Sept. $, 189S.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
191 
ffachting. 
As the yachting journal of America, the Forest and Stream is 
the recognized medium of communication between the maker of 
yachtsmen's supplies and the yachting public. Its vahie for ad- 
vertising has been demonstrated by patrons who have employed 
its' columns continuously for years. 
Fixtures. 
SEPTEMBER. 
3. Savin .Hill, open, Boston Harbor. 
3-4-5. Corinthian Marblehead, cruise, Massachusetts Bay. 
3. Woods Holl, championship, Sussett Harbor. 
3-4-5. Wollaston, cruise, Boston Harbor. 
3. Baltimore, Rear-Corn, cup, Chesapeake Bay, 
3. Beverly, eighth Corinthian, Buzzard's Bay, 
5. Cor. Philadelphia, fall, Essington, Delaware River. 
5. Larchmont, fall, Long Island Sound. 
5. Norwalk, open, Long Island Sound. 
5. Norwich, open, Long Island Sound. 
5. Beverly, open, Buzzard's Bay. 
5. Newport, club, Narragansett Bay. 
5. City Point, club, New Haven, Long Island Sound. 
5. American, skiff class, Newburyport, Mass. 
5. Jubilee, championship, Massachusetts Bay. 
5. Burgess, open, Massachusetts Bay. 
5. Lynn, open, Massachusetts Bay. 
5. Quincy, handicap, Boston Harbor. 
5. Royal Canadian, Prince of Wales cup, Toronto. 
9. Pacific, interclub regatta, San Francisco Harbor. 
10. Beverly, tenth Corinthian, Buzzard's Bay. 
10. Royal Canadian, skiff class, Toronto. 
10. Riverside, annual, Long Island Sound. 
10. Hull, open, Boston Harbor. 
10. Massachusetts Y. R. A., rendezvous, Hull. 
10. South Boston, handicap, Boston Harbor. 
10. Winthrop, cruise to Hull, 
10. Burgess, sail-off, cruise, Massachusetts Bay. 
10. Woods Holl, open, Woods Holl. 
10. Taunton, club, Taunton, Mass. 
10. Baltimore, McAllister cup. 
10. Chicago^ fall, Lake Michigan. 
11. Corinthian San Francisco, regatta, San Francisco Bay. 
11. Massachusetts Y. R. A., review, Hull. 
17-18. Corinthian San Francisco, cruise, Vallejo. 
17. American, cruise to Plum Island. 
17. Baltimore, Rear-Com. cup, Chesapeake Bay. 
17. Queen City, 22ft. K claSB, Toronto. 
26. Newport, ladies' day, Narrangansett Bay. 
29. Miramichi, Gould cup, Newcastle. 
30. Taunton, ladies' day, Taunton, Mass. 
OCTOBER. 
14. Miramichi, Watt cup, Chatham. 
At a time when the general conditions of both busi- 
ness and sport point to a marked revival of yachting 
alter several years of depression, the condition of yacht 
construction is most discouraging. The condition of 
the two Seawanhaka representatives, the most costly 
boats of their class ever launched, is well known to all 
who were at Lake St. .Louis, both being probably be- 
yond repair after a few races. Of the two boats in a 
similar class just racing at Boston, one had to be al- 
most rebuilt in order to make her safe for the series of 
races for which she was built, and according to reliable 
report she was only measured into her class by the 
radical expedient of heaving her bow up so as to 
shorten her waterline. The other was. nursed carefully 
through one race of the series in order that there might 
be enough of her left to sail out the season and make a 
record in her class. 
The next thing on the boards is the rebuilding of 
Defender for the trial races of 1899, which should shed 
valuable light on modern yacht construction; and this 
will be followed by the same dangerous and mischiev- 
ous competition in the building of both challenger and 
defender for next year. So far as the defender is con- 
cerned, there is very little risk, as in case of her total 
collapse all or nearly all of her crew might be saved by 
her steam tender and other boats. When it comes to 
the challenger, however, the case is very different. If 
Mr. Fife goes far enough in light construction to place 
him am'where near a fair equality with American de- 
signers, he must risk the possible loss of vessel and 
crew on the ocean passage. As racing construction 
stands to-day, it is difficult if not absolutely impossible 
to build a yacht for a long ocean voyage and yet keep 
her light enough to be on even terms with one con- 
structed merely for less than a dozen races within three 
miles of the shore. The natural end of the present keen 
competition in construction must be the loss of a 
large yacht sooner or later; and yet those yacht clubs 
whose avowed end is the promotion of sport either 
cannot or will not take action for the establishment of 
limitations on construction before they are forced to do 
so by public opinion. 
There is a general disposition on the part of both 
English and American journals to gush over Sir 
Thomas Lipton's challenge as something specially fair 
and sportsmanlike, and also over the readiness with 
which all overtures have been welcomed by the New 
York Y. C. The situation to-day, so far as the chal- 
lenger is concerned, is identical with that existing just 
twelve years ago, when Mr. G. L. Watson visited New 
York as the authorized representative of the Royal 
Clyde Y. C. to arrange a match with the New York 
Y. C. for the America Cup. The overtures of the Royal 
Clyde Y. C. were perfectly fair and frank, it expressed a 
desire to challenge for the Cup, and a preference for 
yachts of 70ft. l.w.l.. but at the same time was willing 
to build to 90ft. l.w.l.. or any other limit which the 
New York Y. C. might prefer. It did, it is true, go 
so far as to intimate that a series of five in place of 
three races would be fairer as a test of the boats, 
minimizing the chances of the weather. The action , of 
the New York Y. C. was to dispose as curtly and dis- 
courteously as possible of the whole matter by a brief 
resolution that a printed copy of the deed of gift be 
sent to the would-be challenger, with a notice that "a- 
challenge in due form" would, when received, be duly 
considered. In this action the club took refuge behind 
a technicality, the then existing (second) deed of gift, 
through its faulty wording, prohibiting more than seven 
months' notice of challenge, while the Royal Clyde Y. 
C, was giving ten. 
In the matter of a mutual agreement as to one com- 
mon length for both challenger and defender, it took 
refuge behind another absurd technicality, stating that 
it, the club, did not build yachts to defend the Cup, but 
was obliged to use such yachts as were offered for its 
trial races; and that it had not the power to dictate to 
individuals the size of yachts they should build. The 
result of this action, as everyone knows, was that 
Thistle was built under lock and key. 
In view of occurrences such as this throughout the 
entire history of the America Cup, that broad and lib- 
eral sportsmanship for which Sir Thomas Lipton is 
now generally praised seems to us more like inexcus- 
able ignorance of the whole matter; an ignorance which 
must lead in the end to a dispute of some kind. It is a 
most difficult matter for two parties, each composed of 
expert yachtsmen and acting in perfect good faith and 
fwrmony, to arrange the numerous technical details of 
an international match, and unless such details are fully 
provided for in advance there will inevitably be trouble 
in the end. In this case the challenger proposes to 
leave everything to the holder, with the most childlike 
confidence that every one of his interests will be pro- 
tected. A man who is not enough of a yachtsman to 
know what he wants and to what he is fairly entitled 
in making a match must be much more than human if 
he does not, rightly or wrongly, feel that he has been 
unfairly treated when he loses. 
There is no doubt that the conditions of the last two 
matches will be substantially followed in the present 
match, but that these conditions are in themselves fair 
is due only to the long and obstinate fight of both Brit- 
ish and American yachtsmen against the New York 
Y. C, and to the arrangement with Lord Dunraven by 
which, in return for a challenge, he was given such 
terms as had been denied to Lieut. Henn and Sir 
Richard Sutton. 
While we cannot share the popular enthusiasm over 
this new match, we hope, in the interest of yachting, 
that it may be sailed to a conclusive finish without the 
too frequent sequel of a quarrel. This can" only be 
done, however, by a complete and thorough understand- 
ing on both sides of the full terms of the match; the 
challenger not being a mere dummy, but fully conver- 
sant with those rights accorded to him by fa it yachting 
usage, and prepared to contend for them if necessary. 
The Seawanhaka International 
Challenge Cup. 
^ In spite of the space devoted to the races for the 
Seawanhaka international cup in our last issue, there 
were numerous points of minor interest that were neces- 
sarily neglected. One matter that engrossed the at- 
tention of all parties was the possible meeting of 
Challenger and Speculator, and several efforts were 
made to bring this about. Immediately after Tuesday's 
race Messrs. Crane and Duggan were consulted by 
a representative of interested parties on board the club 
steamer, who had guaranteed a suitable prize of money 
x>r plate, running up to a cup of the same value as the 
trophy, for a match between the two yachts. Mr. Crane 
was unable to give any positive answer, owing to the 
difficulty in keeping his crew together after the cup 
matches were over. 
On Sunday, after the first race, the suggestion was 
made to Mr. Duggan informally that, as the superior 
speed of Dominion was already established, and as 
there was no desire on the part of the holders merely 
to keep the cup, it might be well to offer to sail the 
remaining races of the series with Speculator instead of 
Challenger. The suggestion was well received by him 
and was laid before several members of the sailing com- 
mittee. The only objection made to it was that it 
would at once be accepted by the other side as an ad- 
mission that the committee was in the wrong in build- 
ing and selecting Dominion. The matter was dis- 
cussed seriously on the three following days, and after 
the final race on Wednesday a number of the Royal 
St. Lawrence men were perfectly willing to make the 
offer to call off the series of races and to start anew 
for the cup with Speculator against Challenger. There 
were three practical difficulties in the way of such a 
plan; in the first place it was doubtful whether Mr. Dug- 
gan's health would permit his participation in a new 
series of races, and without him at the stick the con- 
test would have been worthless; in the second place, 
Challenger was already badly damaged, and getting 
worse with each day in the water; in the third place was 
the original question, as to the spirit in which such a 
proposal would be received. On his return to the club 
house Mr. Crane was approached in the matter, but he 
would only consider it with the definite understanding 
that the Royal St. Lawrence Y. C. admitted that it had 
done wrong in selecting Dominion. This, of course, put 
an end to all ideas of further racing on this basis. 
So far as the further possession and defense of the 
cup is concerned, there is a very general feeling on the 
part of Montreal yachtsmen, especially those who have 
carried on the actual work of the last three years, that, 
while the task of defending the cup must be a heavier 
one each year, even if it be successful, it can do no 
further good to the club. 
The result of the first two races, the winning of the 
cup by Glencairn I. and its successful defense by Glen- 
cairn II., was in every way beneficial to the club. It 
was placed in a prominent position, in Canada and 
abroad, its members were awakened to a new interest 
in it, material improvements to the club property were 
made possible, and a strong interest in designing.' build- 
ing and racing was aroused among the younger mem- 
bers. It is quite evident now, however, that the in- 
fluence of the competition has changed, and that it is 
of no further benefit to the club. In order to make a 
suitable defense of the cup this year, all the energies 
and resotirces of the club and its individual members 
have been concentrated on the production and develop- 
ment of a small fleet of useless racing machines. The 
club fleet of useable yachts has completely disappeared, 
and the only boats afloat off the station are the few rac- 
ing 20-footers. 
During the winter Mr. Duggan designed a fine, whole- 
some little centerboard boat, of good dimensions and 
model, and durable construction, and several were built 
by the boat company; only one. however, was finished 
and sold. If the cup has to be defended next year un- 
der existing conditions, it will be necessary to build 
a fleet of machines more expensive, more extreme in 
design and even less useful and durable than the boats 
of this year, and this can only be done by means of 
syndicates. The comparatively large fleets of 1896-97 
were built willingly by individual members for the 
sake of the racing, the four boats of this year were 
built, not because anyone wanted such craft, but be 
cause it was necessary to make a creditable defense of 
the cup. 
The work of winning and defending the cup thus far 
has been possible only through the aid of Mr. Dug- 
gan, Who has designed the winning boat for three 
years, and the majority of the trial fleet of each year, and 
who has sailed the two Glencairns and Dominion to 
victory. In addition to this, Mr. Duggan has practic- 
ally built most of the boats, he, with two others, assum- 
ing the work and responsibility of carrying on the small 
shop at the club station for the sake of having the work 
done under their immediate supervision; there being no 
builder near Montreal who can do this class of work. 
While the club has done its part of the work, and 
many individual members have given their time and 
money freely to help in the designing, building and 
racing, at the same time the greater part of both labor 
and responsibility has naturally fallen on Mr. Dug- 
gan. Three years of the winter routine of designing 
followed by a summer of hot racing, in addition to 
the demands of a large business, have told on him to 
such an extent that it was a question whether he could 
sail the present series of races; and it is quite evident 
that a fourth year of the same double work must in- 
volve a very serious risk to his health. It is his inten- 
tion to abandon all designing save, as he originally took 
it up, as a diversion and a rest from other business. 
There is in Canada no professional designer, and the 
few amateurs other than Mr. Duggan are not fitted 
either by experience or location to take his place in 
the defense of the cup. 
There was, of course, no desire on the part of any 
of the holders to be beaten this year, either in designing 
or sailing; but at the same time, had the cup been lost 
after a good fight, any possible regret over defeat would 
have been well tempered by a feeling of relief that the 
club was now free to go on with the very necessary 
work of building up a fleet of useful boats. With this 
in mind, many members would have been quite willing 
to risk the possession of the cup on a new series of 
races between Speculator and Challenger, and this feel- 
ing had much to do with the proposal of the sailing 
committee, which will be acted on by the club at a 
special meeting on Sept. 2, to return the cup to the 
Seawanhaka C. Y. C. 
While there was no lack of appreciation of the in- 
tent and the full force of the orders from New York, and 
of the interviews in the names of yachtsmen from the 
States, the feeling on the part of the leading men of the 
Royal St. Lawrence Y. C. at the time of the meeting of the 
sailing committee on Aug. 19 was simply one of regret 
that the amicable relations between the two clubs should 
be thus severed. As far as the offer to return the cup 
is concerned, it was made in good faith and a spirit 
of friendliness. It was fully recognized that, for the 
reasons stated, the holders were mot in a position to 
defend the cup next year without detriment to their 
own interests, and also that the material revisions of 
the conditions which are now imperative could not well 
be done by correspondence or by means of brief con- 
ferences in New York or Montreal. Under these cir- 
cumstances it seemed best to return the cup to the 
original donors in order that they might, unhampered, 
amend the terms of the trust to meet the necessities of 
the future so far as they can be foreseen. 
In addition to the challenge from the Inland Lake 
Y. R. A., made to the Royal St. Lawrence Y. C, the 
Victoria Y. C, of Hamilton, has announced its in- 
tention to challenge for the cup, if it is again held by 
the Seawanhaka C. Y. C. This announcement was made 
by Com. Frank E. Walker, V. Y. C, at the close of the 
Lake Skiff Sailing Association meet on Aug. 22. Com. 
Walker, it will be remembered, challenged for the cup 
in 1895. immediately after the Royal St. Lawrence Y. 
C, the latter taking precedence. 
The "Dresser and Kerr" telegram has been published 
widely in the daily papers, evoking some very severe 
criticisms against the Seawanhaka C. Y. C. A good 
many different statements have been made as to the 
action of the representatives of the club in obedience 
to the orders of Messrs. Dresser and Kerr. After the 
receipt of the telegram Mr. Crane and his immediate 
party left the club house and dined at the Forest and 
Stream Club, about half a mile away, where they took 
their meals frequently while at Dorval. Mr. Crane was 
taken ill during the evening; after dinner he returned to 
the club house and retired; none of his party were pres- 
ent at the dance on the lawn or the suoper in the club 
house. It has been stated that Mr. R. W. Gibson de- 
liberately insulted the club by refusing to attend the 
dinner; this is not true, as Mr. Gibson, before he started 
for New York on Thursday morning, wrote a polite let- 
ter of declination, stating that he was unable to remain 
over another night. 
The comments of the daily papers throughout the 
country have been confined mainly to two points, the 
condemnation of the Royal St. Lawrence Y. C. for 
racing a catamaran, and a very severe condemnation of 
the Seawanhaka C. Y. C. for its discourteous action on 
losing, based on the "Dresser and Kerr" telegram. It 
is not clear who first started the cry of "catamaran," 
but, once started, it was taken up on every hand, with- 
out the slightest attempt to ascertain whether or no it 
was true. This was natural enough on the part of the 
average small newspaper, but it is very little to the 
credit of the larger journals, especially those of New 
York, which pretend to speak with authority in yacht- 
ing matters. The New York papers sent no represen- 
tatives to Montreal, and took all their information at 
second hand, making no attempt whatever to determine 
fairly the nature of Dominion. They raised a hue and 
cry that has spread all over the country, the ' Canadians 
being prejudged in a most unjust manner. With the 
true spirit of Rip Van Winkle, they have ignored all 
progress, and have judged Dominion by the standards 
of twenty-five years back. The Seawanhaka race com- 
mittee has apparently followed the same course, acting 
