March 26, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
285 
The Fin-Keel and Scow Types. 
New York, March 8. — Editor Forest and Stream: In 
the issue of Jan. i, 1898, I promised Fin (de siecle) to 
submit a suggestion for a yacht for the new L. Y. R. A. 
22ft. fin-keel class. I submit herewith two designs, and 
with your kind permission will use them to illustrate a 
point or two in connection with measurement rules. 
[Refer to Forest and Stream, issues Nov. 20, 1897, 
article by A. on measurement, S. C. Y. C. 21ft. knock- 
about; I3ec, 18, 1897, communication from Fin (de sie- 
cle) ; Jan. i, 1898, American Y. C, 2Sft. knockabout, 
and my communication; Jan. 22, S. C. Y. C. race com- 
mittee report; Feb. 5, communication from Sextant; 
Feb. 12, communication from Mr. James N. Warring- 
ton and C.; Feb. 19, plans for 2Sft. fin-keel cruiser; 
March 5, communication from Mr. Mills.] 
The S. C. Y. C. 21-footer is of the conventional keel 
yachts. It would surely be natural to expect that the 
requirement of so large a midship section would pro- 
duce a good type of yacht, and yet the Freak is the 
fastest model of the three submitted, and differs but lit- 
tle from the successful 20 of last year. The displacement 
factor is very small, and the scantling which the Lake 
rules require utterly insufficient to pi'oduce a strong boat. 
Indeed, without a very complete system of trussing the 
Freak would break up inside of a month, and yet she 
would comply with the rules made for the express pur- 
pose of producing a strong-built yacht of a good, whole- 
some form. Not only is this true, but the Lake rules 
permit this same form to be built minus the keel to 
race in the regular classes, unless I am misinformed, 
the only change required being the addition of a center- 
board trunk and two rudders like those shown by dotted 
lines at each quarter. 
The righting moment, lateral plane, etc., are all right, 
Erect Lateral Planes 
L. W. L. 
Beam 
Mid 
Name 
Hull 
Rud- 
der. 
Fin or 
Keel. 
Disp. 
Bal 
last. 
Draft 
Erect 
He'l'd 
Erect 
He'l'd 
sec- 
tion. 
Coeff. 
R. L. 
Sail 
Area 
Publication. 
Type. 
Sound tin 
3T.4 
6.0 
35.0 
tl.500 
5.600 
5'.0" 
24'. 0" 
25'. 0" 
13.8 
56.5 
26.1 
800 
F & S 2 19 '98 
Full bodied fin. 
A.m. fin. . 
45.6 
10.0 
29.0 
1-2.600 
5. GOO 
4'. 6" 
26'. 0" 
2T'.6" 
8'. 11" 
8'.0" 
15.0 
52.5 
26.6 
soo 
F & S 1 1 '98 
Conventional body with wood fin. 
S C Y C 
37.0 
T.I5 
21.5 
6.TTS 
8.600 
4'.0" 
21'.0" 
24'. 0" 
7'. 8" 
7'.0' 
9.75 
51.8 
22.2 
550 
F & S 11-27 '97 
Conventional full S. section keel 
Lake 
18.80 
4.0 
31 .5 
T.451' 
3.000 
5'.0" 
22'. 0" 
26'. t)" 
7'. 0" 
6'.1" 
10., W 
51.5 
22.0 
4S0 
Current mini 
Full bodied fin Large accom. 
Freak . . . 
4.00 
3.0 
34.1 
8.800 
0 
5'.0" 
U'.O" 
26'. 2" 
11'. 0- 
4'. 6" 
10.0 
41.7 
21.5 
840 
Current num 
Similar to 20' class Designed to 
beat the L. R A. rule. 
type, and comes quite close to the restrictions of the 
Lake 22ft. class, and the American keel and my fin come 
quite close together, and so I have compared some of 
the features in the table herewith submitted. 
In the matter of room the designs speak for them- 
selves; in the matter of speed they can be compared by 
the application of the following rules, each rule being 
understood to be relative: 
1. Sail area alone produces motion, therefore the 
larger the sail area the faster the motion. 
2. Sails should be as near theoretical planes as possi- 
ble. 
3. The length that exists under sailing conditions 
should be as great as possible and the breadth as small 
as possible. 
4. The wetted surface should be as small as possible. 
5. The lateral plane should be as much of a plane as 
possible. 
6. The rudder should control the yacht's motion posi- 
and I have found that a yacht of such dimensions will 
sail successfully. 
Does it not seem that the effort of the Lake Y. R. A. 
to get a wholesome yacht would prove futile if designers 
chose to go to the limit? 
Let us consider Mr. Warrington's proposition of a 
girth rule. He thinks it will produce a full body. Is 
he not totally mistaken? Will not the designer make 
such a form as the Freak without the fin, and with a 
centerboard, until the limit is passed where weight of 
hull and crew are sufficient ballast, and then take the 
bulb fin with a semi-circular cross section? It would 
be natural, and would produce the fastest form in each 
case; and if Mr. Warrington will try a few designs, using 
the Freak for a nominal 2Sft. or 36ft. class yacht, and 
the midship section of the Sound fin for a 51ft. class, he 
will find that he can easily get a sufficient righting mo- 
ment with a body that is worthless, except for speed. 
If we are after speed alone, Mr. Mills, Sextant, A. and 
PROPOSED L. Y. R. A. DESIGN. 
tively by directing it, not negatively by dragging back on 
one side. 
7. The hull should be practically symmetrical about 
an axis parallel with the keel under all angles of heel. 
Any change in form when heeled should be an im- 
provement. 
8. The rate of displacement of the particles of water in 
a path at right angles to the keel should be as slow 
as possible. 
9. The center of buoyancy should be separated as far 
as possible from the center of gravity. 
10. The center of buoyancy, center of gravity, center 
of load waterline length, center of lateral resistance and 
C. are right in saying, classify for sail area alone. If 
the S. C. Y. C. race committee and A. and C. express 
the views of American yachtsmen, that we want a rule 
to develop a "speedy, seaworthy and comfortable yacht," 
then the rule proposed by C, with a limit of draft added, 
is ideal. Make it read: "Yachts shall be classified ac- 
cording to sail area." 
In each class, sail area, load waterline and displace- 
ment, when heeled until deck amidship is even with the 
water, and draft when on an even keel, shall be fixed. 
All dimensions shall be taken from the plans of the 
yacht by the designer and sent to the measurer or secre- 
tary of the club, with the affidavit of the designer that 
PROPOSED "FREAK." 
center of effort should all be in the same vertical trans- 
verse plane. 
11. The entrance and run should be the same. 
12. There should be no angles, pockets or humps in 
the form along which the water passes. 
13. The overhangs should be so prolonged that the 
water cannot strike a vertical surface forward or leave 
one aft. 
Now consider all the yachts mentioned as heeled to 
the sailing angle and plot their waterlines. Evidently 
there is no relation between the dimension of hull taken 
on an even keel and taken heeled, except such as the de- 
signer chooses to make. Next look at the 22ft. class 
the dimensions are correct, and of the owner that no 
changes of rig have been made without the design- 
er's knowledge. Such a rule will produce the hull of 
least resistance, and cannot be beaten. 
The features of measurement from the plans and when 
heeled were suggestd by A.; the general form by C. 
I have tried a number of the rules suggested, and I 
find it a simple matter to beat any of them, except the 
above, and I think the reason is that the others are 
based on assumptions of the resistance of ratios be- 
tween certain parts or dimensions that do not exist in 
fact. Thus it is supposed that the area of midship sec- 
tion multiplied by length and a factor of from 0.53 to 
0.56 will give the cubic displacement of huU, the 0.5^ 
being used for a yacht of fine lines and the 0.56 for one 
of full nines. Observe in the table how erroneous this 
is. Another assumption is a ratio existing between erect 
and actual L.W.L. This too is entirely wrong, since the 
designer can make as great a difference as he chooses, 
practically. 
I hope you will get or write an answer to C.'s com- 
munication of I^eb. 12, or else either show the possibility 
Body Plan of L. Y. R. A. Design. 
of beating the rule above outlined, or suggest a better 
one to secure a "speedy, seaworthy and comfortable 
yacht;" and I will make good my word and send you a 
design that shall be only speedy. 
The daily papers publish Mr. F. B. Jones' definition of 
a 21 ft. knockabout. Taking this definition, it is easy to 
design a yacht without accommodation, of 5,50olbs. dis- 
placement, flush deck, ^sailing on a L.W.L. of 30ft. and 
a beam of 5ft., and a yacht that will carry whole sail 
when the regular knockabout must be close reefed. Com- 
pare with Table i. The English girth rule permits of the 
design of a yacht, say of 44ft. rating, carrying 3,6oosq.ft. 
Body Plan of "Freak." 
of sail, with a large relative righting moment and a 
midship section coefficient of 22 per cent. This means 
that if better yachts are being built in England, it is only 
laecause the designers don't care to take advantage of 
their opportunities. 
To sum up: 
1. Length should be mcasnred when the yacht is 
heeled. 
2. Size can only be secured by a requirement of cube 
or displacement. 
3. If sufficient displacement is required, nothing can 
be gained by skinning construction, except increased 
ability to carry sail. 
4. Ability to carry sail is a function of ballast, beam 
and draft to a reasonable figure, and beam will be lim- 
ited by the length naturally, but in any case is good 
per se. Geo. Hill. 
Long Island Sound Y. R. A. 
The annual meeting of the Long Island Sound Y. R. 
A. was held at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, on 
Monday, March 21, with President Cromwell in the chair, 
the following delegates being present: 
Corinthian Fleet, of New Rochelle, W. P. Stephens; 
Hempstead Harbor Y. C, Ward Dickson; Horseshoe 
Harbor Y. C, F. E. Towle, Jr., and J. M. Price; Hunt- 
ington Harbor Y. C, H. H. Gordon; Huguenot Y. C, 
E. Burton Hart, Jr.; Indian Harbor Y. C, F. Bowne 
Jones and Charles E. McManus; Knickerbocker Y. C, 
O. H. Chellborg and H. Stephenson; New Rochelle Y. 
C, Paul A. Meyrowitz; Park City Y. C, Rodney S. 
Bassett; Riverside Y. C., C. T. Pierce and George B. 
Clark; Seawanhaka Corinthian Y. C, Oliver E. Crom- 
well; Douglaston Y. C, O. H. Chellborg (representing 
W. A. McLellan); Harlem Y. C, W. A. Towner; Sach- 
em's Head Y. C, R. C. Mitchell. 
The report of the executive committee was read, rec- 
ommending that time allowance be continued for the 
present season, and that a new arrangement of starting 
signals, with separate starts for the special classes, be 
made; also presenting a schedule of dates substantially 
the same as in 1897. The report was adopted. 
A motion was made and carried that time allowance 
be continued for the present year. 
Some discussion took place on the subject of starting 
signals, and Mr. E. Burton Hart, Jr., suggested the 
adoption of a code of nine instead of six signals, with 
a series of six balls in combination, giving nine divi- 
sions. This proposal was adopted, the details of the 
arrangement being left to the executive committee. 
After discussion it was decided to race the cabin and 
open boats in separate classes, and the definition of a 
cabin yacht framed last fall by the Y. R. A. of Massa- 
chusetts was adopted as follows: 
Definition of a Cabin Yacht. 
A cabin yacht shall be defined as either a flush- decked 
yacht with cabin accommodations below deck, or a 
decked yacht with cabin trunk and similar accommoda- 
tions, which shall conform to the following limitations: 
1. The least freeboard shall be equal to 7 per cent, of 
the L.W.L. length, measured in a perpendicular line 
trom the top of covering board of deck to the surface 
of the water. 
2. The cabin shall have headroom over the required 
floor space, equal to not less than 18 per cent, of the 
L.W.L. length, to the limit of 6ft., in the clear, under 
deck or cabin trunk, exclusive of skylights and hatches, 
with substantial partition at the after end of the cabin; 
and shall have a floor above the timbers, flush through- 
out, excepting the space occupied by the centerboard 
box, for at least 35 per cent, of the L.W.L. length, with 
a minimum width of not less than 20 per cent, of the 
extreme beam, and shall be fitted with two permanent 
lockers, and suitable berths for the accommodation of . 
the crew. 
3. A cabin trunk shall be capable of sustaining the 
weight of the entire crew. 
