July 2, 1898.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
13 
a larger body; but none seems likely to be completely 
successful. 
"In my opinion, the faults of the modern yachts are 
very closely associated with extreme dimensions of beam 
and draft, reduced displacement, and large sail plan. 
What yachtsmen are now looking for in the 'wholesome* 
type would seem to be a vessel of greater body, driven 
at a reasonable speed for racing by a moderate sail 
plan. To produce such a craft, whatever elements need 
to be considered, the main ones would seem to be sail 
area (S.A.) and displacement (D.) The expression 
indicates two things: First, the desirability of taking a 
large amount of displacement; secondly, of using sail as 
economically as possible. The present tendency, to cut 
L.W.L. and D. and to take S.A. to an extreme degree, is 
directly opposed by this expression. Unfortunately, as 
it stands it is ,only a ratio, and not a practical working 
formula; nor have I thus far been able to conceive of 
any formula based on these terms as its vital factors. * * * 
It appears to me that if in any given class we can in- 
sure a reasonable amount of displacement (or what is 
practically the same thing, area of midship section), and 
can limit the coefficient of this midship section to some 
certain percentage, there should exist no necessity for in- 
cluding either L.W.L., beam or draft in the formula. * * * 
I am satisfied that we cannot dispense with S.A. in the 
formula; I am strongly of the opinion that it is de- 
sirable to add displacement in the manner suggested by 
the committee, and I am by no means certain that we 
need of necessity have any further regard for load water- 
line." 
"It seems to me that the earlier boats produced under 
the Seawanhaka rule were excellent craft for all pur- 
poses, and that the fault in modern boats lies in the 
larger linear dimensions for the displacement and the 
light construction, with, in some of the smaller classes, 
excessive sail plans. I agree therefore with the sug- 
gestion of the committee, that the basis of a rule should 
be L.W.L. and S.A., a premium on displacement and a 
restriction on draft, with possibly a small tax on over 
all length. On the above lines I would suggest a formu- 
la somewhat after the present Seawanhaka rule, with 
the addition of beam and draft; with displacement used 
as a divisor." 
Question 5. — "Centerboards can, I think, fairly be pro- 
vided for by fixing two limits of draft, one for keel 
boats or the vessel proper, and the other for the ex- 
treme draft with the centerboard down. To prevent un- 
due advantage being taken of weighted centerboards, it 
could be provided that when the weight of the center- 
board pennant exceeded a certain amount for each class, 
the centerboard should not fall below the limit of draft 
fixed- for the keel vessel. This, of course, is a rather 
severe penalty on the weighted centerboards, but except 
in the very smallest classes they appear to me an ob- 
jectionable contrivance." 
"Experience has demonstrated that for large boats 
the deep centerboard type is the best, while for small 
boats, say under 60ft. l.w.L, the keel has been the most 
successful. I would therefore ignore in the rule all 
distinction between the two types." 
"With such a rule as is here suggested, in which no 
arbitrary limits are fixed for beam and draft, and in which 
one dimension is interchangable for the other, the need 
for any discrimination between centerboard and keel 
vessels does not seem to be urgent." 
The above extracts are necessarily far from com- 
plete, as the specific answers to the committee's ques- 
tions were accompanied by lengthy remarks in most 
cases. The five questions offer the best basis yet pre- 
sented for a discussion of the measurement question, and 
we shall be glad to hear from any who may be tempted 
to try to answer them. 
The Racing Knockabout Gosling-. 
Gosling was the winning yacht of 1897 in one of the 
best racing classes now existing in this country, the 
Boston knockabout class. The origin of this class dates 
back about six years, when Carl, a small keel cutter, was 
built for C. H. W. Foster, of Boston. She differed from 
the small keel yachts then numerous about Boston and 
Marblehead mainly in that her lines were thoroughly 
modern, and her form a great improvement on the older 
boats; while her rig, being intended merely for "knock- 
ing about" off Marblehead in any weather, without re- 
gard to racing, was simplified by the absence of a bow- 
sprit, a small jib being set with the tack fast to the 
stemhead. The little boat soon became noted through 
her good performance, especially in bad weather, and her 
evident utility, and others were built to about the same 
dimensions, the name "knockabout" attaching itself to 
the class by common consent as it gradually assumed a 
definite shape. It was soon discovered that the boats 
could be raced, and that there was far less arduous work 
and more real pleasure in sailing them than the absurd 
machines of the then existing 21ft. open class, with near- 
ly twice the area of sail on the same waterline. 
Through 1893 and 1894 the racing of these boats, by 
this time quite numerous, became a recognized institution 
about Boston waters, from Marblehead to Hull, and in 
the fall of the latter year there was organized the Knock- ( 
about Association, with definite rules to restrict the 
building. The season of 1895 saw some new boats in 
the racing, specially designed to the limit of the new 
rules, while some of the slower of the original boats 
naturally dropped out; the class showed about fifteen 
starters in the season's races, the winning boat being 
Spinster, owned by L. M. Clark, president of the Y. R. 
A. of Massachusetts. In the following year the racing 
became still keener, largely through the addition of a 
Herreshoff boat, Cock Robin, that proved exceptionally 
fast. Second to her, however, out of a racing- fleet of a 
round dozen, was Bo Peep, owned by Mr. Clark and F. 
O. North, both of Dorchester. 
Carl was built by the George Lawley & Son Corpora- 
tion, of South Boston, builders of Puritan, Mayflower 
Merlin, Jubilee, Sachem, Alcaea and many other larg* 
