lateral plane 
and a sail plan whose C. E. is abnormally far aft, the boats 
are unmanageable; as a matter of necessity, the after sail 
has been cut oft' to make the boats steer, and in order to 
make up the allowed area, the height of the sail plan has 
been materially increased. In this way the C. E. of the nar- 
row and lofty sail triangle is brought into a reasonable rela- 
tion to the C.L.R. of the short deep fin. At the same time, 
the knockabouts, with 3,5001b8, of lead in the bulb, 21ft' 
l.w.l. and f to 8ft. beam, have only the same sail area, 
SOOsq. ft., as the 20-footers, thus having ample power to 
counterbalance any elevation of the weight of rig. 
We cannot say how strongly Mr. Crane, with all of his 
Boston experience, has been influenced by this evidence from 
the knockabouts, which as far as it goes has been all one way , 
the narrow and high rigs on several other Herreshoff boats 
have placed them all ahead of his new Fly with a broad and 
low rig this season; it would seem, however, that he has ac- 
cepted this result on its face. It is still a matter of opinion 
whether one rig, and if so which, has any advantage over 
the other when not specially favored by unusual conditions, 
as just instanced, but for the 20ft. class in the present races 
we believe that the rig of Glencairn II. is decidedly superior 
to that of Momo. These races were to be sailed on quite 
open waters; the surrounding shores were low, and the 
winds, especially the prevailing W. and S.W., had a clear 
sweep. The great over 611 length which was optional if not 
absolutely desirable for other reasons, and which might be 
supplemented with a bowsprit, made it possible to distribute 
the sail so as to obtain a proper balance of centers without 
excessive height; and on the other hand, with the large sail 
plans carried and the absence of depth and fixed ballast, it 
was most desirable to reduce the height of the top weights. 
Until it is proven that there is an advantage per sc in the 
narrow and lofty as compared with the broad and low rig, 
in open waters and free from arbitrary restrictions, it would 
seem that the moderate proportions of Glencairn's sail plan 
were better than the extreme of Momo's. Against the de- 
cided lowering of weights in the one, there was only the 
possibility of catching a current aloft in a drifting match 
for the other. 
In the first two contests, as already shown, there-was no 
attempt to design for a ballast crew, the most that was done 
was to endeavor to fit the displacement and dimensions to 
the two men who were decided on for the crew. In the case 
of Spruce IIII., Mr. Brand had the young sailor man who had 
already been in his employ for several seasons; Ethelwynn's 
ovraer invited a friend, a skillful helmsman, but a light- 
weight, to sail with him; the Crane brothers, both of only 
average weights, sailed together in El Heirie as a matter of 
course, and similarly Mr. Duggan took with him in Glen- 
cairn I. his old companion in scores of paddling and sailing 
races, Mr. Shearwood. 
In the new 20-footers, however, the crew was from the first 
considered in a new light, as so much shifting ballast; this 
consideration having much influence on the design. Mr. 
Duggan, of course, sailed his own boat and kept his old mate, 
Mr. Shearwood, with him, bub in selecting the third man, 
for mainsheet, he chose a heavy-weight, Mr. Paton, of 
2401bs.; at the same time an old yachtsman and good all- 
round sportsman, who worked his passage well in all the 
races of the season. Mr. Crane, while also .starting out to 
sail himself in the boat of his design, started by picking out 
two of the heaviest of his friends, old football men, who were 
also good sailors. Both Al Anka and Momo were designed 
to carry the weight of Messrs. Stackpole and Shaw to wind- 
ward. Under the letter of the rule and its previous con- 
struction, this was perfectly proper and permissible; but the 
picking of men for weight above all other qualifications in- 
troduced a new and certainly a most undesirable principle 
in the 15 and 20ft. classes. 
A great deal has been said about the unusual weather tn 
which the races were sailed and its effect upon the result, 
and some have gone so far as to attribute the defeat of Momo 
solely to the accident of abnormal weather. This is very far 
indeed from being the case, as a closer examination of the 
races will disclose. The weather was unusual and very dif- 
ferent from the light weather which has prevailed in most of 
the races of the 15ft. class in two seasons at Oyster Bay, as 
well as on Lake St. Louis, At the same time, it was not so 
much that three out of the four races were sailed in a chance 
storm as that the whole season, on the coast and on the St. 
Lawrence, has been marked by much rain, cool weather, and 
generally strong breezes. It very often happens that after a 
blow of several days there follows a prolonged calm; but on 
the Saturday and Sunday after the last race there was still 
plenty of wind about Lake St. Louis. From the general 
tenor of the criticisms on the weather, it might be inferred 
that Mr. Crane had designed a light weather boat for the 
average racing conditions, and that Mr. Duggan had de- 
signed a heavy weather boat for exceptional conditions which 
he was lucky enough to realize. This is by no means the 
true state of the case. No one knows better than Mr. Dug- 
gan the average light weather conditions which prevail on 
Lake St. Louis. He last year won both there and at Oyster 
Bay in a boat of exceptionally high power. There was noth- 
ing to induce him to go in for a heavy weather boat this year, 
and, as a matter of fact, Glencairn II. was designed to have 
much less power than Avoca, the latter, after several races 
in exceptionally heavy weather, showing more power than 
her designer considered necessary. The trial races of the 
class were sailed in very light weather, and showed Glencairn 
to be the fastest of a fleet that had sailed through the season 
in all sorts of weather. 
Glencairn is in every sense a high-powered light weather 
boat, intended for the average conditions of Long Island 
Sound and Lake St. Louis, as shown in many seasons of 
racing. The difference between her and Momo, as nearly as 
we can estimate it from such sources of information as have 
been available, is this. Both designers started out with the 
same intention, of producing first of all a light weather 
boat, but Mr. Crane, while und-er-estimating the value of 
heavy weather qualities in case of an exceptional day or two, 
over-estimated the value of certain light weather features, 
such as low freeboard, short overhangs, and lofty rig. 
The value of low freeboard in racing has been an open ques- 
tion for the past three years.and many have believed that there 
was a material gain in speed from the total absence of free- 
board and sheer in such craft as Question and Skate. That 
this was largely Mr. Crane's belief last year was shown in 
El Heirie, with a comparatively low freeboard and no sheer. 
While being by no means positive in the matter, in the ab- 
sence of direct proof, we have still believed and hoped that 
the advantages, even in extreme racing, were on the side of 
the conventional yacht form, with moderate freeboard, ship- 
shape and sightly sheer, and good ends, as opposed to the 
"Barndoor" type of rectangular flat slab. In the 15ft. class 
last year the scows were represented by Willada and Hope, 
the yacht form by Glencairn I., and the compromise by El 
Heirie. In the new 20ft. class, the scows are represented by 
Skate and Kenen, the yacht form by Glencairn II. and her 
six sisters, and the intermediate type by Momo. Momo is 
decidedly further from the scow and nearer to the yacht 
than El Heirie, but so far as the hull goes, it is through^ 
the predominance of the scow features, the lower freeboard 
and blunt fore end, that she is termed a light weather boat 
in comparison with Glencairn II. 
Whether or no Mr. Crane was right in his estimates of the 
necessity of certain heavy weather features and .of their dis- 
advantages in such weather as might confidently be ex- 
pected, it must be admitted that he has dealt successfully 
with the problem of design from a purely light weather 
standpoint, and that he has been in very hard luck in strik- 
ing a succession of reefing breezes. Momo has proved her- 
self a very fast boat in light weather, and might, 
under different conditions, have made a much better show- 
ing. At the same time, after watching the trial races of 
both fleets, at Oyster Bay and later on Lake St. Louis, 
and all of the final cup races, we doubt very much whether 
Momo would have taken more than two out of five races in 
any wind heavy and steady enough to carry the boats over 
the course at a speed of five knots. In the first race, in 
which the course was sailed in less than this speed, we are 
of the opinion that if Glencairn had crossed the line even 
with Momo without accident, it would have been seconds 
either way at the finish. The work of Glencairn in sti'ong 
breezes has distracted attention from her performances tn 
light weather; but taking her work in the trial races, and at 
times in the cup races, and giving due weight to the splen- 
did handling which turned a defeat into victory in the last 
race, we doubt whether the real result of the races, the pos- 
session of the Seawanhaka international cup for the coming 
year, has been seriously affected by the presence of heavy 
rather than light weather. 
There is one lesson of the races which should not be over- 
looked or buried under any plea of exceptional weather; even 
in this racing class, the majority of the races both on the 
Sound and the St. Lawrence being in light weather, the boat 
with moderate freeboard, sheer and bulk of body has beaten 
the extreme slab, and the former in turn has been beaten by 
a boat of still more wholesome design. 
The present races have brought to the surface one point 
which has thus far been passed over by all parties by com- 
mon consent, though its importance has been recognized 
from the first by many. The possibilities of a purely ballast 
crew under the existing method of measuring with a nom 
inal weight of 1501bs. for each member of the crew have been 
discussed since the first arrangements were begun for the 
races of 1895, but thus far no action has been taken. The 
matter is a difficult one to deal with, and the general feel- 
ing has been that in the 15ft. class it would not pay to carry 
a very heavy man, as he would almost of necessity be un 
fitted for the work of handling light sails; this work requir- 
ing an exceptionally active man, and one whose weight 
when forward would disturb the trim as little as possible. 
This was all very well in the 15ft. class, no very heavy men 
appeared in the crews; but in going to a larger size the fac- 
tors of the problem were somewhat changed. The value of 
the whole crew as mere shifting ballast became greater, 
there was more room for the big man to work than on the 
15-footer, and there was allowed an extra man, presumably 
a heavy-weight, who, while tending main sheet, could shift 
fore and aft and thus balance the weight of the man who 
was working about the deck. It was just as true as ever 
that the work of setting light canvas, to say nothing about 
the matter of walking in safety on a 5-16in. deck, required a 
light and active man; but some skippers at least considered 
the weight to windward as of greater value than the extra 
dexterity about the deck. 
The matter was brought to an issue by the withdrawal of 
Mr. Crane from his own boat in order to make way for a 
stranger of greater weight in a heavy weather race. While 
this is in itself no violation of the letter of the rule, it is at 
the same time in that doubtful category of things which, 
while not directly prohibited, may be done just once before 
they are made the subject of restrictive legislation, as was 
the case with Vigilant's ballast crew in 1893. There is no 
question of Mr. Crane's legal right to make this substitu- 
tion, but we regard it as most unfortunate that the final de- 
cision of the question should have been forced in this way, 
and really to no good purpose. This is one of those open 
questions which may and always should be discussed and 
decided in the abstract and out of the racing season, and 
which, if forced to the front by one side or the other in con- 
crete form during the races, is almost certain to provoke ill- 
feeling. 
The members of the Royal St. Lawrence Y. C. since they 
first challenged in 1895, have shown a spirit that is con- 
spicuous even among the highest class of sportsmen for a 
rigid observance of the spirit of the rules, without referring 
to the letter. In the course of two seasons of hot racing, and 
of long discussions between the two clubs over details, they 
have shown every desire to keep these contests on the 
highest possible plane. There is no denying that the substi- 
tution of an outside man for mere purposes of ballast has 
awakened a great deal of feeling on their part against the 
Seawanhaka C. Y. C. 
Another question of a somewhat similar nature, but not 
so serious, had already arisen over the claim by Mr. Crane 
of the right to name two helmsmen for Momo. This, too, is 
more a matter of usage than of law, and it is not necessary 
to argue it now from its strictly legal aspect. The main 
points are that it was contrary to the general usage od 
yacht racing, that it had not been done before in the races 
lor the Seawanhaka cup, and that to recognize it now would 
be to establish a preceaent that might give trouble in the 
future. Though this point, we believe, was not advanced 
by the Canadians, it is plain that in races as hard and tedious 
as these sometimes have proved, the boat equipped with two 
good helmsmen to relieve one another would be at a decided 
advantage over one in which only one man was accustomed 
to the steering. 
Perhaps the fairest way to consider these two allied ques- 
tions is to look first at the ordinary customs of yacht racing 
and then at the possibilities wfiich would be opened by the 
full recognition of Momo's two claims. The ordinary usage 
in yacht racing, and especially in the previous races for this 
cup, is that one man shall steer a yacht through a race, and 
that the crew shall be made up of the same persons as nearly 
as possible in each race; as a rule it is in every way desirable 
that one good man perfectly familiar with the boat shall 
have the helm, and that he shall have under him men whom 
he knows well and who are familiar with their several 
duties. There is usually nothing to prevent another from 
taking the helm for a short time, or in the event of injury 
to the helmsman, and it; is of coui'se often necessary to take 
a substitute for an absent member of the crew. 
In the 20 ft. racing, however, the conditions are somewhat 
different from those which maintain through the racing fleet 
at large, or even in the ordinary small classes. There is a 
very strong temptation to pick men lor their weight above 
all other considerations; in lact, as the case now is, a man of 
under loOlbs., even though a good helmsman or hand, might 
as well make up his mind that there is no berth for him in 
the winning boats of the class, and that he must be content 
perforce to sit on the stringpiece and watch the I'acing. Of 
course, such a personality as tUat of Mr. Duggan must al- 
ways be worth more than any weight of mere beef in a boat; 
but it is plain to see that, unless some restriction is placed, 
next year's boats will be manned, like Skate, by men wtio 
are big and heavy, as well as good yachtsmen. There are 
none too many now who are capable of doing such work as 
Mr. Crane or Mr. Duggan have done this year, of designing, 
superintending, working up and finally sailing a racing 20- ♦ 
footer, and the number of these who are also heavy enough 
to qualify as valuable ballast is very much smaller. 
Tne man of average weight cannot be left ashore entirely 
after he has designed and worked up the boat; he must be 
carried, but his deficiency as ballast must be made up if 
possible. If it be conceded that two helmsmen may be 
named and the crew changed at will, the result under the 
strain of international competition is perfectly evident. In 
the first place, the owner or designer wno desires to sail in 
his boat will find a pair of heavy men, one of whom is a good 
helmsman, and who will be formally named as such, witn the 
owner. Tne two will change places at the stick at will, the 
lighter one doing the deck work and sail handling. If one 
happens to be specially good at a start and the otner more 
skilled in taking a boat to windward, so mucn ihe better. 
With this crew the boat is fitted for heavy weather, but she 
has, we will suppose, the additional option of changing her 
crew at will, so a couple of skillful lightweights are picked 
out, to be carried in light weather, the heavy men taking a 
rest ashore. This may be considered an extreme view of the 
case, but such action would be quite legitimate under the 
two claims made by Momo, and m the present type of boat 
